Tecnalia, Vita International developing solar guardrails
Spain’s Tecnalia and Italy-based Vita International have designed a new photovoltaic guardrail, set for testing later this year on a 100-meter stretch of a highway service area between Turin and Trieste, Italy.
Ultra-short-term PV forecasting based on convolutional neural network, long short-term memory
Scientists have created a novel probabilistic model for 5-minutes ahead PV power forecasting. The method combines a convolutional neural network with bidirectional long short-term memory, attention mechanism, and natural gradient boosting.
I, Photovoltaics
New research from Germany has investigated for the first time the idea of building a photovoltaic Dyson sphere, a theoretical megastructure that could provide vast amounts of energy for interstellar space travel and large-scale technological endeavors. Despite its highly theoretical and science-fiction inspiration, the study explains what consequences a similar construct would have on life on Earth.
Alumina oxide nanoparticles extend perovskite solar cell lifetime
Scientists in the U.K. have used alumina oxide in perovskite solar cells to achieve lifetimes exceeding 1,300 h under standards-based heat and humidity testing. Their analysis showed that a reference cell based on conjugated polyelectrolytes degraded in one-tenth the time.
Vaillant, Fraunhofer ISE present residential heat pump with new safety concept
The novel heat pump system relies on a thermal sensor based on an adsorbent-coated sensor layout developed by Vaillant in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE). This technology is reportedly effective in preventing propane from forming an ignitable mixture with air outside the device.
Home batteries vs. power generators
Assessing the difference in cost, functionality and operations of fueled generators versus home batteries.
Triple Solar unveils PVT-assisted heat pump using waste heat from PV
Triple Solar BV has developed a residential photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) heat pump that uses waste heat from PV modules, eliminating the need for an outdoor unit.
At high latitudes, vertical PV is more profitable in February than horizontal panels in June
A 248 kWp solar system deployed on the roof of Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadium was found to be more profitable in February than a comparative horizontal array in June. The vertical panels’ ability to generate more energy in winter months than horizontal equivalents helped save more money against Norway’s typically high electricity prices in winter.
Withthegrid expands real-time renewable energy asset controlling platform
Dutch technology company Withthegrid has expanded the functionality of its flagship Teleport Gateway, supporting real-time control and management for a wider range of renewable energy assets and markets. To enable product and international expansion, it has raised €3.5 million.
Dutch startup developing large plant to generate heat, power from hydrogen
HyER Power, a Dutch hydrogen energy producer, is developing the first large-scale hydrogen power plant in the Netherlands capable of generating both electricity and heat. The plant is set to begin operations by the end of the year.
