Technology and R&D

Serbia-based Storenergy has developed a thermal energy storage (TES) solution that uses recycled ceramics as the storage medium. It says its solid-state storage solution is designed to ensure long lifespans and low maintenance costs.

Researchers in the Middle East have developed a new design for energy systems combining PV power generation with Trombe walls in buildings. They claim their new system configuration with reflective mirrors offers improved overall system efficiency both in terms of heating and electricity production.

Researchers in Austria have analyzed the crack propensity of backsheets made of polypropylene (PP) and have concluded these may be potentially used in solar module manufacturing, unlike co-extruded polyamide backsheets, which caused many headaches to the PV industry in the past. Furthermore, PP backsheets are claimed to have lower stiffness and higher flexibility than their laminated counterparts.

Utilities increasingly recognize heat pumps as a critical technology for heat decarbonization. They are deploying multi-megawatt systems in different parts of Europe to simultaneously serve multiple users and offer new avenues for the decarbonization of buildings.

Scientists in Cyprus evaluated six different models used to predict the power losses caused by the accumulation of dust, dirt, and other substances on the surface of PV panels in the island’s arid climate. Results from the various models were compared with soiling loss data from a “test bench” installation at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia, revealing a potential advantage for machine-learning approaches backed by satellite data.

In this exclusive interview with pv magazine, Guoguang Chen, President of Smart PV & ESS Business at Huawei Digital Power, in this, discusses company strategy and recent announcements around FusionSolar, latest technology and product innovations in solar and storage, and more.

Scientists in Italy have coupled a solar-powered air heat pump with a water tank for thermal energy storage to provide hot water to a residential building as a retrofit solution. They claim that the proposed system configuration can achieve a “desirable” thermal performance while reducing annual electricity consumption.

US scientists developed a monocrystalline solar panel relying on “minicells” based on polysilicon on silicon oxide passivating contacts. The module works with laser light and can reportedly achieve a photoconversion efficiency of over 40% and an open-circuit voltage of 7 V.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has made highly bifacial perovskite cells with a front-side efficiency of 23%.

A fire hit an industrial building and its PV system in Switzerland earlier this month, but the cause of the blaze remains unclear.