Technology and R&D

NYSolarCast, a solar-projection tool developed by the state of New York to handle its growing base of PV facilities, demonstrated equal or superior performance than competing commercial alternatives, according to a year-long analysis.

Researchers in the United Kingdom have analyzed lithium-ion battery thermal runaway off-gas and have found that nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries generate larger specific off-gas volumes, while lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are a greater flammability hazard and show greater toxicity, depending on relative state of charge (SOC).

The German manufacturer said PV system owners can connect up to four units in parallel for a storage capacity of up to 106.8 kWh. The battery reportedly has a lifecycle of more than 6,000 cycles and comes with a 10-year warranty.

Researchers in the United States have investigated the sensitivity of PV inverters to the ectromagnetic pulses caused by high-altitude nuclear explosions during nuclear weapon testing. Their work presents several protection strategies aimed to improve the inverters’ immunity levels.

Chinese manufacturer Jolywood is currently applying a laser-assisted firing process in TOPCon solar cell manufacturing that can reportedly increase contact quality and corrosion resistance, while also reducing production costs. Scientists at the University of South Wales have investigated the impact of this production process on the quality of TOPCon cells and have found it “significantly” improve their reliability.

Livoltek has developed an all-in-one storage system for residential applications, featuring a storage capacity of up to 25 kWh and compatibility with five different inverter models, as well as the option to integrate with electric-vehicle (EV) chargers.

Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is considered a mature form of deep storage due to its components being firmly “de-risked” but few projects are operating in the Western world. A project in the remote New South Wales town of Broken Hill promises to lead the way.

The French government has published long-anticipated rules defining conditions for installing PV panels on agricultural areas, with consideration for the coverage rate and acceptable loss of agricultural yield.

Greenrail Group has started deploying special its PV railroad-tie solution along a railway line in Emilia Romagna, Italy. The company designed the system according to the UNI 10349 standard.

The photovoltaic micro aerial vehicle has a footprint of 0.15 m x 0.15 m and a weight of only 0.071 kg. According to its creators, it is the smallest solar-rechargeable multi-rotor ever developed to date. It uses a 22.6%-efficient solar module technology from US-based Sunpower and a 0.3 Ah storage system based on lithium polymer batteries.