New robots for PV plant inspections
The Antecursor II robot autonomously inspects upper and lower solar panel structures for thermal anomalies, with more than 30 hours of autonomy.
High-resolution model to identify hourly usage patterns of residential heat pumps
Developed by scientists from the UK and Spain, the new model uses high spatiotemporal resolution weather data and data from heat pump field trials. It finds “significant regional differences” compared to a British nation-wide estimation.
Solutions needed to future-proof big solar amid weather-related risks
Extreme weather is a growing risk to solar farms. Future-proofing through advanced technologies, leveraging data from novel sources, and accepting risk is vital, but rarely achieved today for a number of reasons. Insurers, lenders, developers, contractors and manufacturers recently came together in Melbourne, Australia, to discuss solutions to the intractable problem of weather risk.
Dutch startup offers film that enhances efficiency of specialty PV modules
Mito Solar, a Dutch developer of lightweight PV modules, has developed a laminate film to boost the power generation capacity of specialty solar panels, such as those installed on solar racing cars and boats. The company claims the film may improve a module’s power conversion efficiency by up to 1%.
EDF acquires CB Heating
EDF has purchased UK heat pump installer CB Heating for an undisclosed sum.
New wall-mount lithium battery inverters from India
Exide, an Indian manufacturer, has entered the lithium-ion home power backup market with wall-mount lithium battery inverters ranging in size from 450 W to 720 W.
Israel to build energy communities in villages destroyed by Hamas
Israel’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure says it is currently developing a multi-year program for communities attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7. It aims to deploy 5 GW of energy in the destroyed areas, once residents return.
New research claims PV outperforms afforestation in combating climate change
Scientists from Israel have calculated how long it would take for PV plants and afforestation projects to offset their warming impacts caused by the darkening of land. The results showed that in drylands, PV fields could be over 50 times more efficient than afforestation.
New design for kesterite-kesterite tandem solar cells promises 24% efficiency
Scientists in China have designed a kesterite-kesterite solar cell with an optimized structure that may potentially achieve efficiencies nearing those of crystalline silicon PV devices. They improved the performance of the two subcells by adjusting band alignment at interfaces, selecting proper buffer layers, and adding a double layer to both devices.
Soltec introduces hail defense algorithm for solar trackers
Hail losses in the United States exceeded $1 billion in 2021.
