How long do residential solar panels last?
Multiple factors affect the productive lifespan of a residential solar panel. In the first part of this series, we look at the solar panels themselves.
The Hydrogen Stream: combination of power grid expansion and hydrogen network cheapest option in a net-zero system
Researchers found out that the cheapest way to reach a net-zero system in Europe includes a power grid expansion and a hydrogen network. Meanwhile, Lhyfe signs a PPA for its hydrogen facility in Bretagne, and Nortegas reaches 15% of hydrogen in replica of its distribution network in Spain.
Distributed PV, battery storage curtailment in low-voltage networks
University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers have looked at energy losses in South Australia and have identified average curtailment of 1.5% for distributed PV sites and 0.2% for distributed PV coupled with batteries, but some locations experience generation losses of up to 25%.
PV-powered heat pumps with thermal, electrical storage
Italian researchers have looked at the potential of thermal and electrical energy storage to improve self-consumption rates in buildings when coupled with PV-powered heat pumps. They have concluded that such an approach could yield self-consumption rates of more than 80%.
Toshiba unveils silicon carbide MOSFET for PV inverters
Toshiba has developed a 2,200 V silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET for inverters and energy storage systems, in order to help inverter manufacturers to reduce the size and weight of their products.
Jetstream changes drive UK and Spain solar resource higher
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, presents the solar irradiance data it collected for Europe in August. The UK saw on average 110% of normal August irradiance, with values exceeding this in the north. Spain and Portugal received 10-20% more than normal, due to reduced cloud.
EnerVenue launches new metal-hydrogen battery variant
EnerVenue has developed a new metal-hydrogen battery. The US startup says the battery’s efficiency ranges from 80% to 90%, depending on the cycle rate, and claims that its energy density per square foot is equal to or even better than lithium-ion batteries.
Anode-less redox flow batteries capable of fast cycling
Researchers in the US have demonstrated that replacing the planar lithium anode in a redox mediated lithium-sulfur redox flow battery with a high surface area scaffold enables 10 times faster cycling, up to 10 mA cm−2, without short circuit or voltage instability.
Ascent Solar hits 15.2% efficiency in production trials for CIGS cell
Ascent Solar has achieved a 15.2% efficiency for a copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) cell in production trials by replacing cadmium sulfide with a new material in the manufacturing process.
Coremax unveils 100Ah lithium iron phosphate for rooftop PV
The Chinese manufacturer said its new storage system is intended for use in residential and small commercial PV systems. It features a storage capacity of 30 kWh and a nominal voltage of 51.2 V.
