Technology and R&D

Zonergy has developed a 2.5 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery system featuring an inverter with an output ranging from 8 kW to 15 kW. It says four to 16 modules can be combined for between 10 kWh and 40 kWh of energy storage capacity.

New research shows that floating PV plants may have superior generating capabilities compared with ground-mounted PV plants in several areas of Bangladesh. Furthermore, the study indicates that floating arrays in the country may reach a levelized cost of energy ranging from $0.0341/kWh to $0.0486/kWh depending on the location.

Samsung and SMA are using a new cloud-to-cloud system that allows PV systems with SMA inverters to be integrated with Samsung heat pumps.

A research group in Ghana has conducted a series of tests to assess the performance of polycrystalline solar modules in PV systems operating in their home country for at least 5 years. They found that the vast majority of the panels may ‘fail’ before 20 years in operation under outdoor conditions.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, presents the solar irradiance data it collected for Europe in May. Below-average cloud cover meant above normal irradiation for much of the UK, France, Germany, the Baltics and Scandinavia, with anomalies as high as 30% and 40% above climatological means. Solar assets across Northern Europe will have overperformed on expectations for May.

The US government has identified the hydrogen sector as a key energy opportunity, while Hystar has signed its first PEM electrolyzer deal and Plug Power has agreed to supply fuel cells for long-term storage during emergencies in California.

CEA-INES researchers and Enel have developed a new solar cell with an active area of 9 cm² and an open-circuit voltage above 1,900 mV. Their results improve on the 26.5% efficiency they achieved for the same kind of cell in March.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

US researchers have designed a 2D solar cell based on TMDCs that may exceed by far the efficiency of this device typology, which usually doesn’t exceed 6%. The novelty of this cell consists of its superlattice structure, which the research group said can separate the layers of 2D TMDCs by a spacer, thus improving light absorption.

Toshiba Carrier has been recognized at the 2023 National Invention Awards of Japan for its innovative discharge port structure in multi-cylinder rotary piston compressors for heat pumps. The technology tackles the problem of overheating, resulting in improved heating capacity and efficiency.