Photovoltaics for conveyor belts
Sinn Power and Recom have installed a 1 km-long PV system on a conveyor belt at a German gravel plant, using Sinn Power’s custom aluminum structure for conveyor belt applications.
Fire at Australian solar farm
A fire broke out on Monday at the 110 MW Beryl Solar Farm in New South Wales, Australia, causing damages that are still being assessed. Emergency services were able to quickly bring the blaze under control and the unaffected areas of the solar farm are now back online.
South Korean startup offers portable, combinable solar chargers
Hanvixolar says four solar modules require about 5 hours of charging time to fully charge a smartphone. The mini panels use interdigitated back-contact solar cells from US manufacturer Maxeon.
SunPower paid customers via app to support grid at peak demand
SunPower customers can earn rewards by managing electricity use during peak electricity demand hours, as part of a virtual power plant partnership with OhmConnect.
Solar can promote biocrust formation in deserts
Biocrusts are microbe-rich deposits in soil that are crucial to ecosystem sustainability in arid environments. US researchers are restoring biocrusts with the help of shade from solar.
Brine-water heat pumps with photovoltaic-thermal panels
German scientists have simulated the seasonal performance of PVT panels in brine-water heat pumps for heating single-family homes. They compared them to air- and ground-source heat pumps with and without PV, and to gas heating systems.
Tin oxide-based organic solar cell hits 17.26% efficiency, 79% fill factor
Dutch scientists have used atomic layer deposition to build an organic solar cell with a tin oxide electron transport layer. This improved electron mobility and transparency, resulting in a record fill factor.
Solis unveils hybrid inverters for rooftop applications
Solis has released a new line of hybrid inverters in five different power output versions, ranging from 3 kW to 8 kW. The hybrid inverters can be used with either lithium-ion or lead-acid batteries, with a maximum charging and discharging current of 190 A.
TÜV offers guidance on plug-in balcony solar panels
Balcony solar modules are becoming increasingly popular. TÜV, a technical inspection association in Germany, has come up with tips to safely install and operate them.
High hopes for heterojunction
In recent months, China’s Risen Energy has posted impressive module efficiencies, closing in on 24%, with its hyper-ion series. The company will ramp up to large-scale production of these heterojunction products in the first half of 2023, and pv magazine recently caught up with Risen Energy’s Chief Information Officer Terry Wu to discuss this, as well as the company’s work on energy storage projects.
