Technology and R&D

Johnson Controls has fabricated an air-source heat pump prototype for locations with temperatures below -29 C. Its York YZV and York HMH7 cold climate heat pumps can already operate in -15 C conditions.

Canadian manufacturer Sparq has unveiled a three-phase microinverter for on-grid and off-grid solar water pumps. It has a peak efficiency of 97.5% and a nominal maximum power point tracking (MPPT) efficiency of 99.8%.

Scientists in Italy have proposed the use of radiative coolers made of cementitious materials to reduce the operating temperature of solar panels. The novel system configuration consists of a stack made by a reflector, a cement-based radiative cooler, and a bifacial solar cell.

Controlling the crystallization process of perovskite thin films is one of the most challenging aspects for upscaling solar tech, but an Australian research team claims to have made a breakthrough by creating next-generation PV cells with the potential to rival the durability of silicon alternatives.

US researchers have proposed the use of solar inverters in utility-scale solar assets to replace expensive voltage compensators, in order to provide voltage support at night. They said reactive power from PV inverters could be significantly cheaper and suggested the introduction of incentives to convince PV plant owners.

Scientists in Spain have assessed the potential of power purchase agreements in ensuring the development of green hydrogen projects powered by utility-scale photovoltaics. They presented an operational multi-state modeling of electrolyzers and showed how solar plants under PPAs could significantly increase their rate of return.

New life-cycle assessment (LCA) data for PV systems confirms that greenhouse gas emissions from 1 kWh of solar electricity are far lower than emissions from fossil-fuel power plants. The difference has been fairly constant since 2018, but has improved substantially since when IEA PVPS started reporting on this measure in 1996.

South African researchers have developed a new cleaning system for solar panels that uses a color-sensing light-to-frequency converter to detect dirt. It can reportedly remove around 95% of the dust from a PV panel in less than a minute, at a lower cost than other systems.

German electric car manufacturer Sono Motors says it has failed to raise enough money from investors and is now trying to save its business by selling its Sion solar electric vehicles at a discounted price.

The UK government has publicly submitted a series of proposals for more efficient residential heating. One of them seeks to introduce requirements for all newly installed gas boilers to be “hydrogen-ready” from 2026.