Technology and R&D

pv magazine is compiling a guide to home solar installations, aimed at those who are interested in installing but are new to the market and want to make an informed decision. We have spoken to associations, installers and industry specialists in major solar markets across the globe to compile best practice guidance and advice that aims to be applicable to home solar installations anywhere in the world. The first part of the series aims to help homeowners looking to embrace PV identify the best installers on the market.

A research team have fabricated a solar thermoelectric generator (STEG) that is reportedly 15 times more efficient than current state-of-the-art devices by concentrating on the managing the hot and the cold sides of the device rather than its semiconductor materials.

The integrated system is claimed to efficiently provide dynamic load balancing, while supporting demand-side management and future smart grid applications. The heat pump technology comes from Mitsubishi’s Ecodan, Mr. Slim, and M heat pump series, which Evhacs modified for integration with the EV charger. 

University of Sheffield researchers developed a machine learning framework to improve coating properties in a roll-to-roll slot die coating process. The work is seen as an initial step toward broader use of machine learning and related technologies to assist with optimization.

The Spain-based manufacturer announced terrain-conforming tracker support, enabling up to 2° of variation between posts. The new solution is meant to enable solar PV on more difficult sites without increasing environmental impact or construction costs.

Swiss pilot Raphaël Domjan flew the SolarStratos solar-powered aircraft to 8,224 meters on Aug. 10, setting a personal record but falling short of the 9,235-meter world mark held by Solar Impulse.

A new study investigates the seasonal optimization of PV module tilt angles to optimize the energy efficiency of solar PV plants in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The results reveal that dynamic tilt adjustments can significantly boost annual solar yield across diverse climatic zones.

Researchers in China have improved interface engineering in perovskite-silicon solar cells by using industrially textured silicon. The result is a highly efficienct tandem device that also showed remarkable stability.

Cost, complexity and confidence gaps are the main barriers to the uptake of rooftop solar in Australia, according to new federal government research.

Chinese manufacturer Anker Solix has introduced the Solarbank Multisystem, along with a Power Dock control unit enabling parallel operation of up to four battery storage units.