Technology and R&D

Carrier, a US-based heating solutions provider, said its new AquaSnap 30RQM heat pump system can deliver a water temperature of up to 60 C. The modular system features a heating capacity of 70 kW to 1,125 kW and a cooling capacity of 77 kW to 1,237 kW. T

Scientists in Saudi Arabia have created a PV-powered air water generator that can be used in remote areas or on lengthy vehicle journeys. It can reportedly produce a liter of water at approximately $0.04 for packing and zero for non-packing.

Chinese researchers, led by a research team from PV Technology Center of Tongwei Co., Ltd, used a sequential annealing process in the fabrication of tandem solar cells, featuring a wide bandgap perovskite top cell on a fully-textured commercial crystalline silicon heterojunction bottom cell. The resulting device had a certified power conversion efficiency of 31.4%, outperforming a 29.43%-efficient control cell.

Wave power may emerge as a valuable renewable energy source given recent economic and technical projections indicating a substantial potential of wave energy, particularly in coastal and island regions. Wave and solar resources are complementary around the world and thus may lead to energy systems combining solar PV with wave power. Islands may benefit most from wave power added to solar PV.

Indian researchers simulated a novel pairing of a CsGeI3 lead-free halide perovskite top cell with a copper-indium-gallium-selenide bottom cell. The resulting tandem device has the potential to achieve a power conversion efficiency of 26.06%

Data center firms could purchase electric utilities and add renewable generation in the United States, says Simon Mahan, executive director of the Southern Renewable Energy Association, which represents the wind, solar, storage and transmission sectors.

Scientists have designed a cocoa pod splitting device that runs on five monocrystalline PV panels. They have simulated its operation and have found it can achieve a splitting efficiency of 98.92%.

Researchers in Denmark have developed a new sizing strategy to combine PV system operation with lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. The proposed approach is claimed to reduce annual battery cycle by 13%.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that persistent high‑pressure over Scandinavia delivered significantly elevated irradiance up to 30 % above normalin July, while central and eastern Europe faced reduced solar generation under increased cloud cover and rainfall.

WeHeat said its monoblock air-to-water heat pump features a seasonal coefficient of performance of 4.7 and propane as the refrigerant. The system is available in four versions with output ranging from 8 kW to 11 kW.