Technology and R&D

The Korea Institute of Energy Research has developed a 3kW solar noise barrier to produce electricity and heat. The thermal solar modules reduce the operating temperature of the photovoltaic panels by absorbing excess heat.

A British-Indian research group has developed an active cooling technique that is claimed to improve a PV system’s yield by around 0.5%. The system could be used in residential solar arrays and the water heated by the PV modules may be fed into a solar water heating system.

At Intersolar North America in California, Canada-based Discover Battery has launched the Helios energy storage system, an LFP battery designed to operate in remote conditions.

The basic version of the “Delta Pro” product has a storage capacity of 3.6kWh. The weight of the battery in the basic version is 45kg and its size is 63.5×28.5×41.6 cm.

The solar cell was built with Al2O3-incorporated CZTSSe absorbers using aqueous spray pyrolysis in ambient air. It achieved an open-circuit voltage of 0.469 V, a short-circuit current of 36.96 mA cm2, and a fill factor of 67.25%.

Australian solar window supplier ClearVue says its products can reduce carbon emissions in buildings by as much as 90%, while California-based BIPV window coating producer Ubiquitous Energy has raised $70 million to scale up its own tech.

Toshiba has developed a battery that can be used with PV modules, with a design that charges and discharges at high currents. The new 20Ah-HP SCiB product has a rated capacity of 20Ah, a nominal voltage of 2.3V, and an input power of 1,900W. It measures 116 mm x 22 mm x 106 mm and weighs 545 grams.

The uptake of EVs in the years ahead will add up to staggering battery capacity, mostly sitting idle on driveways. The two-way flow of electricity from EV batteries, known as vehicle to grid, could not only enable power systems to rely on intermittent renewables, but could also be the trump card for network operators to respond to grid disturbances. However, there are still a few catches to be worked out, as Marija Maisch explains.

Canada’s First Hydrogen and German consulting firm FEV are developing a hydrogen fueling station for remote locations where there are no electrical power grids available. Furthermore, Japan and Indonesia have started to cooperate on hydrogen and carbon capture technologies and the UK gas grid is set to start blending hydrogen around the country from next year.

Jiangxi Jinko plans to issue 2 billion shares at RMB5.00 per share and expects to raise net proceeds of around RMB 10.0 million. Solar manufacturer Solargiga said it expects a 17% revenue growth for 2021.