Technology and R&D

The recharging station will operate 24 hours a day and in a flexible format, which will allow fleets of electric buses, last-mile distribution vehicles, trucks, taxis and private electric cars to be supplied through fast charging points.

US researchers have investigated how rooftop PV systems may affect air and building temperature in urban environments and, conversely, how the urban heat island (UHI) effect may have a negative impact on PV system performance. Their work considered urban air temperature, urban air pollution, the partial shading of the PV system, soiling, building heating and cooling loads, and outdoor shade.

The new product measures 1754x1098x30 mm and weighs in at 21 kg. It features a temperature coefficient of -0.35% per degree Celsius and a power conversion efficiency of up to 21.29%.

Researchers in Portugal have tested how vanadium redox flow batteries can be integrated with rooftop PV to balance the system load to ensure firm power output. They proposed a 5 kW/60 kWh battery configuration for a 6.7 kW building-integrated PV microgrid. According to their findings, the battery can be used in different energy management strategy scenarios to better complement solar photovoltaic generation.

The module was fabricated with methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite solar cells via low-cost spin coating. The panel also achieved an open-circuit voltage of 16.07 V, a short-circuit current of 69.52 mA, and a fill factor of 75.35%.

Once thought of in a niche sense, the solar-water nexus is a rapidly expanding network of applications. They include practical tools capable of solving persistent issues like water scarcity, as well as newly pressing issues like overcoming the water challenge of green hydrogen production. Blake Matich looks at such applications here in Australia and abroad.

Elsewhere, several hydrogen projects were announced in Norway, Germany, India, China and the UK. Royal Dutch Shell started operations at the power-to-hydrogen electrolyzer in China and Germany’s Linde Engineering signed a contract for the construction a green hydrogen demonstration plant in Norway. Furthermore, Green Hydrogen Systems signed a supply agreement with Edinburgh-based Logan Energy to deliver electrolysis equipment for a project in England.

Most of the deployed capacity comes from utility scale solar plants selected in the country’s tender scheme for renewables.

Developed in Spain, the Arca system integrates solar panels, power electronics, and energy storage. Arca Lite has a rated power of 490 Wp, and Arca Plus of 980 Wp.

Swedish scientists developed a three-step method that integrates techniques used for the automatic extraction of buildings along with their underlying roof faces, as well as the identification of utilizable rooftop areas for solar arrays. The novel methodology is claimed to avoid overestimating actual potential of buildings for PV deployment.