Organic solar panels designed with coloured Moiré effect
French organic PV specialist Armor, and a Dutch designer specialized in integrating PV in furniture, windows and other objects, have provided the module technology for the Netherlands’ pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.
US start-up unveils 3.6 kWh portable battery for independent power supply
The system can be expanded to a capacity of up to 25 kW. Its creator – U.S.-based start-up EcoFlow – has already collected almost €4 million on the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform for its portable power supply solution.
Net zero could be 630-plus gigawatt annual opportunity for solar
Analyst BloombergNEF has gazed into its crystal ball and predicted three routes to a net zero world. The ‘green’ scenario fleshed out in its latest New Energy Outlook is bound to appeal far more to the solar industry than the alternative, nuclear or fossil-fuel-powered outcomes.
Heat pumps bankable as incentive-free solutions in many applications
Two Italian experts on heat pumps and PV systems recently spoke to pv magazine about economies of scale, the European market, and the maturity of heating tech. The Eurac researchers said currently available heat pumps can run at -20 C and efficiently provide hot water up to 65 C.
NASA developing 10 kW movable PV array for moon mission
NASA plans to place a solar array on a tall mast to avoid lunar shading and capture uninterrupted light. It will hang a pair of PV cell blankets from a horizontal cross arm supported by the mast, anchored to a deployable tripod base.
Proposed 500 MW pumped storage project secures California state funding
A proposed 500 MW long-duration energy storage project in San Diego County has started a multi-year process to win federal and state approval. If built, it won’t enter into service before 2030.
Enel installs 6.1 MWh vanadium redox flow battery in Spain
The battery will be provided by Canadian vanadium mining company Largo Resources. It will come online in the third quarter of next year.
Longi claims 25.19% efficiency for p-type TOPCon solar cell
Longi’s 25.19% efficiency rating for its new p-type TOPCon solar cells, confirmed by the Institute for Solar Energy Research in Hamelin, is reportedly a world record.
The Hydrogen Stream: new push from Italy, Uniper eyes Oman’s hydrogen potential
A working group including Italian energy transmission operator Snam has begun a collaboration aimed at using hydrogen to reduce emissions in the glass industry. Elsewhere, Italy-based technology provider Saipem has launched a solution for the production of green hydrogen and German energy company Uniper has signed a cooperation agreement with Oman’s green hydrogen project, Hyport.
New tech may bring heterojunction solar cells based on p-type wafers closer to mass production
An Australian-Russian research group has developed a silicon heterojunction solar cell based on p-type gallium-doped wafers with an efficiency of 22.6% and an improved stability. The scientists are convinced that these wafers may become a mainstream solution for the SHJ segment within the next decade.
