Technology and R&D

Both products are based on 22%-efficient CIGS solar cells and are manufactured in Asia. One of the two devices has a flat design and power output of 80 W and a second product features a nominal power of 30 W and an undulating design.

Canada-based Enertopia filed provisional patents for technology that it said could boost PV system output by 10% or more and reduce panel heat stress.

Researchers from Germany and Austria are testing how photovoltaic roofs may be deployed along highways. The first pilot project is planned to be implemented starting from the autumn.

In the proposed system, the optical element is placed symmetrically at the center of the solar panel in order to increase the length of the effective light collection region. Each hologram is claimed to be able to separate the colors of sunlight and direct them to the solar cells within the panel.

A German PV system owner has developed a simple solution intended at preventing the birds from nesting under the modules.

Nicola Rossi, head of innovation at Enel Green Power, has told pv magazine how the company is seeking to combine microalgae cultivation with solar power generation. The integration scheme is aimed at minimizing interferences with the PV plant and maximizing the benefits in microalgae yield

The storage system is based on fluorenone derivative anolytes. Despite its small dimensions, the device is claimed to have an energy density that is more than twice that of the vanadium batteries in use today.

Spanish energy company Iberdrola and American power generation products producer Cummins have signed an agreement to promote a green hydrogen value chain in Spain by 2023. Denmark-based green hydrogen infrastructure company Everfuel has launched its H2 station roll-out plan for Denmark, targeting up to 19 fueling sites by the end of 2023. South Korean automotive manufacturer Hyundai Motor has said it would begin production of the world’s first mass-produced, heavy-duty truck powered by hydrogen, in August this year.

Researchers led by the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi have projected the waste expected from end-of-life solar panels and related components. They assumed 347.5 GW of total installed solar generation capacity would be reached this decade. The academics said the waste would include critical metals worth around $645 trillion, 70% of which could be recovered.

Junior power minister Nasrul Hamid, speaking at a signing ceremony for a planned 100 MW project, warned technology would have to develop to require less surface area for solar modules, although he did say Dhaka would fund research into rooftop solar.