Solar power providing heat for Indo-Tibetan border outposts
Indo-Tibetan Border Police outposts along India’s border with China are using MicroSun solar panels to generate electricity for heating purposes, among other applications.
Panasonic launches module series compatible with its Evervolt battery
Available in four different products, the series features a conversion efficiency of 20-21.2%. Two of the panels are packaged in a sleek, all-black aesthetic.
Offshore floating PV may reach maturity in 2030
According to a report from DNV GL, the North Sea may host around 100 MW of floating solar capacity by 2030, and 500 MW by 2035. The LCOE of offshore PV systems is currently estimated at around €354/MWh but in the future it should be close to that of ground-mounted solar parks.
Solar facade for 3D-printed concrete house
Taiwan-based Heliartec has deployed a solar facade on a 3D-printed concrete house in Belgium. It said it installed the solar facade with the “circular construction” philosophy in mind.
Cooling PV panels with shallow geothermal energy
Iraqi researchers have demonstrated the technical and economical feasibility of using shallow geothermal energy to cool PV systems. They tested two different techniques – a closed-loop system and an open-cycle system – to reduce power losses from 30% to up to 4.1%.
A 26.5% efficient perovskite-silicon tandem cell
Scientists in Switzerland achieved 26.5% efficiency on a perovskite-silicon tandem cell measuring 4cm² and relying on industry-standard screen-printed metallization, further demonstrating the technology’s potential for large-scale production and low-cost electricity generation.
QuantumScape records breakthrough performance for solid-state batteries
QuantumScape reported performance results this week for its solid-state batteries and their potential impact on the electric vehicle industry.
US scientists apply Suns-VoC method to outdoor PV tests
Researchers in Arizona have used the Suns-VoC characterization method for indoor solar cell testing to monitor PV installations. The method can also be used with outdoor distributed-generation and large-scale solar arrays.
LG Chem unveils two residential battery series
LG Chem is spinning off its battery business into a new subsidiary, LG Energy Solution. It also launched two new battery series, Resu Prime and Resu Flex. These devices rely on new battery cells with a higher power density and with up to 16 kWh, they have a higher capacity than previous models. The first products are expected to be shipped from February or March 2021.
Total launches tool to estimate solar potential of unexploited land
The new tool is aimed at accelerating the deployment of photovoltaic power plants on degraded or polluted land, parking areas and quarries in France.
