Technology and R&D

Researchers in Germany have found that there is “no evidence” to support the notion that renewable energy generation fosters peace through prosperity. The trio of academics came to this conclusion after empirically testing the assumption that distributed renewable energies may reduce international conflicts and promote democratic values.

German engineering association the VDMA reports strong PV equipment exports in the second quarter, representing 92.5% of sales. Overall, PV equipment sales were up by 50% compared to the first quarter of the year and up slightly compared to the same period last year, but incoming orders for PV equipment were down by 14%.

Developed by scientists in Egypt, trhe Green Energy Solutions software allows users to assess the tradeoffs between the PV system reliability and its costs. Compared to PVsyst, it has an error margin of up to 9%.

Drone-mounted imaging of solar farm performance at the rate of one panel per second reduces the cost of current ground-based sampling methods by up to 20 times. A new strategic Australia-Singapore partnership is helping to ensure the output of PV assets is always at peak.

Segula Technologies and Wind my Roof recently installed 10 hybrid wind-solar generators on the rooftop of a commercial building. Each system features a 1,500 W wind turbine and two 800 W solar modules. A smart storage system will support a microgrid in the building.

A Brazilian engineer on Instagram, always wearing a mask, has become a sensation in the Brazilian solar industry, attracting 12 sponsors with a mission to educate companies and consumers about common errors to avoid in rooftop PV installations.

The Japanese electronic manufacturer said this is the world’s highest efficiency for a stacked solar cell that combines a tandem double-junction solar cell and a silicon solar cell.

Chinese manufacturer Hoymiles has announced the North American launch of its new inverters, which are designed for commercial and industrial installations.

A new study from Clean Energy Associates (CEA) shows that 83% of sites tested as part of a global survey had line cracks, 78% had a soldering anomaly and 76% had complex cracks. The survey involved visual inspections combined with electroluminescence testing across 148 sites in 16 countries.

An international group of scientists has fabricated an inverted perovskite solar cell that claims both high power conversion efficiency and a promising high degree of stability. A champion cell achieved a power conversion efficiency of 25.3%, with an encapsulated version retaining 95% of the initial efficiency after extensive heat and humidity testing.