Technology and R&D

Scientists have analyzed how forced convection PV, free convection with finned plate PV, and forced convection with finned plate PV can reduce solar module temperatures under the climate conditions of Lebanon.

Denmark’s largest energy community is now under construction, featuring more than 30,000 sqm of solar rooftops with a total capacity of about 4 MW. The project will use building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) on pitched roofs and building-attached photovoltaics (BAPV) on flat roofs from Danish specialist Solartag.

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) has conducted new research on the impact of floating PV and water temperature and evaporation.

Researchers in Netherlands and Belgium have created a numerical model to simulate the moisture ingress in PV modules. Their research work showed that climate in which a PV module is installed has a much higher impact on the moisture ingress than the choice of materials for the encapsulant of the backsheet.

Scientists have developed a new model for heat exchangers of heat pumps, combining strengths of numerical modeling and machine learning.

Change to planning law could simplify heat pump installation process for thousands of households in England. Limits on the size and number of heat pumps that can be installed have also been raised. The changes have been introduced as the UK government pursues 600,000 installations per year by 2028 target.

Scientists have simulated the addition of floating solar panels to Switzerland’s Etzelwerk, an open-loop pumped-storage hydropower plant. Using 10% of the upper reservoir for the solar panels, the research team was able to add about 20% of the energy output.

Heliup has commissioned a 100 MW factory in France to produce lightweight solar panels for flat commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftops with limited load-bearing capacity, using ultra-thin glass technology.

Researchers in China have developed a new methodology to improve the performance of solar-powered air source heat pumps. The proposed approach reportedly increases the energy efficiency of optimized building systems by 18%, with solar energy potentially reducing their carbon content by 37.78%.

pv magazine is compiling a guide to home solar installations, aimed at those who are interested in installing but are new to the market and want to make an informed decision. We have spoken to associations, installers and industry specialists in major solar markets across the globe to compile best practice guidance and advice that aims to be applicable to home solar installations anywhere in the world.