Power-to-heat for district heating may drive wind and solar
Researchers say the technology could help drive clean energy deployment in countries with limited grids or in isolated, coal-based energy systems. According to their model, Kosovo could see a strong increase in wind and PV capacity if power-to-heat is coupled with thermal energy storage for fixed-capacity district heating.
Titanium oxide nanofluid-based cooling technique for PV panels
Indian and Malaysian scientists have developed a new cooling system featuring an assembled back-channel attached on the rear sides of solar panels, to channel flows of titanium oxide and water. They used a 0.6% nanofluid concentration – the optimum value of nanoparticle concentration in water.
Windbreak walls for solar parks
Iasol has developed a new way to protect solar plants in windy conditions. The Spanish developer said the solution barely has an impact on project costs or output, while preventing expensive damages.
Gambia seeks consultants for 150 MW solar-plus-storage project
The transnational West African Power Pool is seeking consultants for an environmental impact study as well as transaction advisors for a project under development since October.
Texas will outshine California in 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to cast a cloud on industries around the world, but the U.S. utility-scale solar segment is still growing, writes IHS Markit solar analyst Maria J. Chea. Around 3 GW of solar PV is set to be installed this year in Texas alone, but opportunities also abound across several other southern U.S. states.
New solar+storage concept for Himalayan villages
U.K. thin-film PV specialist Power Roll is testing a new solar+storage system that can be manufactured for just $0.03/W. It can be deployed on a wide range of non-load-bearing buildings, including agricultural structures and warehouse rooftops.
First Solar brings modules to distributed generation market
The U.S. utility-scale PV pioneer is going small. After decades of avoiding distributed generation, it is now offering its Series 6 modules for ‘projects and customers of all shapes and sizes.’
Sunfolding looks to disrupt the tracker industry with air pneumatics
With $32 million in series B funding and an ever-growing project pipeline, air-based tracker startup, Sunfolding, is hoping to increase its hold in the tracker market with tech that’s simple, light and can be installed on terrain previously thought untouchable.
Intense pulsed light processing for 23.0%-efficient silicon heterojunction solar cells
Scientists at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) have used intense pulsed light (IPL) processing for the development of a busbarless silicon heterojunction solar cell. ILP processing is roll-to-roll technique for rapid thermal processing of various thin films.
Hydro-PV microgrid in Patagonia
In a national park in Chile, a hydropower plant has been combined with a solar system and battery storage to replace diesel generation.
