Europe

French startup Ecovégétal has developed a PV system configuration that uses vegetation to reduce the operating temperature of the modules. It says the presence of certain plants on a flat rooftop can even serve as a bulwark against the risk of fire.

The Irish authorities have kicked off a new procurement exercise, together with the commissioning of the first solar park built under the nation’s first renewables auction. French developer Neoen built the 8 MW facility at a location south of Dublin.

Tesvolt’s new E Series includes the TS-I HV 80 battery and the TS-I HV 100 battery, with storage capacities of 80 kWh and 90 kWh, respectively. Both of the devices have efficiencies of up to 98%.

Dutch equipment supplier SALD has announced delivery of a spatial atomic layer deposition system to an unnamed customer in the United States. The tool will be used in the pilot-scale production of perovskite solar cells. While it has not disclosed the exact function of the tool within the pilot project, it said it will be used to deposit thin coatings to protect cells from damage in later manufacturing stages, and ensure their longer-term stability.

Vitaliy Daviy is the CEO of emerging markets focussed cleantech organization IB Centre Inc. and holds an optimistic view of Ukraine’s sector after the war. According to him, the country has the keys to energy independence and security.

Cyprus has launched a new scheme to fund installations of PV arrays and battery systems, with a specific focus on owners of electric vehicles. Greece, meanwhile, has devised a subsidy scheme to support the use of gas for conventional cars.

Scientists in Switzerland made significant progress with an approach to perovskite-silicon tandem cell design that they say could eventually be integrated into existing silicon PV manufacturing. They have announced the achievement of a 29.2% cell efficiency – not far from the overall record for tandem cells, and verified by Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE.

Swiss PV module manufacturer Meyer Burger has decided to achieve its capacity expansion targets by focusing on its German factories, in reaction to ongoing global logistics problems and supply chain issues.

German startup Nexol has developed a photovoltaic water heating system that relies on a smart controller, with either DC and AC power. It decides autonomously if grid electricity or PV is used, with the latter always preferred.

Researchers at the University of Genoa have conducted a techno-economic analysis to assess green hydrogen produced via water electrolysis and its conversion into three alternative fuels – methane, methanol, and ammonia. They looked into efficiency, storage capacity, annual costs, and production costs of the different fuels, which they found to be significantly higher than market reference values.