Germany

Qcells has acquired full ownership of intellectual property rights for LECO technology with the recent acquisition of Cell Engineering. The technology is known to enhance the efficiency of PERC and TOPCon solar cells.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Energy (Fraunhofer IEG) says it plans to open two new test benches for large heat pumps. Manufacturers, developers and project planners will have access to the test benches, in order to bring new systems to market maturity.

Fraunhofer ISE researchers have demonstrated for the first time the feasibility of the shingling approach with perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. They also produced full format photovoltaic modules with a power conversion effciency of 22.8%.

pv magazine has learned that five solar-related fires in Germany and Austria occurred in late September. Photographs show that two of the blazes were likely caused by residential batteries manufactured by LG.

For those who combine solar, batteries, and electric vehicles (EVs) at home, driving on sunshine is a realistic goal. However, there are many factors to consider when analyzing the economic payoffs, as well as the technical possibilities and limitations of such systems.

1Komma5° says it plans to start production at a new TOPCon solar module factory in Germany from next year. The Hamburg-based startup aims to achieve an annual production capacity of 1 GW, with further expansion targets set to reach 5 GW by the year 2030.

The Luxembourg Ministry of Energy has allocated 52.7 MW in an agrivoltaics tender. While the final prices from the procurement exercise have not been disclosed, the ministry said it considered ecological and agricultural factors.

Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) is investigating the impact of floating PV systems on oxygen levels and water temperature. The study is focused on determining whether floating PV systems, deployed by Erdgas Südwest in southern Germany, have altered the lake’s thermal stratification and oxygen content.

The new optimization method is intended at designing smaller and cheaper heat pumps. Its creators said the new approach also enables higher Opex savings and an improved coefficient of performance.

BayWa re says it needs to find a buyer for its PV distribution unit, Solar Trade, by the end of this year.