Germany

The German company’s decision to cede market share to Chinese companies producing the material for solar panels, in order to focus on semiconductor-ready, electronic grade product, has seen it slip behind its rivals in terms of production scale.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems is assessing how a solar-powered heat pump system that uses waste heat from a distillery at a low-temperature level could be used to provide district heating. Waste heat is injected into an ice storage tank, to which heat pumps are connected on the source side.

Researchers in Germany have built a perovskite-organic solar cell with low interfacial losses and a high open-circuit voltage. The device achieved an open-circuit voltage of 2.15 V, a short-circuit current of 14.0 mA cm−², and a fill factor of 80%.

Conceived by a German start-up, the system is claimed to achieve a 75% efficiency in converting direct radiation into heat. It may be either equipped with solar trackers or photovoltaic modules, which would both occupy the same space on the front and lateral sides of the installations.

The tender concluded with a final average price of €0.0519/kWh, which is slightly higher than the €0.050 reached in the previous procurement exercise of the same kind. Bids ranged from €0.0405 to €0.055/kWh.

Bosch’s new solid oxide fuel cell prototype has an electrical efficiency of more than 60% and an overall efficiency above 85%. It also has a targeted power output of 10 kW and can produce up to 3 kW of thermal energy.

Ikea’s holding company, INGKA Holding, will invest €340 million ($371 million) to acquire nine PV systems from Enerparc. In the future, Ikea said it will work with Svea Solar to sell residential PV systems.

Germany has come up with new measures that could lead to a cumulative installed PV capacity of 215GW by 2030. Higher feed-in tariffs for rooftop PV will likely be announced soon.

SMA is offering a new line of four inverters with power ratings of 12kW, 15kW, 20kW and 25kW, for use in rooftop PV systems up to 135kW in size. It claims the inverters provide grid-compliant power control of entire systems and enable over-dimensioning of PV arrays by up to 150%.

Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin has unveiled new technology to improve thin metal oxide films for solar water splitting, and the European Energy Exchange has announced plans for a new hydrogen index. Indian Oil, Larsen & Toubro, and ReNew have agreed to set up a joint venture to develop India’s green hydrogen sector. And Iberdrola has revealed a plan to produce industrial green hydrogen, in cooperation with the European Investment Bank.