Netherlands combats grid overcapacity with flexible contracts for PV owners
A pet food manufacturer with a 5.6 MW solar plant has secured the first capacity limitation contract in the Netherlands, ensuring compensation for electricity curtailment during peak hours.
The Hydrogen Stream: German hydrogen collaboration strategy takes shape
Dutch company Gasunie will collaborate with two German transmission system operators (TSOs) and one Danish TSO to import green hydrogen from the Netherlands and Denmark. Meanwhile, French independent power producer (IPP) HDF Energy commits to co-develop project in Morocco, and two Japanese companies move ahead with hydrogen production plant in Malaysia.
Residential PV for urban loads as an antidote to solar curtailment
Researchers in the Netherlands have proposed the use of residential PV capacity to supply electricity to urban loads such as tram substations and dwellings, potentially reducing PV curtailment and demand for additional storage.
Message framing techniques to boost solar sales
A Dutch-German research team has tested how a series of framed messages may be used to boost PV system sales, addressing both self-interest and environmental concerns, and has found that all the proposed messages are effective at promoting the purchase of solar panel installations.
Researchers shed light on mysterious, higher energy yields in vertical PV systems
Scientists in the Netherlands have sought to understand the reason for unexpected gains in vertical PV systems and found that these installations have a much higher heat transfer coefficient than their horizontally deployed counterparts.
Bridging the gaps
The collapse of module prices in 2023 has fueled speculation around just how much PV supply is held in European warehouses. How big the stockpile is depends on who you ask but such a broad spectrum of opinion shows there is room for improvement in how the solar industry shares data.
The Hydrogen Stream: Rising demand driving blue hydrogen plans
Air Products has announced plans for Europe’s largest blue hydrogen production plant, while RAG Austria says it has commissioned “the world’s first 100% hydrogen storage facility in a porous underground reservoir.”
The Hydrogen Stream: Netherlands starts building hydrogen network
The Dutch authorities have started building a national hydrogen network, while Fortescue has acquired a 12.5% stake in Norwegian Hydrogen.
New performance measurement kit for outdoor testing of bifacial, perovskite solar modules
To perform a wide range of tests on new types of PV modules under realistic conditions, EKO Instruments has introduced PV Blocks, an expandable all-in-one type of system with capacity for up to 32 modules. It is targeted at research labs, module manufacturers, and testing organizations.
Triple Solar introduces residential thermal battery
Dutch company Triple Solar has launched a residential thermal battery with a heat loss rate ranging from 0.67 kWh/day to 0.84 kWh/day. The new product can reportedly provide hot water at temperatures ranging from 45C and 55C, with the minimum heat source temperature ranging between 65C and 80C.
