Sweden

Midsummer and Medacciai are developing a BIPV solution for curved metal roofs in southern European markets, through a five-year deal.

Swedish scientists have developed a structural battery that purportedly offers “massless” storage, as its weight vanishes when it becomes part of the load-bearing structure. The device has an energy density of 24 Wh/kg and is designed for easy integration into solar-powered vehicles.

Scientists in Sweden and China developed a solution-based process to produce organic solar cells, demonstrating efficiencies better than 17%. The process utilizes paraxylene as a solvent, which the researchers claim is less toxic and more stable than others used to reach high organic solar cell efficiencies, and with more work could be scaled up to produce large area devices.

Finland-based fairway maintenance service provider Arctia Group is developing solar-powered navigational markers through an EU-funded research project. A 10-meter high solar buoy is currently being tested by the Ports of Stockholm.

Swedish power utilities and electricity traders are increasing their efforts to buy surplus solar power from residential prosumers under fair competition conditions, according to analysts from local consultancy Becquerel Sweden. In a conversation with pv magazine, they analyzed the reasons for this new corporate mentality and observed a possible trend for the global solar market.

A 245 kWh mobile storage solution from Swedish manufacturer Northvolt was connected to an operational section of a PV plant under construction in Sweden to replace diesel power generators. According to the project developer, around 500 kW of the operational capacity of the solar park will be enough to power the site’s operations through the battery.

The factory will be built with the financial support of the Italian government. It will mostly serve southern European markets.

This week sees hydrogen pricing hit new highs, driven by simultaneous jumps in the price of natural gas and electricity. Elsewhere, project plans include green hydrogen production at a UK brewery and Ineos building a 100 MW electrolyzer in Germany, machinery manufacturers Rolls Royce and JCB making plans for hydrogen engines, and new investment agreements signed in Belgium, Sweden and Kazakhstan.

Production waste puts a dent in the perception of sustainability of batteries. Northvolt, however, has partnered with a young Swedish company to make the best use of the battery production waste, and also help to decarbonize the fertilizer industry while they are at it.

Developed by Swedish manufacturer Azelio, the system stores renewable energy in recycled aluminum and has an electrical and thermal energy output, with a total efficiency of 90 %. One unit’s storage capacity reaches 165 kWh of electrical output and on top of that thermal energy between 55-65 degrees Celsius. Its modular configuration allows the deployment of projects with a capacity of up to 100 MW.