Study confirms rule of thumb that PV inverters should run without faults for around 15 years
A new study by Bern University of Applied Sciences shows that the performance of most PV inverters and power optimizers remains optimal for up to 15 years. The inverters considered came mainly from the manufacturers Fronius, Sputnik, and SMA and most of the power optimizers examined came from Solaredge.
Switzerland deployed 683 MW of solar last year
This year the Alpine country should see the deployment of up to 900 MW of new PV capacity. At the end of December, cumulative solar installations reached 3.65 GW.
Management system combines rooftop PV, heat pumps
Swiss startup Solar Manager AG has designed a new energy management system that is compatible with the inverters of Solaredge, Solax, Kostal, Fiemer, Fronius, and other manufacturers.
CSEM, EPFL achieve 31.25% efficiency for tandem perovskite-silicon solar cell
The new world record was independently certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the United States.
Massive pumped-hydro storage facility comes online in Switzerland
The Nant de Drance facility began commercial operations on July 1 and is currently one of Europe’s largest pumped-hydro storage stations.
New photovoltaic in-roof system from Switzerland
Swiss module manufacturer Megasol has unveiled a novel rooftop PV system in two variants — full-black and translucent. The installation consists of vertical supports, a ridge profile, and solar modules.
Studer reveals 3-phase inverter-charger for off-grid, on-grid rooftop applications
Studer Innotec, a Swiss power electronics specialist, has unveiled a 16 kW inverter for off-grid and on-grid applications. It features two maximum power point tracking inputs in an 8 kW plus 8 KW configuration.
Module brands that earn the trust of solar installers
The latest global PV installer survey by Germany’s EUPD Research offers a hint of the solar brands which installers, mostly based in Europe, gravitate toward. This year’s report also ventured to South Africa and considered mounting systems for the first time.
Titanium oxide nanoparticle-based perovskite PV cell with 24.05% efficiency
A new perovskite PV cell based on titanium dioxide nanoparticles exhibits low efficiency losses when scaled up from cell to module.
EPFL achieves 29.2% efficiency for tandem solar cell with fully textured silicon
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.
