UK’s cumulative installed PV capacity hits 15.13 GW
The United Kingdom’s cumulative installed solar capacity reached 15.13 GW by the end of May, with 480 MW added between January and May 2023.
Belgian startup offers custom CIGS solar foils
Enfoil is developing a CIGS thin film custom manufacturing business, targeting building-integrated PV applications, such as powering sensors or track & trace sub-systems in trucks. The company is a spinoff of Hasselt University and imec, the Belgian research institute.
French developer deploys removable ground-mounted solar plant
CVE, a French developer, has deployed a solar plant based on PV modules ballasted on the ground. The installation will cover nearly 10% of the overall consumption of an industrial site in Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne, France.
Austrian utility starts building 300 MWh organic flow battery project
Burgerland Energie has deployed a redox flow storage battery from German battery manufacturer CMBlu in the immediate vicinity of a PV-wind power hybrid power plant.
Using shunts to spot PV module degradation
Scientists in Ireland investigated the effect of shunt resistance on a PV cell’s electrical performance. The group says its finding could potentially lead to the development of models for early detection of various forms of cell degradation, allowing for intervention to repair or replace components before major power losses occur.
UK coal-fired power plant site to host 1,040 MW/ 2,080 MWh battery
Independent energy infrastructure developer Carlton Power has secured planning consent for a 1,040 MW/ 2,080 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). The project is expected to strengthen the resilience of the energy system in northwestern England.
Energy communities operating on hydrogen, batteries
Researchers in Spain have studied the impact of hydrogen production and storage technologies in risk management for energy communities with internal price-tariff systems. They found that the optimal involvement in futures markets and spot markets will depend on a community’s risk aversion and self-sufficiency.
The Hydrogen Stream: US scientists hit PV water-splitting efficiency of 20.8%
US researchers have developed new integrated halide perovskite photoelectrochemical cells, while Fortescue Future Industries has revealed plans to acquire a hydrogen project from Nikola in Arizona.
German research institute unveils 99.74% efficient power electronics for solid-fuel heat pumps
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF) has developed an ultra-efficient circuit topology for voltage converters with an electrical efficiency of 99.74%. The tech could considerably raise the coefficient of performance for electrocaloric heat pumps and the scientists are now considering components based on semiconductor gallium nitride (GaN) for higher power density and efficiency.
Germany deployed 6.26 GW of solar in H1
Germany installed more than 1 GW of new PV systems in June alone. Its cumulative installed PV capacity hit 73.8 GW at the end of the first half of this year.
