Common misconceptions about residential PV
More and more people want to invest in PV arrays and battery storage systems. However, there are a number of myths that could lead to disappointment among customers, according to one German consumer association.
Mitsubishi unveils propane heat pump for residential applications
Mitsubishi Electric has developed an air-source heat pump that uses propane (R290) as the refrigerant. It can produce between 5 kW and 8.5 kW of heat and domestic hot water to a temperature of up to 75 C.
Belinus unveils shingle solar panels with 20.1% efficiency
Belgium-based Belinus says its new PV modules feature a nominal power rating of 420 W and a power conversion efficiency of 20.1%. It says plans are also in place to build a 500 MW solar panel factory at an unspecified Belgian site.
Zendure introduces residential batteries for balcony solar modules
Zendure’s SolarFlow batteries have capacities of 960 Wh and can be stacked up to 3,849 Wh. The US manufacturer wants to begin selling the plug-and-play systems in April.
UK cathedral to install solar, storage system
York Minster, one of the largest cathedrals in Northern Europe, has secured approval to install 199 solar modules on its rooftop. The system will generate at least 75,000 kWh per year and will be paired with batteries.
Solar mounting structure made of recycled wind turbine blades
Spain’s Acciona Energia is using fiberglass from the blades of used wind turbines to make the torsion beams of solar trackers. It is using the tech as part of a pilot project in Badajoz, Spain.
CEA-INES, Enel achieve 26.5% efficiency for tandem perovskite-silicon solar cell
CEA-INES researchers and Enel have developed a new solar cell with an active area of 9 cm² and an open-circuit voltage above 1,880 mV. Their results improve on the 25.8% efficiency they achieved for the same kind of cell in December 2022.
French region announces financial aid for solar PPAs
France’s largest administrative region, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, has launched a call for new solar projects. It aims to promote access to power purchase agreements (PPA) for companies and encourage the emergence of new installations.
New plug-and-play mobile PV system
The “Solar Box” mobile power plant is a container consisting of solar modules, a battery storage system, and a hydrogen storage system. According to Austria’s Alternative Energy Projects (AEP), the system starts at 94 kW and can be scaled up to more than 5 MW.
German manufacturer opens heat pump factory in Slovakia
Vaillant has revealed that it has opened a new heat pump factory in Slovakia. The facility will exclusively make heat pumps from May, with an expected annual output of 300,000 units.
