Solar could have reduced UK gas reliance, says Carbon Brief
Carbon Brief has estimated that the United Kingdom would have needed to import 20 TWh less natural gas this year if successive Conservative governments had not wound down the rewards for generating solar electricity.
New refrigerant circuit for safer, more efficient heat pumps
Scientists at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute ISE and a consortium of heat pump manufacturers have achieved a new efficiency record in their development of a low-refrigerant propane refrigeration circuit. The device has a heating capacity of 12.8 kW with only 124 grams of propane, amounting to a refrigerant charge of approximately 10g/kW, compared to 60g/kW for commercially available devices.
DC rooftop PV providing domestic hot water to residential building at 60 C
Domestic hot water, with a heating system powered exclusively by DC solar power, has now covered the needs of an apartment building in Linz, Austria, for a period of a year. The 14 residential units are each connected to their own 1.36 KW solar arrays.
Ireland introduces planning exemptions for rooftop solar
Ireland’s new solar measures, first announced in June, are expected to facilitate deployment in the residential and commercial PV segments.
FuturaSun unveils 425 W n-type IBC solar module for rooftop applications
FuturaSun has revealed plans to expand its production capacity in China and its home market, Italy. Its new all-black solar panel features a power conversion efficiency of up to 21.60%.
The Hydrogen Stream: South Korean scientists achieve photocurrent density of 19.8 mA cm−2 in PEC cell for water splitting
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology researchers have unveiled designs for advanced solar hydrogen production systems to broaden the application of LC biomass. Mitsubishi has started building the world’s first validation center for hydrogen-related technologies, while Fortescue Future Industries has announced investments in Germany and Australia.
Portugal’s first solar energy community yields results
The first renewable energy community in Portugal was inaugurated in August 2021 in Miranda do Douro, a rural village in the north. One year on, pv magazine spoke with the company behind the project to assess its status. With a production capacity of 73.3 kWp, solar has saved the community €31,500 ($30,850) on electricity bills.
Large-scale battery to support German power network
An energy transmission system operator (TSO) has announced plans to install a 250 MW battery project in Kupferzell, Germany, in order to transmit wind power from the northern part of the country to the south.
RE-Source 2022: EU revenue cap hamstrings PPA market in hour of need
The RE-Source 2022 event is taking place this week in Amsterdam amidst what is being described as “the perfect storm” of challenges for the European PPA market. Prices have skyrocketed, permitting continues to hamper accelerated development, and a new European Commission policy decision has only added to the inertia in the market.
Italian government loosens permits for more large-scale renewables
The Italian government has decided to unlock 314 MW of new renewable energy projects, including a 60 MW agrivoltaic plant in the southern region of Apulia.
