World

Carrier will soon begin field tests for a prototype air-source heat pump for cold climates. It is designed to provide high-efficiency heating performance in harsh climates with temperatures equal or below negative 29 degrees Celsius, while being grid-interactive. The US-based heating tech specialist expects to commercialize the solution by 2024.

IEA-PVPS has standardized guidelines for O&M programs for large-scale solar plants. It defines O&M performance indicators and standard O&M operator services, as well as tools to analyze PV plant performance and safety.

Longi has launched a series of modules featuring an all-new hybrid passivated back contact cell technology, with which it claims a maximum module efficiency of 22.8% in mass production. It will initially offer the modules in 54, 60, 66 and 72 cell formats, targeting rooftop and distributed generation applications.

State Power Investment Corp. (SPIC) has started operating the world’s first offshore floating solar plant integrated with an offshore wind turbine, at a pilot site off the coast of China’s Shandong province. It features floating PV tech from Norway’s Ocean Sun.

Solinteg is offering five versions of its new three-phase hybrid inverters, with nominal power ranging from 25 kW to 50 kW, an efficiency rating of 98.8%, a European efficiency of 98.3%, and up to 4 MPPTs.

An Israeli scientist has proposed a way to achieve uninterrupted PV power on the moon without using energy storage. The proposal involves the installation of PV panels around a 360-degree latitudinal ring close to one of the moon’s poles. There would be no inter-array shading, and static vertical PV arrays and arrays mounted on single-axis vertical trackers could be viable mounting structures.

US scientists recently put different bifacial solar cells and modules through a series of tests at elevated temperature, humidity, voltage and mechanical stress levels. The tests revealed a range of light-induced and potential-induced degradation mechanisms that modules will likely suffer in the field.

India-based Solavio has developed the Eco Bot portable and shareable robotic cleaning solution, which is compatible with ground-mounted solar arrays and rooftop PV installations.

With the current supply disruptions, and even keeping in mind the possibility of future challenges, BASF sees the importance of creating solutions that are more sustainable and addresses the need for energy efficiency and conservation.

PG&E has secured approval to set up a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) export compensation mechanism for commercial EV charging customers in California. Sono Motors is debuting its Sion solar electric vehicles in the US market, while Toyota and Jera are installing innovative second-life battery systems in Japan.