Distributed US solar and storage policy trends
The NC Clean Energy Technology Center covers the latest trends in US solar policy.
Chinese researchers develop high power density vanadium flow battery stack
Researchers at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) in China have developed a 70 kW-level vanadium flow battery stack. The newly designed stack comes in 40% below current 30 kW-level stacks in terms of costs, due to its volume power density of 130 kW/m3.
Rising CO2 prices could make PV heat pumps cheap choice for German homes
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) says rising CO2 prices could make PV-powered heat pumps the most cost-effective choice for residential heating in the country, with heat pump uptake and district heating adoption proving more economical than replacing gas heating.
WoodMac predicts strong yet flat global PV growth through to 2032
Wood Mackenzie says the solar industry has reached a new stage in its evolution and is predicting around 350 GW of global solar installations annually for the next eight years. The research firm is also forecasting challenges for the solar manufacturing sector and long-awaited benefits from the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States.
Thermoacoustic refrigerator-heat pump with direct-coupling configuration
Researchers in China have designed a heat-driven thermoacoustic refrigerator/heat pump for room refrigeration. They said the system is easily combinable with PV energy and its coefficient of performance can reach up to 1.69.
Pioneer Power Solutions unveils mobile off-grid EV charging trailer
Pioneer Power Solutions has announced a new lithium battery trailer for electric-vehicle charging and disaster recovery.
Soly raises €30 million for European expansion
The Netherlands-based home and office energy specialist raised capital to expand its offering into Italy, Spain, France, and Scandinavia. It is already active in Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
Johnson Controls unveils water-to-water screw heat pump
US-based Johnson Controls says its new screw heat pump is able to deliver high-temperature hot water as high as 80 C. The system reportedly has a combined coefficient of performance of 4.1.
US solar sites linked to higher levels of insects
Scientists conducting a five-year research project in southern Minnesota have observed a tripling of insect numbers near two solar facilities built on rehabilitated agricultural land. They say the findings show how habitat-friendly solar could help protect insect populations and improve pollination in nearby agricultural fields.
Tibo Energy secures funds to expand sales of cloud-based software supporting C&I assets
Netherlands-based Tibo Energy has raised €3 million from European early stage investors. Its software is used by businesses to manage and optimize their renewable energy assets and grid usage.
