Germany offers best European policy for agrivoltaics, claim researchers
Scientists in Canada studied romaine lettuce growth under cadmium telluride thin-film solar modules with varying transparency and photosynthetically active radiation, and found Germany’s regulatory framework most effective for maximizing agrivoltaic benefits.
CTC launches ‘high-capacity’ air-to-water heat pump
CTC-UK, a unit of Sweden’s CTC, has introduced the EcoAir 720M air-to-water heat pump for residential and commercial sites, with cooling capacity up to 22.7 kW and a seasonal coefficient of performance ranging from 3.41 to 6.35.
GoodWe launches 125 kW/261 kWh all-in-one C&I battery
GoodWe has introduced a 125 kW/261 kWh all-in-one battery for commercial and industrial use in China, with applications spanning factories, farms, EV charging stations, commercial sites, and grid or off-grid systems.
Photovoltaics for mango drying
Scientists have created a solar cabinet dryer for mango slices, with PV-powered forced convection. Placing mango slices of different thicknesses inside, they have measured the operation of their device against two reference methods and have found that thermal efficiency reached 30%.
Feasibility assessment for deploying PV panels on tram tracks
New research from Poland has suggested installing 891 PV panels along the entire tram platform and inter-track spaces of four major transportation hubs. The analysis showed that the PV system could power all of the city’s tram stops, the passenger information system, and meet 10% of demand from service depots.
Scientists build 42.01%-efficient indoor PV cell for self-powered devices
An international researc team has included an interlocked self-assembled monolayer in perovskite indoor PV to enhance its stability and durability. Fabricating cells, mini modules, and a prototype device of an electronic price tag, the novel structure was tested. It was found to exhibit a lifetime approaching 6,000 hours.
Austria allocates €12 million for solar-plus-storage rebates
The Austrian government had budgeted €12 million ($14 million) for a second funding round but wants to finance successful applications and bring 220 MW new solar and 200 MWh of storage online.
How to control frequency fluctuations during PV plant deloading
Researchers in Egypt have developed new control strategies for managing frequency fluctuations during deloading of a photovoltaic plant. The proposed methodology combines a proportional–integral controller along with a rate of change of frequency controller.
Photovoltaics for cocoa pod splitting
Scientists have designed a cocoa pod splitting device that runs on five monocrystalline PV panels. They have simulated its operation and have found it can achieve a splitting efficiency of 98.92%.
How to store PV power with hybridization of lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors
Researchers in Denmark have developed a new sizing strategy to combine PV system operation with lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. The proposed approach is claimed to reduce annual battery cycle by 13%.
