PV powered desalination is “the most competitive design”
Scientists in France conducted an analysis on the competitiveness of water desalination, taking a large scale project planned for Morocco as a case study. The research concludes that PV without storage is the cheapest option to power desalinators, and will likely remain so until at least 2030.
French solar institute and Enel announce 24.63% efficiency for heterojunction solar cell
The efficiency of the cell, made with a standard M2 wafer, was raised around 0.7% by using an improved busbar-free screen printing metallization process based on heterojunction processes developed with manufacturing equipment provided by Swiss specialist Meyer Burger.
French consortium develops hybrid storage and co-generation system
The Smart Energy Hub can operate in electrolysis mode to store renewable energy as hydrogen, or in fuel cell mode to produce electricity and heat from previously produced hydrogen or methane. Its developers are the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission and start-up Sylfen.
French researchers produce 348 W half-cell HJT module
Scientists at France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, working with Swiss equipment supplier Meyer Burger, have hit 23.9% efficiency in large-scale production of heterojunction cells. The team also combined HJT cells with other technologies to produce a module with a 348 W power rating.
EU-funded initiative set to launch new anti-soiling coating
A project backed by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program says it has developed a self-cleaning coating for modules which is also anti reflective and weather resistant. The project – SolarSharc – expects to launch the product next year.
