Drone-based electroluminescence services for rooftop PV
Solevi, a German electroluminescence (EL) inspection company, has launched drone-based electrical inspection services for rooftop solar installation in Germany with plans to automate further and expand geographically.
New defrosting tech may increase coefficient of performance of air-source heat pumps by up to 11.2%
Researchers in the United Kingdom have presented a new heat pump system that may avoid reducing heat supply during defrosting operations. The proposed concept can reportedly execute defrosting operations while ensuring continuous heating by condensing the refrigerant in the frosted evaporator.
Hygroscopic hydrogel may increase solar module yield by 2.1%
Researchers in China have found that a special type of hygroscopic hydrogel made of the polyacrylamide polymer and lithium chloride may reduce PV module temperature by up to 7.5%. They have also developed a mathematical model to analyze the operational mechanisms and factors responsible for the cooling performance.
U.S. increases and extends clean energy import tariffs on China
The U.S. Trade Representative decided that it will expand tariffs on solar components, batteries, semiconductors, steel, and EVs from China.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Aiko Solar, GoodWe, Ginlong Solis post H1 profit declines
Aiko Solar, GoodWe, and Ginlong Solis have all posted declines in net profit for the first half of 2024 due to industry overcapacity.
Italian startup develops thermo-mechanical PV panel recycling process
Venice-based 9-tech has developed a thermomechanical process to recycle end-of-life PV panels, with early results showing an 87% recovery yield of materials such as silicon, copper, and silver.
Typhoon Yagi triggers significant drop in solar production across Southeast Asia
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports the Typhoon Yagi caused a significant reduction in solar power generation across key cities in Vietnam, China, and the Philippines, with some areas reporting their lowest irradiance days on record for September.
Taiwan installs 2.7 GW of new solar in 2023
Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA) says the island added 2.7 GW of new solar capacity last year, bringing its total capacity to 12.41 GW by December 2023. Feed-in tariffs for installations up to 100 kW continue to drive the market.
European Investment Bank invests in solar, wind in South Africa
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) are each investing €100 million ($110.8 million) in small- and medium-scale solar and onshore wind projects in South Africa. Together, they have now committed €600 million under South Africa’s Embedded Generation Investment Programme (EGIP).
Amea Power to build 1 GW of solar, 900 MWh of storage in Egypt
Dubai-based developer Amea Power has agreed to build a 1 GW solar plant with a 600 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) and an additional 300 MWh BESS. This follows the signing of two power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Egyptian Electricity Transmission Co.
