Titanium oxide nanofluid-based cooling technique for PV panels
Indian and Malaysian scientists have developed a new cooling system featuring an assembled back-channel attached on the rear sides of solar panels, to channel flows of titanium oxide and water. They used a 0.6% nanofluid concentration – the optimum value of nanoparticle concentration in water.
Windbreak walls for solar parks
Iasol has developed a new way to protect solar plants in windy conditions. The Spanish developer said the solution barely has an impact on project costs or output, while preventing expensive damages.
Gambia seeks consultants for 150 MW solar-plus-storage project
The transnational West African Power Pool is seeking consultants for an environmental impact study as well as transaction advisors for a project under development since October.
New solar+storage concept for Himalayan villages
U.K. thin-film PV specialist Power Roll is testing a new solar+storage system that can be manufactured for just $0.03/W. It can be deployed on a wide range of non-load-bearing buildings, including agricultural structures and warehouse rooftops.
First Solar brings modules to distributed generation market
The U.S. utility-scale PV pioneer is going small. After decades of avoiding distributed generation, it is now offering its Series 6 modules for ‘projects and customers of all shapes and sizes.’
Sunfolding looks to disrupt the tracker industry with air pneumatics
With $32 million in series B funding and an ever-growing project pipeline, air-based tracker startup, Sunfolding, is hoping to increase its hold in the tracker market with tech that’s simple, light and can be installed on terrain previously thought untouchable.
Intense pulsed light processing for 23.0%-efficient silicon heterojunction solar cells
Scientists at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) have used intense pulsed light (IPL) processing for the development of a busbarless silicon heterojunction solar cell. ILP processing is roll-to-roll technique for rapid thermal processing of various thin films.
Hydro-PV microgrid in Patagonia
In a national park in Chile, a hydropower plant has been combined with a solar system and battery storage to replace diesel generation.
Ecuador kicks-off 60 MW solar tender
The government is seeking proposals for 200 MW of renewable energy capacity including two 30 MW solar parks to be constructed in either Santa Elena or Guaya provinces.
Solar is essential to build the France of 2030
KilowattSol CEO Xavier Daval has criticized the absence of references to solar in the French government’s post-Covid recovery plan, which has allocated €30 billion to the energy transition. The head of the PV technical advisory says solar must become more central to France’s strategic choices and China must not be allowed to retain its near-monopoly on PV panel manufacturing.
