South Africa introduces rebate scheme for rooftop PV
South Africa’s new rebate program for private rooftop solar arrays has a budget of ZAR 4 billion ($216.7 million). It does not cover inverters, battery storage systems, or installation costs. However, some industry analysts have already criticized the scheme for failing to fully address the country’s load-shedding problem.
Machine learning predicts residential power yield of large PV system fleets
Dutch scientists have developed a PV forecasting method that uses the XGBoost algorithm. They claim their approach predicts electricity generation levels an hour ahead for big fleets of residential solar arrays.
SAJ unveils new line of residential battery inverters
China’s Guangzhou Sanjing Electric (SAJ) has developed a new line of battery inverters in single-phase and three-phase configurations.
Brazil imported 17.8 GW of solar modules in 2022
Brazilian demand for distributed-generation PV grew by 73% year on year in 2022, according to a new report by Greener. JinkoSolar was the largest module supplier in Brazil, with shipments reaching 3,065 MW.
Silfab unveils residential solar panels with conductive backsheets
Silfab Solar’s Elite Series modules for residential PV installations feature conductive backsheets for better production and efficiency.
Only5mins! – Solar-optimized EV charging is a no-brainer
PowerFlex CEO Raphael Declercq speaks to pv magazine about growing demand for solar-optimized smart charging. He says the company, which is owned by EDF Renewables, can control batteries and loads in microgrids with its newly expanded EV-charging management software.
Plastic strip to prevent birds from nesting under rooftop solar
Netherlands-based BirdBlocker has developed a plastic strip that can be placed under solar panels installed on pitched rooftops. The long needles prevent birds from nesting under the modules. The structure is attached to the frame of the modules with stainless steel clips.
Key takeaways from Genera 2023
This year’s edition of Genera, Spain’s largest energy trade show, focused heavily on solar and attracted significantly more companies and visitors than last year, according to provisional data.
Ethylenediamine increases efficiency of inverted perovskite solar cell by 22%
Scientists in Germany have raised the efficiency of an inverted perovskite solar cell from 15.9% to 20.1% by using a mixed solvent vapor annealing method based on ethylenediamine (EDA).
Spanish manufacturer releases new bidirectional central inverter
Zigor has developed a modular central inverter that can convert AC power to DC power for battery charging. It has an output of 3.3 MVA and a DC voltage of up to 1,500 V.
