Renewables

New research from Finland shows how spacing between solar modules plays a key role in determing power and crop yield. The scientists found that, at a separation of 8 m, crops received at least 75% of irradiation, which is expected to result in minimal impact compared with an unshaded scenario.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says emergency generators, some powered by solar panels, are being deployed as Cuba struggles to restore electricity after the storm.

The name reflects the new approach to providing a complete system rather than individual components, and that system will soon include Nextpower power conversion equipment.

Researchers in the Middle East have developed a fuzzy logic controller that simultaneously optimizes the tilt angle of PV systems and performs maximum power point tracking (MPPT). Year-long simulations indicate that the proposed approach increases power generation by approximately 20%.

While solar modules and batteries have become icons of rapid progress, most energy models are still stuck in the past. A new global analysis shows that the cost of renewable energy has fallen far faster than expected. Solar PV, wind power, and battery technologies have already reached price levels that models once placed many decades ahead – a misplaced pessimism that risks misdirecting billions in climate investment and could distort long-term defossilization strategies.

The Chinese company says that its new ESA series is available with a hybrid inverter ranging from 3 kW to 10 kW and storage capacities of 5 kWh to 48 kWh. The IP66-rated product supports an MPPT current of up to 20 A on the PV side and allows 200% PV oversizing, according to the manufacturer.

Researchers in China developed a large-scale PV-thermal heat pump system using a liquid overfeed method that reportedly improves both thermal and electrical efficiency. Field tests showed up to a 4.81% boost in power generation and significantly reduced pressure losses compared to conventional systems.

The PPA price for pure photovoltaic projects has fallen by 20% over the past year, making such contracts less competitive. However, clear structures for bankable hybrid PPAs are now beginning to take shape, says Pieter van der Meulen, Senior Account Manager at LevelTen Energy, in an interview with pv magazine.

Scientists in China have developed a new deep learning model based on the so-called “You Only Look Once” algorithm, which requires only one forward propagation pass through the neural network to make predictions,