New design for vacuum integrated photovoltaic curtain walls
Scientists in China have outlined a new system architecture for vacuum integrated photovoltaic (VPV) curtain walls. They claim the new design can reduce building energy consumption and yield more surplus power generation electricity.
Swiss utility switches on 200-meter solar bicycle path
Swisspower-Stadtwerk SIG says its pilot solar bicycle path in Satigny will pave the way for similar projects in Switzerland.
Solar carport design for east-west oriented projects
UK roofing specialist SIG Building Solutions is offering the solar carport solution in three different versions. The largest structure is designed to give maximum power for east-west facing double row car parking layouts.
Training deep machine learning to identify PV, solar thermal systems in aerial images
A Swedish research group has found that using deep machine learning to identify solar energy systems in aerial images may not be so accurate in non-densely populated countries such as Sweden. They have also found, however, that this technique may be trained via an iterative process and achieve satisfying results.
Benchmarks for solar energy data, methods
The lower the uncertainty in solar resource data, the lower the investment costs. IEA PVPS Task 16 has organized and published two benchmarks to make uncertainty of models and data comparable – a first important step. The benchmarks included modeled solar resource data and methods to fill gaps in measurements.
How long do residential solar batteries last?
Multiple factors affect the lifespan of residential battery energy storage systems. We look at the lifespans of batteries in the third part of this series.
Octopus Energy introduces new residential heat pumps
Octopus Energy has developed new residential heat pumps, with plans to initially market a 6 kW version, followed by larger models in the near future. The UK-based company makes the heat pumps at its facility in Craigavon, Northern Ireland.
Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning unveils residential dual fuel heat pump system
Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning has developed a residential dual fuel heat pump system that combines an air source heat pump and a gas furnace. The manufacturer says the furnace is designed to ensure there is no compromise in heating performance, even when temperatures are extremely low.
DC isolators trigger sharp increase in solar fires in Australia
Data shows a sharp increase in the number of fires caused by the DC isolators that separate the grid from solar panels. ABC News gathered state-by-state data revealing a dramatic increase in fire incidents in the last 12 months.
August impacts on Asia’s solar production
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Southern India was the standout in terms of unusual irradiance in Asia in August, with 40% more than the month’s average. This brought the average irradiance up to 6 kWh per day.
