Photovoltaic-thermal panel from China
Developed by Chinese specialist SolarMaster, the panel is sold in four different versions with photovoltaic output ranging from 340 to 545 W and solar thermal output of 910 to 1,436 W.
Residential heat storage system uses PV electricity for space heating, hot water
France-based FHE Group has developed a 2.5 kWh storage device that can store electricity as heat during the day and release this heat at night to power a heat pump for space heating and hot water. According to the manufacturer, it can retain over 95% of its initial performance after 20,000 cycles.
Turkey added 1.14 GW of PV capacity in 2021
According to official statistics from grid operator TEIAS, the country’s cumulative PV capacity reached 7.81 GW at the end of December.
Norway deployed 65MW of solar in 2021
The provisional figure took the nation to a cumulative 215MW at the end of the year, according to new statistics provided by Norwegian solar industry organization the Solenergiklyngen.
New hybrid inverter for rooftop PV arrays from SMA
SMA’s new hybrid inverter reaches a maximum efficiency of 98.2% and a maximum European efficiency of 97.5%. It is compatible with DC-coupled high-voltage lithium-ion batteries from leading suppliers, according to the manufacturer.
BIPV panels covering an entire building in Taiwan
The Sun Rock building is owned by Taiwan’s power utility Taipower. It was covered with 4,000 square meters of PV panels deployed by Dutch architectural firm MVRDV.
Funding boost for 5B’s solar installation robots
Sydney-based 5B has launched a AUD 33.4 million ($24 million) tech innovation program, including a AUD 14 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, to accelerate the delivery of low-cost solar. Most of the investment is portioned off for an advanced manufacturing pilot line, but about one-third of the available funds will be used to deliver GPS-guided solar deployment robots.
Eurazeo acquires 80% stake in Ikaros Solar
Through this operation, the French investment firm wants to help Ikaros Solar further develop its 300MW solar project pipeline.
Best fire safety practices for rooftop PV systems
Compiled by an international research group, the best practices were collected from all available guidelines published by national agencies, regulatory bodies, and trade associations.
Spraying water system for solar module cooling
A British-Indian research group has developed an active cooling technique that is claimed to improve a PV system’s yield by around 0.5%. The system could be used in residential solar arrays and the water heated by the PV modules may be fed into a solar water heating system.
