PV can cover almost half of typical office buildings’ electricity demand
Scientists in Germany have estimated that roof and facade PV systems can cover almost 40% of the total requirements of a standard office building, assuming that no battery storage is installed.
Viridian Solar unveils roof-integrated solar panels with power of 335/340 W
The new devices feature efficiencies ranging from 20.7-21%. The panels are said to be compatible with a wide range of slates and tiles, include special fixings for different batten thicknesses, and achieve the highest fire rating and wind resistance without modifications to the roof.
Baywa re sets up unit to manufacture mounting systems
The new Novotegra GmbH unit will bundle all activities related to the group’s PV mounting structure business.
Silfab Solar launches 21.4%-efficient back contact residential panel
The new interdigitated back-contact module comes with power outputs ranging from 370 to 380 W and is the most powerful panel produced by the company to date.
Belgium’s Flanders region unveils compensation scheme for PV systems affected by smart meter disruption
The draft regulation has now been sent to the country’s Council of State for review. If approved, the new rules will grant prosumers the right to ask to postpone the installation of a smart meter until 2025. Furthermore, the Flemish government said it will also compensate PV system owners with a sum that should ensure a reasonable investment return of 5%.
Austria allocates 332 MW of PV under 2020 rebate scheme
The Austrian government had devoted €50 million to the scheme for last year. These funds will enable the deployment of 15,957 PV systems.
Spain installed 3.2 GW of solar last year
According to Spain’s renewable energy association, APPA Renovables, of the solar capacity deployed last year, 623 MW was for distributed generation PV and 2,633 MW came from utility scale solar plants.
Spectral-splitting filters for more efficient photovoltaic-thermal panels
A British-Chinese research group has created a new framework to assess the performance and efficiency limits of photovoltaic-thermal solar panels. They say that the improvement of spectral-splitting (SS) filters in the devices will be the key to their future commercial success.
India joins race to develop high-efficiency solar cells
India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is funding research to develop high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells, as well as perovskites.
US scientists claim PV system owners subsidize their non-PV neighbors
Researchers at the Michigan Technological University claim to have demonstrated that PV system owners in the United Stated are unjustly subsidizing electric utilities. Their analysis showed that, thanks to rooftop PV, utilities and their non-PV customers can save money from avoided costs for new grid, reserve, and generation capacity, as well as for avoided operation and maintenance and environmental and health liabilities due to fossil fuel power generation.
