Rooftop PV

The ability to feed electricity from rooftop PV arrays into Australia’s distribution network may be severely limited in the future, as installations appear likely to exceed expectations. A Cornwall Insight forecast sees some 24.45 GW of rooftop solar to be added through 2030 – a rate that accelerates the need for a distribution-level market and may see connections curtailed in the future.

Tesla boss Elon Musk has published the first image of the planned Gigafactory in Grünheide, near Berlin, in eastern Germany.

A prototype of an energy-harvesting, solar-powered smart window device has been developed by scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory. The window was created by integrating a semi-transparent perovskite solar cell and a multi-layer nanophotonic coating.

A newly developed autonomous robotic cleaning solution for modules uses artificial intelligence to clean daily or on demand, without substantial human input.

JA Solar began work on a 300 MW solar plant in Liaoning province last week, while state-run Huaneng launched a fiscal 2020 tender for 5 GW of inverters and another 5 GW of PV modules.

Dutch researchers have shown that power peaks caused by solar generation may be stronger under partial cloudiness than clear skies. According to their findings, mixed-cloud conditions can enhance PV power production due to light reflected off clouds, as well as their intermittent shadows on arrays, which reduce module temperatures.

The furniture brand has begun offering solar panels and systems online throughout the country. French solar company Voltalia will be its strategic partner for the sale of its Solstrale modules.

The regulations will force power distributors to give more help to homeowners and businesses willing to go solar. The new framework will apply to PV systems ranging in size from 1 kW-2 MW and to all energy consumers.

The Swedish PV equipment supplier has launched Midsummer Magnum, a solar module for large rooftops. The manufacturer says the panel offers 14.54% efficiency and an output of 128.3 W per square meter. The company also unveiled a manufacturing process it claims can increase module output 10%.

A German research group is trying to determine whether the combination of solar and storage with direct coupling and without the aid of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) electronics is feasible. According to its findings, this particular configuration might be efficient, but it will likely require special panels and batteries.