solar energy

Researchers from Canada’s Western University have developed an open-source, blockchain-based virtual utility for peer-to-peer (P2P) solar trading, using smart contracts to save up to $1,600 (US dollars) for 10 homes in simulated scenarios.

Researchers have covered part of a rooftop solar plant with a different numbers of shading cloth layers to measure their power, current, and voltage. They have been able to identify a point after which the value of system current and maximum power is no longer sensitive to shading heaviness.

Scientists have used stearic acid and a combination of stearic acid and carbon black to increase thermal conductivity in a photovoltaic-thermal system linked to a heliostat field concentrator. From a temperature of 30 C at the inlet, they were able to heat the water to up to 59 C.

Researchers in Morocco have examined the effects of an anti-reflective coating on solar panel performance under desert conditions and have found that it enhanced both the annual performance ratio and the energy yield by 2% and 5.5%, respectively. They have also found it to be durable and able to withstand dry cleaning methods under accelerated testing.

EDF Renewables says it has won a tender to build and operate Israel’s largest PV plant, a 300 MW project near Dimona, with a bid under $0.019/kWh – the lowest price ever in the Israeli market.

Researchers have conducted a field study across two growing seasons, growing different kinds of vegetables under three types of modules with 40%, 5%, and 0% transparency. Their work is the first replicated research experiment that evaluates module transparency in an irrigated vegetable field setting.

New research from Qatar shows that east-west-oriented vertical PV installations can significantly help reduce soiling in desert climates. The scientists found that PV power generation can be up to 9% higher in vertical systems compared to conventional arrays.

Atess Power says it has developed 100 kW/150 kW commercial inverters with two maximum power point trackers (MPPTs), a 600 V to 900 V battery voltage range, and 10 milliseconds on/off grid transfer capability.

Scientists in the Emirates have developed a novel lightning mast layout that reportedly eliminates shading effect on PV panels. The proposed approach also addresses earth grid requirements under varying moisture conditions.

Researchers in Spain have made a comparative analysis of annual PV-powered hydrogen production for direct and indirect configurations and have found that indirect systems not only produce more hydrogen but also that they show higher resilience to module power losses.