UK governments slashes VAT for residential PV, heat pumps to 0%
The new measure will come into force on April 1 and will be in place for five years.
Two-layer phase change materials for solar module cooling
Researchers in Iran have tested four different two-layer PCMs across several cooling system configurations and have found that the payback time of the proposed cooling tech is still far from reaching commercial viability. The system, however, was able to improve PV power generation by more than 3% and produce hot water with a temperature of up to 48 Celsius degrees from the solar module’s excess heat.
Ricoh launches mini hydropower system for remote locations, usable with solar-plus-storage
The pico-hydro generation system can be used with factory drainage systems and irrigation canals. According to the manufacturer, it is made with 3D-printed sustainable materials and is able to generate electricity even with a small stream of water. Solar and storage may be linked to the system to ensure stable power supply.
Solar for train traction in South Africa
The Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) is seeking consultants for the deployment of 3MW of solar capacity to supply power to the traction system and some stations of the Gautrain system – an 80km railway in Gauteng linking Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekurhuleni, and the O.R. Tambo International Airport.
New York hits 1GW of community solar
The state has become the United States’ largest and most active community solar market, with a pipeline boasting more than 700 potential community solar installations
Delta launches new solar inverter series for residential, commercial PV
The new solar inverter series can achieve maximum efficiency of 98.7% and a European efficiency rating of 98.5%. Its rated power ranges from 15 to 20kW.
Enel, CEA achieve 24.47% efficiency in gallium-doped p-type heterojunction solar cell
Manufactured with wafers provided by Chinese PV producer Longi, the industrial-sized cells are able to provide a fill factor of 82.05%.
Large-area reference solar cell for high precision measurements
Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH) has partnered with engineering company Mencke und Tegtmeyer GmbH (IB-MuT) to develop a large-area reference solar cell for high precision cell measurements. The BigRef device is claimed to be the only rugged encapsulated large-area reference solar cell available on the market.
Creative thinking for vertical east-west bifacial PV projects
A Finnish-Norwegian research group has assessed the global potential of vertical east-west bifacial PV (VBPV) projects and found that these installations may provide a low LCOE at Nordic latitudes, in Central Europe and subtropical desert areas. The researchers also found that residential and commercial VBPV systems are a grid-friendly solution for low-voltage networks when compared to monofacial arrays.
Vikram Solar files for IPO to raise funds for 2GW integrated solar fab
The Kolkata-headquartered solar manufacturer has filed draft papers with SEBI for its initial public offering (IPO), which comprises a fresh issue of up to INR 1,500 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of up to five million equity shares by the existing shareholders.
