Trilantic Europe acquires 60% stake in Aerocompact
Mathias Muther, the founder of Aerocompact, says a new investment from private equity firm Trilantic Europe will allow the Austrian mounting system manufacturer to expand its international market presence.
PV commissioning times up by 6 months over past 20 years, claim scientists
Scientists in Switzerland used project-level data from BloombergNEF to analyze completion times of renewable energy projects across 48 countries. They have found that average commissioning times have increased over the past two decades for all clean energy technologies.
Cloud fraction nowcasting method for PV applications
Researchers in China have developed a novel way to predict the cloud coverage of PV plants. The method uses geostationary satellite and recurrent-neural networks.
How to combine residential heat pumps with PV, battery storage
New research from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) has shown that combining rooftop PV systems with battery storage and heat pumps can improve heat pump efficiency while reducing reliance on grid electricity.
Pacific Energy delivers first hydrogen standalone power system
Pacific Energy has deployed a first-of-a-kind containerized hydrogen electrolyzer and fuel cell as part of a tech development project that is exploring the feasibility of using hydrogen as a clean energy source and storage solution in northern Australia.
NREL says long-term degradation of 8 GW of US solar ‘matches expectations’
Research by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on the degradation of almost 8 GW of US solar shows that PV systems are degrading at a modest rate, within expectations. It says most PV systems experience minimal damage from short-term extreme weather, but warns of the risk of powerful hail, wind and snow.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Hoshine continues PV supply chain expansion
Hoshine says it will build a solar glass factory in Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang region, where it is also planning a 20 GW vertically integrated module manufacturing facility.
PV may help CSP reduce its LCOE by 18% in Saudi Arabia
Researchers have found that the current levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for concentrated solar power (CPS) plant in Saudi Arabia could be as low as $0.137/kWh. However, combining the tech with PV would significantly enhance the cost competitiveness of CSP.
Smart grids could improve Saudi Arabia’s renewables potential
Saudi researchers say smart grids could have a minimal impact on the environment in Saudi Arabia, while supporting a technologically advanced power system compatible with end users.
April total eclipse to impact solar generation from Mexico to New England
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that, on April 8, a total eclipse will pass from Mexico, across Texas and up the East Coast, with most of the continental US experiencing a significant drop in solar generation.
