German consumer group debunks residential battery misconceptions
Verbraucherzentrale NRW, a German consumer protection association, has issued a warning about five misleading assumptions about PV-linked residential battery systems.
Fraunhofer ISE integrates solar cells into car hood
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy (ISE) has advanced vehicle-integrated PV (VIPV) technology by installing solar cells directly onto a standard sheet-metal car hood. The researchers placed a 115 W prototype array on the hood of a Volkswagen with a specialized lamination process.
India’s H1 solar additions hit 3.6 GW
India installed 3.6 GW of solar capacity in the first half of 2023, down 53% year on year, due to project extensions for numerous large-scale initiatives.
Floating PV plant operators may achieve additional revenue through non-evaporated water
A group of researchers from Italy investigated the economic competitiveness of various ground mounted and floating PV systems with regard to cost and performance, taking into consideration revenues due to reduced water evaporations. They found that the use of non-evaporated water at photovoltaic system sites can achieve revenues greater than $3/kW if used for irrigation and higher than $4/kW if sold to generate hydroelectricity.
Slenergy announces new balcony PV system
Slenergy, a Chinese electronics manufacturer, has developed a new balcony PV system featuring two 425 W all-black solar panels, an 800 W microinverter, and a mounting structure. It includes a set equipped with a 5-meter AC cable, a 3-meter DC cable, and a 3P connector.
Pexapark records slight increase in European PPA prices for July
Swiss consultancy Pexapark has reported that solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) were the largest technology segment in July by far, with more than 960 MW of capacity in 15 deals, followed by 175 MW of onshore wind capacity under six PPAs.
Perovskite solar cell built on steel substrate achieves record efficiency of 17.1%
Scientists in Australia claim to have achieved the highest efficiency ever reported to date for a perovskite solar cell built on a steel substrate. They utilized an indium tin oxide (ITO) interlayer between the steel substrate and the cell in order to avoid iron diffusion from the substrate into the PV device.
OGO Energy introduces residential battery storage solutions
India’s OGO Energy has developed modular battery energy storage systems with smart management capabilities. Up to five battery modules of 5.12 kWh each can be combined for a total storage capacity of 25.6 kWh.
Solar module prices continue to fall
Although raw material costs in China are slowly stabilizing again, PV module prices continue to decline, as inventory levels remain very high.
Aims Power introduces hybrid inverter for solar-battery systems
Aims Power has developed a hybrid inverter for solar-battery systems, with power outputs of 4.6 kW and 9.6 kW and solar input capacities of 6.9 kW and 15 kW.
