Technology

The phasing out of net-metering for solar installations is incentivizing a growing number of citizens to install residential battery storage systems in the Netherlands. Analysts are predicting the upward trend will accelerate in the coming years.

Scientists in China have developed an optimized energy management strategy for a wind-PV hybrid heat pump system that uses both thermal and electric energy storage. Using different seasonal interaction management strategies, they simulated four operational cases.

UNSW researchers have investigated the impact of electron irradiation on PERC and TOPCon solar cell performance and have identified bulk lifetime degradation as main power loss cause. Their work stresses the need for increasing radiation tolerance in commercial space silicon solar cells.

Scientists in Ghana have developed a device that combines a conventional solar PV-powered steam cooker with sand-based thermal energy storage. The system can achieve a thermal efficiency of 38.9% and has a payback period of 4.5 years.

Scientists in India have developed a novel method to optimize the placement of an EV charging station on the grid, along with the size of its PV generation and battery storage. They have also created a framework for an innovative slot offering.

Viridian Solar, a UK-based roof-integrated solar PV specialist, announced new flashing products to seamlessly integrate its solar panels with skylight-style windows made by Keylite Roof Windows.

In a new scientific paper, the Chinese solar manufacturer explained that the 27.81%-efficient hybrid interdigitated back-contact cell it unveiled in April is based on passivated tunneling contacts and dielectric passivation layers, while also incorporating both n-type and p-type contacts.

The heating and cooling business of the Japanese giant has released a new range of heat pumps for commercial projects. The systems have capacities of 40 kW and 50 kW.

Data from agrivoltaic canopy trials in France, developed by energy producer TSE and the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), indicate measurable temperature, water-balance, and yield effects that reinforce the role of managed agrivoltaics in farm-level climate adaptation.

Scientists in the United Kingdom have compiled a new database of adiabatic compressed air energy storage projects. Using this data, they were able to determine the experience rate and identify the conditions under which the technology would be economically viable. According to their findings, costs have declined at a 15% learning rate since 2013.