Water-based solar module cleaning tech for rooftop PV
Scientists in Pakistan developed a new cleaning system that reportedly not only reduces power losses caused by soiling but is also able to increase PV module performance by reducing its temperature. It could be applied to both residential and commercial PV systems.
Lochinvar unveils heat pump to supply hot water at up to 70 C
Lochinvar has developed a heat pump with a hot water supply of up to 70 C, with a coefficient of performance (COP) of 5.5. The system is entirely cascadable, offering outputs ranging from 88 kW to 880 kW. It also includes 455 liters of hot water storage capacity and uses propane (R290) as a refrigerant.
Jaguar building large-scale storage system with second-life EV batteries
Jaguar Land Rover and Wykes Engineering are building a 2.5 MWh storage system with electric-vehicle batteries taken from Jaguar I-PACE cars. The large-scale system will store wind and solar at an undisclosed location in the United Kingdom.
South Korea plans PV-powered 1 GW data center complex
The South Korean government says it plans to set up a 1 GW data center complex powered by solar. The expansive facility will be built in Haenam, a county in South Jeolla province. It will accommodate 25 data centers, each with a capacity of 40 MW.
Engie acquires Broad Reach Power
Engie has acquired 350 MW of operating storage assets and 880 MW of assets under construction from US battery specialist Broad Reach Power, with commissioning of the latter assets expected by the end of 2024.
Photovoltaic-thermal panel based on twisted absorber tubes, nanoparticle-enhanced PCM
Developed by scientists in Malaysia, the new PVT system is based on a nanoparticle-enhanced phase change material (Nano-PCM) and twisted absorber tubes. The system consists of a 30 W photovoltaic module, absorber tubes attached to the back of the panel via enhanced silicone glue bond, and a PCM container surrounding the tubes.
Redesigned zinc-air batteries ‘better’ than lithium, say Australian researchers
Researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia have redesigned zinc-air batteries and have found the technology to be preferable to lithium-ion batteries – even for electric vehicles.
Energy management system to combine residential PV with gravity storage
Researchers in Morocco have created a new energy management system that allows the combination of rooftop PV with gravity storage. The proposed system is reportedly able to perform smart energy distribution within a household while also lowering electricity costs.
Austrian supplier unveils heat pump adaptive to PV, weather, power prices
Austria’s Ökofen has developed a residential heat pump that identifies cost-effective and eco-friendly electricity in real time, in order to optimize heat production. It is now seeking a patent for its proprietary control technology.
Driving down solar costs key to unlocking green hydrogen future
Jim Tyler, CEO of solar tech specialist Erthos, says that reducing the cost of solar electricity will be needed to unlock the next chapter of the energy transition: a green hydrogen economy.
