SolarEdge announces record revenues in 2022
SolarEdge’s revenue rose 58% year over year to $3.1 billion in 2022. It expects revenues for the first quarter of 2023 to be within the range of $915 million to $945 million.
Photovoltaic-thermal system in vacuum tube configuration
Naked Energy is commercializing a photovoltaic-thermal system to capture excess heat generated by PV modules for use in buildings. The VirtuPVT system, conceived for rooftop applications, includes an absorber plate, monocrystalline PERC solar cells, a borosilicate vacuum tube, an integrated reflector, and an integrated mounting system.
Saltwater flow battery added to solar-on-canal project
The University of California, Merced, has shown that up to 13 GW of solar capacity could be installed over California’s canals, which would require approximately 3 GW of energy storage.
Curtailment is not the enemy
A new report by IEA-PVPS Task 16 looks at the use of “implicit storage” to transform intermittent renewable sources such as solar and wind into firm power generation. It shows that the total cost of the electricity system transformation could be lowered with the optimal use of capacity overbuilding and dynamic curtailment.
How safe are second-life EV batteries as home energy storage devices?
There is currently no widely accepted test methodology to assess the safety of second-life lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). However, a UK government study reveals two opposing views on their safety, raising concerns over whether such devices should be deployed in homes under any circumstances.
The Hydrogen Stream: Europe introduces new green hydrogen rules
The European Commission has presented the final version of its new rules for green hydrogen, with looser requirements to qualify hydrogen as “green.”
UK manufacturer releases new PV testing tool
Seaward’s new PV150 test instrument measures open circuit voltage, short circuit current, earth continuity, insulation resistance, and operating current. It weighs 0.95 kg and comes with a two-year warranty.
Novel attempt to design solar cells based on zinc phosphide
European researchers have looked at how zinc phosphide could be used in solar cell development and found that monocrystalline thin films might perform better than polycrystalline films in electrical devices. They also determined that the performance of such films is directly correlated to the zinc/phosphide ratio.
Replacing MPPT with direct PV-battery coupling
Researchers in Germany have assessed direct coupling and integration between PV and batteries at the scale of a single PV module. They say their solution could be cheaper and provide superior performance than maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in optimizing PV system performance.
Panasonic unveils ultrasonic meter to measure hydrogen flow, concentration
Japan’s Panasonic says its new GB-L1CMH1A meter can operate without changing the state of the fuel cell. It says it can also measure a wide range of hydrogen flow rates and concentrations.
