Author: solarenergy

The two US-based companies will showcase their new home energy system with up to 123.2 kWh of storage at the RE+ 2024 event in the United States. The new product has four MPPTs, with a maximum current of 16 A per string. September 11, 2024 Lior Kahana Jackery HomePower energy systemImage: JackeryBy ESS newsCalifornia-based battery supplier Jackery and US PV system supplier Geneverse unveiled a new residential energy storage system at RE+ 2024 in Anaheim, USA this week.The product, called HomePower Energy System, uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and offers a storage capacity of up to 123.2 kWh.“The system…

Norway’s Otovo says it plans to lay off around 170 employees. The company, which operates in 13 European countries, employed 384 employees at the end of 2023. September 11, 2024 Ralph Diermann Image: Bill Mead, UnsplashOtovo, a Norway-based operator of an online marketplace for solar, storage and wall boxes, has announced plans to lay off approximately 170 employees.The company, which operates in 13 European countries, employed 384 people at the end of 2023. CEO Andreas Thorsheim said on LinkedIn that Otovo aims to save between NOK 200 million ($18.4 million) and NOK 225 million from the job cuts.In the first…

Developed by researchers in China, the TOPCon solar cell was screen printed with a silver and aluminum paste on the front and an aluminum-only paste on the back. They added silicon to the aluminum paste to reduce metal recombination and improve the open-circuit voltage of the device. September 11, 2024 Emiliano BelliniResearchers from Yangzhou University in China have fabricated a solar cell based on tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) technology by reducing the use of expensive silver paste with a screen-printed aluminum (Al) paste.“We are still adjusting further processes and Al paste to improve efficiency,” says the corresponding author of…

FranklinWH energy storage unveiled the next generation of its whole-home energy management solutions at the RE+ trade show this week. The aPower 2 lithium iron phosphate battery system has a capacity of 15 kWh and a continuous output power of 10 kW. FranklinWH has also extended the warranty on the battery system to 15 years or 60 MWh of throughput, which equates to more than 10,000 cycles. “We are committed to a better, energy-independent future, powered by a steady pipeline of product innovations,” said Gary Lam, co-founder and CEO of FranklinWH. “Our solution upgrades demonstrate our focus on both incremental…

Seemingly across market scales, mounting, racking and tracker manufacturers aren’t redefining what their systems do or look like, but are looking inward to see what can be improved on existing offerings or within their operations. The residential market has seen a sweeping adoption of mounts using pre-applied, peel-and-stick adhesives with enough drilling points to ensure they can attach anywhere on a roof. Then most single-axis tracker manufacturers are using some form of articulating rows to tackle uneven landscapes. I haven’t seen any earth-shattering developments on the show floor just yet, but I have seen companies that are comfortable in their…

Affordable wire management (AWM), a provider of utility-scale solar cable management systems (CMS), debuts today at RE+ 2024 with Hail-Stow Hanger, a CMS specifically designed for Nextrackers NX Horizon Hail Pro. An NX Horizon Hail Pro with Hail-Stow Hanger from Affordable Wire Management. Nextracker’s Hail Pro-75, which can achieve a stow angle of 75° to improve the survivability of PV modules against potentially devastating hailstones. The AWM team analyzed more than twenty cable arrangements to ensure that the CMS would fit under the Hail Pro-75 when stowed. “As extreme weather events become more catastrophic and common, industry leaders are responding…

The largest heat pump in the Netherlands is now online at the Utrecht sewage treatment plant. It generates heat up to 75 C for the local network by using purified warm wastewater from a regional water board. September 11, 2024 Emiliano Bellini The Dutch energy supplier Eneco and the De Stichtse Rijnlanden Water Board (HDSR) have activated the largest heat pump in the Netherlands in the city of Utrecht.The heat pump is located on the site of the Utrecht sewage treatment plant and uses purified hot wastewater from HDSR to generate heat for the local network.“Every day, the heat pump…

Researchers used the chimpanzee optimization algorithm to optimize the hyperparameters of five machine learning models for predicting PV energy yield. This algorithm is based on the cooperative hunting behavior of chimpanzees in nature and mimics the way they work together to hunt prey. September 11, 2024 Lior KahanaA scientific group led by researchers from Germany’s Jordan University has analyzed the effect of the so-called chimp optimization algorithm (ChOA) on various Machine Learning (ML) models for predicting PV yield production.The ChOA is based on the cooperative hunting behavior of chimpanzees in nature, mimicking the way they work together to capture prey,…

The solar tracking provider introduced NX Anchor, further expanding the soil types and areas in which solar installers can develop. September 11, 2024 Ryan KennedyBy pv magazine USANextracker, a US-based provider of ground-mounted solar tracker technologies, has announced NX Foundation Solutions, a suite of products and services that expand the range of ground conditions on which Nextracker products can be installed. The announcement includes the release of the NX Anchor, a foundation system compatible with a wide range of soils. The product was developed following the acquisition of foundation company Ojjo in June and the foundation activities of Solar Pile…

A map of the proposed East Pye Solar Project. Image: Island Green Power. Island Green Power has unveiled plans for a large-scale solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) project planned for development in Norfolk, England. With a potential generation capacity of 500 MW, the East Pye Solar Project will be classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and will require a Development Consent Order (DCO) from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) before the development can take place. start. The planned project would be located at various locations near Long Stratton in South Norfolk and…