Author: solarenergy

The German government has allocated €4.6 billion for 23 green hydrogen projects, while BP has unveiled separate plans to develop a 100 MW green hydrogen plant in Germany. July 16, 2024 Sergio Matalucci German Vice Chancellor Robert HabeckImage: BMWK, Bundesfoto, CzyibikThe German government said it has made financing decisions for 23 hydrogen projects, following EU approval. These projects are part of the third Hy2Infra wave of the IPCEI Hydrogen program (Important Projects of Common European Interest), which the European Commission approved in February 2024. The funded projects cover the entire hydrogen value chain, including up to 1.4 GW of hydrogen…

Longi has announced plans to produce its new hybrid passivated back contact (HPBC) 2.0 solar cells at a 12.5 GW factory in Xixian New Area, Shaanxi province. July 16, 2024 Vincent Shaw Long said the HPBC 2.0 cell technology, which was launched in early 2024, is now ready for mass production. It said it plans to invest about CNY3.21 billion ($442 million) in a new project in Xixian New Area, Shaanxi province. The “Longi Green Energy Photovoltaic (Xixian New Area) Phase I” facility will have an annual HPBC 2.0 cell capacity of 12.5 GW. Production of the project is expected…

Gore Street has announced its annual results for the previous year. Image: Anesco Energy storage fund investment manager Gore Street has released its annual results, highlighting how internationalization has helped it cope with declining revenues in Britain. Gore Street Energy Storage Fund plc, which trades under the GSF ticker, owns battery energy storage systems (BESS) projects in the UK, Ireland, Germany and the US. As our sister site Energy storage.news As reported in May, the company saw a 5% increase in revenue in the year to March 31, 2024, largely due to diversification with its projects in Ireland and Texas…

Nature’s Generator has released a 50-amp, 12-circuit switch to manually power select circuits from backup systems. July 16, 2024 Anne FischerBy pv magazine USANature’s Generator has added a 50 amp 120/240V 12-circuit transfer switch to its line of power transfer switches.Designed to connect a home power supply to a home’s solar power supply and battery backup system, this 50-amp breaker gives homeowners the ability to power more circuits than lower amp models. The company reports that the 50-amp model can handle up to 12,000 W of power for 12 circuits.When these switches are connected to a home’s power supply and…

Elastocaloric materials have the potential to replace current air conditioning and heating systems and can provide significant energy savings when combined with technologies such as photovoltaics. July 16, 2024 Jochen SiemerBy pv magazine GermanyA team from Saarland University in Germany has secured funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder program to develop elastocaloric heating and cooling technology as an alternative to heat pumps and air conditioning systems.The €4 million ($4.36 million) EIC Pathfinder Challenge research project aims to develop a prototype for decentralized room air conditioning within three years. According to the research team, the technology is rated by…

Scientists in Sweden have integrated a PV device with a molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage system, which acts as an optical filter and coolant for solar cells. The proposed combination achieves a 0.2% higher PV efficiency and a solar storage efficiency of 2.3%. July 16, 2024 Emiliano BelliniA group of researchers led by Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden has fabricated a hybrid polycrystalline solar cell that a molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage system that converts the high-energy photons underutilized by the cell into chemical energy.In the proposed system configuration, the MOST unit acts as an optical filter…

A German research team is conducting practical tests to see how solar modules with integrated radio technology can be linked into a total network. The “communicative” panels should provide a simple and cost-effective solution for monitoring and controlling small-scale photovoltaic systems. July 16, 2024 Jochen SiemerBy pv magazine GermanyOn the roof of the Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH) in Hamelin, Germany, solar panels are connected after installation to form a mesh network of several sub-grids.The research institute is testing this solution for building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) applications, which often involve small, differently aligned or shaded sub-areas. Electronics close to or…

Time of use and usage type tariffs for heat pump customers have been launched to support technology adoption in a market where gas heating remains competitive on price. July 16, 2024 Matthew LynasBritain’s ‘big six’ energy retailers are keen on heat pump tariffs aimed at reducing running costs for the technology. Five companies with a combined share of more than 75% of the UK electricity market are now offering some kind of heat pump tariff.Usage time and type of use are used in an attempt to improve the economic case for running heat pumps. Households in the UK can access…

Aurora solar energy has come into possession of Lyra, a provider of instant subscription packages. Lyra’s permit packaging software helps solar industry professionals automate, create and export permit-ready design plans. The solar permitting process can be challenging for both homeowners and installers. Complex regulatory authorities (AHJs) and the solar industry’s heavy reliance on manual data entry contribute to significant delays – and ultimately costs – for solar installations. Lyra’s integration into the Aurora Solar platform will help alleviate these challenges by providing immediate, permit-ready proposals, backed by Aurora’s industry-leading accuracy. The integration will enable solar installers to deliver projects faster,…

Redox flow batteries can play an important role in our transition to net zero. Image: University of Manchester. A new paper from a University of Manchester researcher highlights the importance of long-term energy storage (LDES) technology in the transition to net zero. In an article published on the Policy@Manchester Professor Robert Dryfe highlighted the need for better battery energy storage systems (BESS) and drew attention to the university’s research into redox flow batteries (RFBs). Professor Dryfe states that “a transition to renewables must be accompanied by a technology transition to large-scale battery storage” alongside “a similar transition to the storage…