Author: solarenergy
KfW Development Bank has offered a €24 billion ($25.2 billion) grant to bridge the gap between network operators’ high investment costs and initially low network fee revenues. November 27, 2024 Ralph Diermann By pv magazine Germany KfW Development Bank has committed €24 billion to bridge the gap between high investment costs and low initial revenues for network operators in Germany. The German national hydrogen strategy includes a 9,000 km hydrogen network by 2032, approved by the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur). Initially, network tariffs will ensure affordability for users, but operators face significant investment costs. KfW’s loan will fund an amortization…
The British Standards Institution (BSI) has been an integral part of the UK’s solar energy journey by providing technical standards for a wide range of products and services and also provides certification and standards-related services to businesses. Specifically, the BSI Standards Committees GEL/82 for Photovoltaic Energy Systems are responsible for standardizing photovoltaic systems for converting solar energy into electrical energy and for all elements in the entire system. GEL/82 represents the British input into European (EN) and international (IEC) standards. The committee is chaired by KT Tan, chief technology officer at Viridian Solar. Solar energy portal spoke to Tan to…
Decarbonizing heavy industry with thermal batteries Whether you manufacture cement, steel, chemicals or paper, you need a large amount of heat. Almost without exception, manufacturers around the world create that heat by burning fossil fuels. In an effort to clean up the industrial sector, some startups are changing production processes for specific materials. Some even change the materials themselves. Daniel Stack SM ’17, PhD ’21 aims to address industrial emissions across the board by replacing the heat source. Since joining MIT in 2014, Stack has worked to develop thermal batteries that use electricity to heat a conductive version of ceramic…
This type of solar cell technology had so far achieved an efficiency of up to 9%. The new result was made possible by an in situ passivation strategy after deposition to reduce surface defects in the device, its creators said. November 27, 2024 Emiliano Bellini Silver bismut sulfide (AgBiS2) Nanocrystals (NCs) are a material common in the Earth that has been used in recent years as a promising PV material, often in combination with cadmium sulfide in the development of various types of ultra-thin solar cells. Solar cells built with these nanocrystals have so far achieved efficiencies of up to…
New research from Italy shows the importance of considering the dispatchability of power plants when planning PV projects. The scientists argue that assessing a project’s levelized energy costs can be misleading, especially with variable and sometimes negative electricity prices. November 27, 2024 Emiliano Bellini A research group led by the Polytechnic University of Milan in Italy has developed a mathematical model to optimize the design of PV installations based on optimized dispatching strategies, taking into account real grid demand and prices. “We started with the evolution of the electric curve, also called the duck curve, and then arrived at the…
The US-based company said the new 12V lithium iron phosphate product comes with a 10-year warranty and has a life cycle of more than 5,000 cycles. November 27, 2024 Emiliano Bellini American Dragonfly Energy this week launched a new 12 V lithium battery for applications in PV systems and off-grid environments. “The new Battle Born smart batteries feature Dragonfly IntelLigence, the company’s patent-pending technology that provides comprehensive battery communication and monitoring capabilities,” the company said in a statement. “This innovation allows users to monitor the performance of individual batteries and entire battery banks in real time. Through the Battle Born…
E3/DC says a residential battery integrated with an LG Energy Solution module recently caught fire in Werne, Germany, prompting the company to replace battery modules in 77 homes as a precaution. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. November 27, 2024 Sandra Enkhardt Image: Freiwillige Feuerwehr Werne By pv magazine Germany Last week, a fire broke out in the basement of a home in Werne, North Rhine-Westphalia, involving an E3/DC residential battery with an LG Energy Solution module. The local volunteer fire department, responding to a suspected fire, found the smoke-filled house empty. The team said they struggled…
The proposed site plan of the project. Image: Tree Power. British solar developer Boom Power has announced the closure of the research period for its 400MW East Yorkshire Solar Farm. A decision on a development consent order (DCO) will be made by the end of May 2025, assuming there are no issues. Due to its size, the solar power plant is classified as a Nationally Important Infrastructure Project (NSIP). Boom Power first shared project proposals at community engagement events in October 2022. If approved, the solar power plant would be connected to the National Grid at the Drax substation in…
Korean scientists have designed a liquid air energy storage (LAES) technology that reportedly overcomes the main limitation of LAES systems: their relatively low round trip efficiency. The new system improves efficiency by increasing power through thermal energy generation using natural gas as an external fuel during energy release. November 26, 2024 Emiliano Bellini Researchers at Dongguk University in South Korea have designed a standalone liquid air energy storage system (LAES) that reportedly shows significant improvements in both energy efficiency and economic performance compared to conventional LAES. “LAES systems have attracted significant interest in the energy storage sector due to their…
Aritra Ghosh, academic from the University of Exeter, explains pv magazine A multidisciplinary approach is needed to unlock the full potential of agricultural voltaics. Discussing a new paper comparing static and tracker agrivoltaic systems in the UK, the researcher argues that a better understanding of microclimates among modules and how PV affects crop biochemistry is needed. November 26, 2024 Matthew Lynas According to British researcher Aritra Ghosh, a better understanding of the microclimate and the effects of above-ground PV on crop biology is needed to improve the land use efficiency of agricultural voltaic installations. Speak with pv magazine on the…