Author: solarenergy

Scientists in China have proposed using polydimethylsiloxane films doped with soda glass to reduce the temperature of solar panels. The coating achieved a solar transmittance of 94.8% and a skylight emissivity of 95.3%. August 8, 2024 Lior KahanaA group of researchers from China’s Shandong University and Xi’an Jiaotong University have developed a radiant cooling (RC) cover for PV panels that can reportedly reduce their operating temperature by up to 3.72%.Radiative cooling occurs when an object’s surface absorbs less radiation from the atmosphere and emits more. This causes the surface to lose heat and a cooling effect can be achieved without…

John Bates Radial force has acquired four community solar projects in upstate New York, totaling 22.3 MW, from Galehead Development. Following the closing of each transaction, Radial Power will oversee the final development and construction of the projects, all of which are eligible for the state’s Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER) program. Galehead developed the projects in collaboration with members of the local community and National Grid. It owns and will continue to manage land assets for 14 MW of the portfolio under its Century LandCo. “Radial Power is proud to advance the energy…

Scientists in Morocco have designed a photovoltaic-thermal panel that uses a channel-box heat exchanger consisting of 94 channels connected directly to the PV module. The simulated design reportedly results in an overall panel efficiency of more than 90% and good results in terms of temperature inhomogeneity. August 8, 2024 Emiliano BelliniA group of scientists led by Chouaïb Doukkali University in Morocco has designed a photovoltaic-thermal solar panel based on a duct box heat exchanger, aimed at improving convective exchange.They explained that the proposed design offers the advantage of having the entire panel surface in direct contact with the fluid, while…

Community energy projects – that is, energy infrastructure owned in whole or in part by local communities and run for their benefit – have seen something of a rise in Britain in recent years. According to Community Energy England, the group that represents the sector, there are currently 583 community energy organizations operating in Britain, managing a combined renewable energy capacity of 398 MW. Last year, these groups generated 617 GWh of electricity, enough to power approximately 228,530 households. In short, community energy functions as follows: members of a community invest in renewable energy generation projects and receive interest on…

Researchers have designed a new tracking system that uses a computational optimization-based PID controller. The proposed tracker uses two different sensor types: a UV sensor and a microelectromechanical solar sensor (MEMS). The first calculates the intensity of UV radiation received from the sun, and the second predicts the sun’s path across the sky. August 7, 2024 Lior Kahana A dual-axis solar trackerImage: Adsala, wikimedia commons, https://bit.ly/3LFTVox An Indian-Chinese research team has developed a new dual-axis solar tracking system based on sensors and a controller module.”In this work, an attempt was made to design and implement a single dual-axis tracking motor…

The US residential solar installer has filed for bankruptcy, one of the largest in a series of major bankruptcies in the sector. August 7, 2024 Ryan Kennedy and Pilar Sánchez MolinaBy pv magazine USAU.S. residential solar energy company SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWR) has filed for bankruptcy. Nevertheless, the situation does not affect the Solar panels from the SunPower brand, designed, produced and sold by Maxeon Solar Technologies in Europe and elsewhere outside the US and Canada. “Other than a product brand name, there is no existing relationship between them Maxeon and SunPower Corporation,” a spokesperson for Maxeon Solar said pv…

Array technologiesa provider of utility-scale solar trackers, has launched SkyLinka wireless solar tracker system that builds on the capabilities of the company’s DuraTrack and OmniTrack tracker lines. Array Technologies has launched SkyLink, a wireless solar control system for its line of solar trackers. Array DuraTrack and OmniTrack with SkyLink support come with new features including an eight-coupled row architecture with passive wind mitigation, brushless DC motors with PV strings, Zigbee wireless communications and a range of SmarTrack features. “Array is committed to continuously improving our products to support customers by reducing costs and installation times and meeting the growing challenges…

Scientists in Poland have tried for the first time to improve the yield of PV cells with a new type of concentrator based on dyes. The device uses tinted and luminous acrylic glass known as polymethyl methacrylate, which reportedly increases power generation by 1.21%. August 7, 2024 Emiliano BelliniResearchers from the Silesian University of Technology in Poland have investigated the improved performance of photovoltaic modules using dye concentrators, finding that their use could result in an efficiency increase ranging from 0.05% to 1.42%.The scientists explained that the dyes used for their concentrators have different requirements than those used in dye-sensitized…

Industrial activities of Amphenola specialist in the field of interconnect systems, introduced his RadCrimp for 8~6 American Wire Gage (AWG), as the latest installment in its series of solar split connectors. The new product, developed in collaboration with Melni Technologiesis designed to improve the reliability of field crimping while reducing errors directly related to improper crimping of cables. RadCrimp from Amphenol. “Properly crimping solar connectors can require a lot of precision work and can lead to costly and dangerous failures if installed even slightly incorrectly,” said Mark Cunningham, GM of Amphenol. “The RadCrimp eliminates the concerns and potential hazards associated…

Scientists in India have proposed using thermoelectric cooling to improve the performance of PV modules. Through a field experiment, they discovered that thermoelectric coolers in combination with water can reduce the temperature of solar panels by up to 38 degrees Celsius. August 7, 2024 Lior KahanaResearchers from India’s Shoolini University conducted a field experiment to analyze the effect of thermoelectric coolers (TECs) and water cooling on the temperature of PV modules.“Thermoelectric devices are solid-state devices that work according to the principle of the Seebeck effect for power generation and according to the Peltier effect for cooling,” the researchers explain. “Devices…