Emiliano Bellini
Underground heat exchanger to cool down solar panels
Spanish scientists have built a cooling system featuring heat exchangers on solar panels and U-shape heat exchangers installed in a borehole at a depth of 15 meters. The researchers claim that this reduces panel temperatures by up to 17%, while improving performance by about 11%.
New tool to simulate climate at utility-scale PV project sites
Scientists in China have designed a new methodology to simulate the near-surface climate of utility-scale PV plants. Their findings suggest that the new tool could be used to design more climate-friendly solar parks.
Australian manufacturer achieves 32% efficiency for inorganic perovskite solar cell
Australian manufacturer GreatCell has built a cell with roll-to-roll coating technology. It designed it without a hole transport layer (HTL) and used carbon composite back contacts, which offer excellent electrical conductivity.
JinkoSolar achieves 26.1% efficiency for n-type TOPCon solar cell
JinkoSolar has set another world record for n-type solar cell efficiencies with its TOPCon technology, this time reaching 26.1%. The new record was confirmed by China’s National Institute of Metrology.
Philippines introduces priority dispatch for renewables, opens market to 100% foreign investments
The government of the Philippines has introduced a new preferential dispatch policy for renewable energy in the country’s wholesale electricity spot market. It has also started to amend the Renewable Energy Act to remove a 40% ownership cap on foreign investments in clean energy projects.
World’s largest compressed air energy storage project goes online in China
The Chinese Academy of Sciences has switched on a 100 MW compressed air energy storage system in China’s Hebei province. The facility can store more than 132 million kWh of electricity per year.
Enel unveils 680 W n-type heterojunction solar panel for utility-scale applications
Enel Green Power’s new solar panel has average efficiencies ranging from 22.6% to 22.9% and a temperature coefficient of -0.24% per degree Celsius. It is based on an n-type solar cell with G12 format and a power conversion efficiency of 24.6%.
Vehicle-integrated solar kit may reduce frequency of recharging by 14%
Developed by the French research institute Liten, the prototype kit consists of a 145 W PV panel, a magnetic rear panel, and an MPPT charge controller. It also includes a battery and a micro-inverter that can be used to inject the stored energy into the grid when the vehicle is recharged.
Taiwan’s largest battery comes online
United Renewable Energy has energised a 15 MW/15 MWh battery energy storage system connected to a 150 MW solar park located near the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan.
Sunpower launches two new batteries for residential applications
The two batteries have a storage capacity of 13 and 19.5 kWh, respectively. Both lithium-ion systems use LiFePO4 as the cathode material and have a round-trip efficiency of over 86%.
