Manufacturing

A British-Egyptian research group has tested the use of hydrogels beads for PV module cooling. The micro-sized particles were saturated with aluminium oxide (Al2O3) water-based nanofluids and placed below the simulated PV panels. The experiment showed, according to the scientists, that the hydrogels beads were able to significantly reduce the temperature by between 17.9 and 16.3 degrees Celsius.

Not all rooftops can bear the weight of glass PV modules. Some others have curves and shapes ill-suited to uniform, bulky panels. Flexible modules have long been advanced as the solution here, however the keys to unlocking this potential have proven elusive.

With increasing numbers of decommissioned solar PV modules threatening a waste management nightmare, researchers at the University of South Australia are spearheading a national push to establish a stewardship scheme designed to manage the impacts of PV systems through their life cycle.

With battery energy storage systems playing an increasingly critical role in the nation’s renewable energy transition, fledgling lithium-ion battery manufacturer Energy Renaissance has welcomed a Federal Government initiative designed to boost processing of critical minerals needed for batteries, solar panels and wind turbines and build the country’s manufacturing capability.

Just as Australia thought it’s pioneering days were over, it has become the first country in the world to sell American giant General Electric’s new solar inverters.

Chris Bowen, who was appointed Labor’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy after a reshuffle in January, told pv magazine Australia he’s keen to make job creation his core focus, framing renewable investment as a Covid recovery solution rather than the end of Australia’s historic coal mining industry, which has dominated Federal narrative.

With rooftop solar installations numbers hitting record highs right across the nation, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has announced new technical standards for inverters will be introduced to help the electricity grid cope with the influx and provide system strength.

With rooftop solar surging, smart power electronics will be required to secure system strength and ensure that new limitations on rooftop PV don’t put a break on growth. Italy-based power electronics supplier FIMER believes its new range of string inverters are well equipped to do just that, as explains Fimer Australia and New Zealand’s Jason Venning and Warren Merritt.

The South Korean manufacturer has brought, to Europe and Australia, its recently launched shingled PERC panel, with an output ranging from 460 to 480 W and an efficiency of up to 20.5%. The products come with a 25-year linear power output guarantee and a 25-year product guarantee.

Smart metering services provider Intellihub has outlined a series of targeted reforms – including strengthening testing requirements – in its submission to the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) review into the sector’s regulatory framework, cautioning that unless changes are made Australia risks being left behind.