Lightweight solar panel provides solution for rooftop install
Queensland installer UV Solar has for the first time rolled out a new frameless solar panel that manufacturer GoodWe says is 60% lighter than conventional modules, making it ideal for rooftops that are unable to support traditional PV and racking.
Vertical bifacial solar seeking greenhouse albedo and deployment space
A farmer in the United States has installed vertical bifacial solar, leveraging greenhouse albedo to increase output. The installation demonstrates promising generation during winter months, while maximising limited land space.
TOPCon PV modules outperform PERC by more than 5% in energy yield tests
A study by TÜV Nord in Malaysia shows that the latest generation of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules surpass their older rivals on energy yield. The researchers compared n-type TOPCon modules with older p-type PERC modules, both manufactured by JinkoSolar over a three-month period earlier this year. The newer product showed an energy yield 5.69% higher than its PERC counterpart.
Top solar panel brands in performance, reliability, and quality
Solar modules are evaluated in the Renewable Energy Test Center annual PV Module Index.
To achieve net zero energy status, solar-powered buildings should not exceed 10 floors
Researchers in Canada have found that nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEBs) with on-site solar energy generation should not exceed an energy use intensity (EUI) of 50 kWh/m2a, which they said corresponds to a maximum of 10 floors. They also ascertained that the maximum permitted EUI by net-zero energy status is 17–28 kWh/m2a.
Offshore floating PV demonstrator to go online in North Sea
The SeaVolt consortium says it will launch an offshore floating PV demonstrator off the Belgian port of Ostend. The main companies – Tractebel, DEME, Equans and Jan De Nul – say the anchored floating array will collect data for at least a year to scale up the tech.
New grid-forming inverter concept based on bee colony algorithm
Scientists in China have proposed to use an algorithm that simulates the behaviour of foraging bees to shape a new grid-forming inverter design. The approach is designed for both grid-connected and islanded inverters.
Australia invests $50 million to expand clean energy supply chains
The Australian government has committed $50 million to support the development and diversification of clean energy supply chains in the Indo-Pacific as it seeks to increase manufacturing opportunities and enhance energy security in the region.
European warehouses store 40 GW of unsold solar panels
Rystad Energy says that about €7 billion ($7.8 billion) of solar panels are now being stored in Europe, but European developers continued to buy solar modules from China throughout the first half of this year.
GoodWe unveils new inverters for C&I applications
China-based GoodWe has developed two new solutions – the ETC 100 kW hybrid inverter and the BTC 100 kW retrofit battery inverter – for commercial and industrial solar applications.
