Analyst predicts Australia’s utility and rooftop segments will flip trends in 2023
Solar and storage analyst Sunwiz is predicting an inversion of many of the trends that dominated the industry in 2022. While rooftop solar has bounced back after a disappointing year, Sunwiz founder Warwick Johnston tells pv magazine Australia, the utility segment’s position looks dire.
AC vs. DC in residential buildings equipped with solar-plus-storage
Scientists in Sweden have compared AC and DC topologies in PV-powered buildings using battery storage. They have found that DC distribution systems can achieve energy savings when they are combined with solar-plus-storage systems.
Overcoming thermal issues of vanadium redox flow batteries
Chinese scientists have analysed reports of thermal issues with vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) and existing thermal management methods. They say the operating temperature should be maintained in the range of 10 C to 40 C to ensure VRFBs with high efficiency, weak side reactions, high electrolyte stability, and low crossover.
Incentives for off-peak charging of electric vehicles could ease stress on the Australian grid
New data from Cornwall Insight Australia’s EV uptake model shows that under an extreme scenario, 22 million electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to be part of the National Electricity Market (NEM) states’ fleet by 2052.
Enphase demonstrates bidirectional EV charger
Enphase’s new bidirectional EV charger enables vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid applications, and can be integrated with its home energy systems.
Honda reveals plans to halve fuel cell costs by 2030
Honda has revealed a new hydrogen strategy, while Air Liquide and TotalEnergies have announced a new hydrogen joint venture.
Weekend read: Rethinking soiling
The two dominant methods used in the industry to estimate soiling levels on solar projects go some way in mitigating losses, but there is plenty of scope for more accurate observation, as NRG Systems’ Alexandra Arntsen reports.
DNV acquires Australian solar data specialist Solcast
Australian-headquartered solar data specialist Solcast has been acquired by Norwegian energy assurance and risk management company DNV as it seeks to strengthen its solar forecasting services to help maximise the value of PV power plants globally.
Solar may cover the world’s electricity demand with 0.3% of its land area
An international research group claims that raw materials and land availability do not present a real barrier for a global energy system with solar at its centre. They said that forecasts for PV growth should not have their axis on utility-scale power plants and instead consider vertical PV, agrivoltaics, and floating PV as the source of future big market volumes.
World’s largest hydrogen airplane makes first flight
The hydrogen stream: ZeroAvia tested its new 19-seat hydrogen-powered aircraft, Chinese scientists unveiled new tech to promote bubble removal in electrolysers, and Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology researchers claimed that the most efficient hydrogen production systems are based on waste heat.
