CEA identifies major safety concerns in 97% of audited rooftop PV systems
Clean Energy Associates (CEA) has performed a safety audit on more than 600 rooftop PV systems and has found that 97% of installations have major safety concerns. It says that 49% of sites have grounding issues, 47% have damaged modules, and 41% have cross-mated connectors.
New interactive map of PV projects in Portugal
Observatório Fotovoltaico is mapping PV projects across Portugal, with information on installation size, year of commissioning, exploration type, and developer. The free tool already includes around 1,000 projects, corresponding to 60% of the country’s total installed capacity.
Portugal’s January-April PV installations hit 118 MW
Despite a slow start to the year, BloombergNEF expects Portugal to install another 1,363 MW of solar by the end of 2023. The likelihood of that scenario seems to come down to how quickly projects from the record-breaking 2019-20 solar auctions go online, if they do so at all.
K2 releases mounting structure for green roofs
K2, a mounting system supplier, showcased a range of new solutions at Intersolar Europe, including a new mounting structure for green rooftops. It allows for portrait and landscape module elevation at 10 degrees and 15 degrees, with maximum module sizes of 2,400 mm x 1,350 mm.
Fraunhofer ISE develops propane heat pump using only 146 g of refrigerant
Researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE have developed an optimized heat pump propane refrigeration circuit for single-family homes.
IEA-PVPS releases global benchmark for solar irradiance data
IEA-PVPS has published a report to help the solar industry to choose appropriate surface radiation models and data providers based on location and application requirements.
Sunova Solar releases 605 W TOPCon solar panel with 22.9% efficiency
Sunova Solar is offering five versions of its new bifacial dual glass solar panels, with power outputs ranging from 585 W to 605 W and efficiencies of 22.1% to 22.9%. They feature 144 n-type monocrystalline TOPCon solar cells.
Bslbatt unveils 100-mm batteries for rooftop solar
China’s Bslbatt says its new batteries have 10.24 kWh of storage capacity and a nominal voltage of 51.2 V. It measures 700 mm x 980 mm and is 100 mm thick.
SMA unveils hybrid inverters for residential applications
SMA’s new one-phase hybrid inverters have efficiency ratings of up to 97.5% and European efficiency ratings of 96.8%. They are available in four versions, with power outputs ranging from 3.6 kW to 6 kW.
SolarEdge unveils bidirectional EV charger
SolarEdge’s new bidirectional DC-coupled electric-vehicle (EV) charger enables vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid applications and can seamlessly integrate with its home energy systems. It is scheduled for release in the second half of 2024.
