Temperature estimates for floating PV modules
Scientists from the United States and Brazil have developed four different ways to estimate the temperature of floating PV modules. They validated the models with temperature measurements from a floating solar plant in Brazil.
Enel starts building 170 MW of agrivoltaics in Italy
Enel Green Power says it has started working on the largest agrivoltaics plant in Italy. It will feature bifacial PV modules mounted on trackers. Olive trees will grow around the solar panel rows.
New propane heat pump for district heating
Swedish manufacturer Qvantum has developed a 6 kW heat pump for apartments connected to district heating systems. It uses propane (R290) as the refrigerant.
Novel oxygen-ion battery may offer longer lifespan, claims TU Wien
Austrian scientists have created a lab-scale, solid-state, oxygen ion battery based on mixed ionic electronic conducting (MIEC), which is a special class of non-flammable electroceramic materials. The battery has around 30% of the energy density of lithium-ion batteries but can purportedly achieve a longer lifespan.
New tool to estimate efficiency, savings of ground-source heat pumps
Researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a free, web-based application that calculates the savings and energy efficiency of residential ground-source heat pumps compared to gas heating.
Cape Verde kicks off tender for 3.4 MW of solar
The government of Cape Verde is seeking developers to build four solar plants across four islands in the archipelagic nation.
New global solar capacity additions hit 191 GW in 2022, says IRENA
Global renewable capacity increased by 295 GW last year, bringing the world to a cumulative installed capacity of 3,372 GW, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Solar-powered cooling solution for off-grid applications
Phaesun and Solar Cooling Engineering have developed a PV-powered cold room for small-scale farmers in Africa. The solution, which has been installed at a farm in Kenya, includes a 2.8 kW solar array and vapor compression heat pumps.
Only5min! – Prospects for balcony solar
Karolina Attspodina, the CEO of Germany-based We do Solar, speaks with pv magazine about the tech behind the startup’s balcony solar kits. She discusses potential savings, shading impacts, and concerns about electrocution and fire risks with plug-in solar modules.
Residential heat pump subsidies across Europe
The European Heat Pump Association has compiled an up-to-date overview of subsidies for residential heat pumps in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Switzerland.
