First Solar says it is evaluating potential infringement of its patents for its tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) tech, secured through the acquisition of TetraSun in 2013. The US thin-film solar module manufacturer has not named the companies involved or given a timeline for the investigation.

Researchers in Italy have designed a water-source heat pump system intended for generating cooling, heating and domestic hot water in social housing stock built during the 1970s–1990s. The novel concept integrates photovoltaic-thermal energy with thermal storage and promises a seasonal coefficient of performance of 5.

A research group including scientists from Chinese module maker Longi has developed an undoped monocrystalline heterojunction cell that uses the promising MXene compound for the hole transport layer. The experimental device achieved an efficiency of 12.2% and was able to retain around 86% of its initial efficiency after 105-day exposure in ambient environment. 

The Thermafit Air-Source Modular Multipipe heat pump uses R-454B as the refrigerant and has a size of 30 tons. The manufacturer said the system act as a chiller to cool the building, as a heat pump to heat the building, or as a heat recovery unit to deliver simultaneous heating and cooling.

Weiheng Ecactus has unveiled its new Myrtillo battery system, with 4.99-29.9 kWh of capacity, giving users the flexibility to connect up to five units in parallel.

Singfilm Solar said the result was certified by China’s National PV Industry Measurement and Testing Center (NPVM).

Scientists in Sweden have integrated a PV device with a molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage system, which acts as as a solar cell optical filter and cooling agent. The proposed combination achieves a 0.2% higher PV efficiency and solar storage efficiency of 2.3%.

Vietnam plans to introduce a net-metering scheme for rooftop PV. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has proposed a tariff of VND 671 ($0.026)/kWh for surplus solar power.

A JinkoSolar-led consortium has announced plans to construct a 10 GW solar cell and module factory in Saudi Arabia with PIF and Vision Industries Company.

New research from Switzerland showed that alpine floating PV systems can outperform lowland or ground-mounted counterparts in terms of energy yield and sustainability. The scientists found that the main material-reduction potential of such floating PV installations lies in the resource-intensive mounting system.