Reintroducing co-extruded backsheets in PV industry? Not a lost battle
Researchers in Austria have analyzed the crack propensity of backsheets made of polypropylene (PP) and have concluded these may be potentially used in solar module manufacturing, unlike co-extruded polyamide backsheets, which caused many headaches to the PV industry in the past. Furthermore, PP backsheets are claimed to have lower stiffness and higher flexibility than their laminated counterparts.
Austria hits 1 GW of annual solar installations
PV Austria says that 1,009 MW of PV systems were installed in Austria last year, enabling solar to meet approximately 6.6% of total electricity demand.
The Hydrogen Stream: NEOM signs green hydrogen deal in Saudi Arabia
NEOM Green Hydrogen Company has secured an exclusive 30-year off-take agreement with Air Products for what they claim will be the world’s largest green hydrogen plant, while Germany’s EEX has launched the world’s first market-based hydrogen index.
Austria accepts 100,000 applications in solar rebate scheme
Around 90,000 of the accepted applications in the latest round of Austria’s rebate scheme came from homeowners, and approximately 30,000 include the installation of battery storage.
Austria launches $16 million rebate scheme for residential storage
Austria’s new incentive program will support the deployment of residential batteries with storage capacities of 4 kWh to 50 kWh.
The Hydrogen Stream: Sunfire delivers 10 MW of alkaline electrolyzers to RWE
RWE has revealed that it has received alkaline electrolyzers from Sunfire for a pilot project in Germany, while the European authorities have reached a deal on the continent’s renewable energy directive.
Austrian manufacturer unveils propane heat pump for residential applications
iDM has developed a modular air-source heat pump that uses propane (R290) as the refrigerant. It can produce between 2 kW and 24 kW of heat and domestic hot water up to a temperature of 70 C. A larger version can produce between 10 kW and 50 kW of heat.
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 plug-and-play mobile PV system
The “Solar Box” mobile power plant is a container consisting of solar modules, a battery storage system, and a hydrogen storage system. According to Austria’s Alternative Energy Projects (AEP), the system starts at 94 kW and can be scaled up to more than 5 MW.
In search of the perfect polymer for PV backsheets, encapsulants
Scientists in Austria have examined the impact of different backsheet and encapsulant material combinations on module performance and degradation. This led them to develop a model to quantify the degradation rates of different materials, potentially helping manufacturers to identify better, longer-lasting materials for these vital module components.
