Czechia

A number of hydrogen projects are moving forward in the United States, Germany and Denmark. In other developments, the German state of Saxony is teaming up with other partners, including the Czech Republic, to set up a hydrogen network in Eastern Europe.

Czechia registered strong PV capacity growth in 2023, driven by a surge in residential installations. The nation’s PV association says it expects a shift toward larger power plants in the coming year, but notes the need for more energy storage capacity.

Scientists in Czechia have proposed to use parallel inverters in PV systems to not only reduce instability, but also to increase power yield. The proposed approach reportedly results in higher maximum power point tracking (MPPT) performance.

As Czechia reaches its solar potential, with impending changes to the country’s legislative landscape ushering in greater utility-scale solar array rollouts, over 5,000 attendees – government ministers, industry experts, and key business stakeholders – descended on Prague this week for the 2023 Smart Energy Forum.

Researchers in Switzerland have looked into three kinds of black ink coating for metallic ribbons used in PV modules. They have compared their visual stability and their effect on electrical performance.

A French-Spanish research team developed organic photovoltaic modules embedded into plastic parts through high throughput injection molding. The researchers injected thermoplastic polyurethane in the modules and found it enhances their mechanical stability while keeping a high flexibility.

Data monitoring from 85 PV power plants built in Czechia between 2009 and 2010 show delamination plays a crucial role in significantly reducing their expected lifetime. The scientists behind the research explained that the main cause for the reduced lifetime was due not only to a poor estimation of the technical possibilities of the PV panels at the time of planning and installation, but also to a profit-led approach aimed at lowering the costs of the projects.

As the solar wave sweeps across Europe, creaking grids are emphasizing the continent’s overriding need for energy storage.

The lack of a transparent grid capacity system in Czechia is eroding the solar self-consumption business model, and in some parts of the country, grid bottlenecks are delaying grid connections.

The Czech Republic is pouring an additional CZK 55 billion ($2.5 billion) into its New Green Savings program, which includes rooftop PV rebates, among other energy-saving measures in the residential sector.