Italy

FlyingBasket has developed a drone that can carry up to 100 kg of payload over distances of 2.5 km, and up to 5 kg across 25 km.

Italian module manufacturer FuturaSun has big expansion plans in China, with the first phase of a 15 GW silicon cell fab due online in Huai’an in the first quarter of 2024, in addition to 1 GW of module production in Taizhou. Erik Eikelboom, technical adviser to FuturaSun, offers a closer look at the project.

The Italy-based solar module manufacturer said it is progressing with its previously announced transition from module manufacturer to a vertically integrated manufacturer with 12 GW of cell capacity. It also said the project to build a module factory in Italy is going through a “complicated process.”

Fly Solartech Solutions Srl’s new 60-cell modules have a power conversion efficiency of 17.87% and a temperature coefficient of -0.27% per degree Celsius. The company offers the panels with 300 W, CEI-021-certified microinverters featuring 96.5% peak efficiency.

Thresholding methods have commonly been used to characterize the soiling accumulated on glass coupons. Researchers led by the Sapienza University of Rome have identified 16 automatic thresholding methods that may be used for analyzing soiling on PV panels.

Researchers in Italy have proposed the use of radiative coolers made of cementitious materials to reduce the operating temperature of solar panels. They incorporated Auger (AUG) and Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) nonradiative recombination into their modeling and described the practical realization of the coolers as “attractive.”

A 28-kilometer underground power cable owned by Italian grid operator Terna started work on Friday, the company announced. The interconnector connects substations in Glorenza northern Italy and Nauders eastern Austria.

Europe is witnessing a surge in power purchase agreements (PPAs). Over the past four years, the number of European PPA transactions has trebled. More than 180 deals were signed in 2022 alone and the trend is expected to continue, especially for solar projects.

The Italia Solare Forum this week in Rome highlighted the renewed importance of the large-scale solar segment in Italy and underscored the huge potential of energy communities, given the EU’s recent approval of a dedicated incentive scheme.

Scientists have assessed the performance of Italy’s first publicly funded BIPV project, which was installed in 2001. Their analysis shows that only one of the 10%-efficient panels in the 11 kW array experienced a severe fault that caused the complete loss of functionality.