CEA-INES, Enel achieve 26.5% efficiency for tandem perovskite-silicon solar cell
CEA-INES researchers and Enel have developed a new solar cell with an active area of 9 cm² and an open-circuit voltage above 1,880 mV. Their results improve on the 25.8% efficiency they achieved for the same kind of cell in December 2022.
New propane heat pump for space, water heating
Italy-based Rhoss has developed a cascaded air-source heat pump that uses propane (R290) as the refrigerant. It can produce between 47.4 kW and 190.5 kW of heat and domestic hot water to a temperature of up to 75 C.
Italy deployed 1,121 MW/2,032 MWh of distributed storage capacity in 2022
Italy hit 959 MW/1,826 MWh of distributed storage capacity at the end of 2022. The segment continues to grow in the country, led by the regions of Lombardy and Veneto.
FuturaSun announces new 2 GW solar module factory in Italy
FuturaSun, an Italian solar panel manufacturer, has acquired land for its new 2 GW solar module plant in an industrial area near Padua, Italy.
Study shows symbiotic effect of heat pumps and residential solar
SolarPower Europe says in a new report that households in Germany, Spain, and Italy can more than triple their savings by pairing PV with heat pumps. It said this combination helped families to save between 62% and 84% on their annual energy bills in 2022.
FuturaSun unveils n-type heterojunction solar modules
Italy’s FuturaSun has developed new bifacial double-glass PV modules based on n-type heterojunction (HJT) half-cut multi-busbar solar cells. The Velvet Pro line features M6 cells with power ratings ranging from 380 W to 480 W for rooftop applications. The Velvet Premium line features M12 cells, with power ratings from 615 W to 700 W for large-scale applications.
Italy hits 25 GW milestone
Italy deployed 2.48 GW of new PV systems in 2022, with the residential solar segment accounting for almost 50% of the total installed capacity.
Solar-thermal heat pump configurations for buildings
Italian researchers have reviewed different system configurations for photovoltaic-thermal solar-assisted heat pumps in buildings. They say that using the PV-thermal collector as the heat pump’s evaporator results in the highest heat recovery, but a dual-source system with a separate heat exchanger is the most promising solution to cover all thermal needs.
Enel announces potential partner for 3 GW solar module factory in Italy
Enel CEO Francesco Starace says the company is talking to an unspecified international investor about the sale of a 50% stake in its new 3 GW heterojunction solar module factory in Catania, which is scheduled to start operations in September.
Italy allocates 94.2 MW of solar in latest renewables auction
Italy’s energy agency has awarded 94.2 MW of solar capacity at 15 locations and 22 MW of wind in its latest auction.
