FHE Group presents thermal battery for solar power storage
The French company says its Inelio thermal battery can store solar power in the form of heat for heating and cooling applications, as well as for producing domestic hot water, while maximizing self-consumption. It can reportedly provide a hot water temperature of up to 65 C.
Spain’s Acciona Energía to develop agrivoltaics over canal
The agrivoltaic project, with a production capacity of up to 5,011 MW, will cover 2 km of the Orellana Canal in Cáceres, western Spain.
France deployed 3.5 GW of new solar in January-September period
France added an additional 3.5 GW of solar during the first three quarters of this year, compared to 2.3 GW during the same period of 2023. The country’s total installed solar capacity now stands at 23.7 GW, including 22.9 GW in mainland France.
Researchers complete Europe’s first PV soiling loss assessment
A European research group has adapted a soiling model for use across the continent, analyzing scenarios with complete and partial rain cleaning to calculate energy losses and increases in the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), marking Europe’s first techno-economic PV soiling assessment.
Five-year testing show PV façades perform better than expected
Researchers in the Netherlands have analyzed the performance of PV façades during the period 2018-2023 and have found that these system may generate more economic value than conventional rooftop PV systems. Their analysis was based on financial, technical and environmental metrics
Solar uptake driving Ireland’s retrofitting scheme progress, says SEAI
The Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland’s (SEAI) statistics from the first nine months of 2024 show new applications for the Solar PV retrofit scheme are steadily increasing following a slump. However, this flurry of application activity may be influenced by an impending grant reduction effective from Jan. 1, 2025.
Combining floating PV with compressed air energy storage
Researchers from Egypt and the UK developed a new floating PV system concept that utilizes compressed air for energy storage. The system has a roundtrip efficiency of 34.1% and an exergy efficiency of 41%.
Volta Energy unveils new solar generator for construction sites, pumps
Netherlands-based Volta Energy has launched a 15 kVA portable solar generator to provide offgrid power equipment for use on construction sites. The system includes solar panels, an inverter, battery, trailer, and a backup bio-diesel generator.
Why battery energy storage is essential for Germany’s solar targets
While Germany’s battery energy storage sector is booming, developers should be aware of the various hurdles to overcome and could learn lessons from the United Kingdom battery market.
The Hydrogen Stream: Optimal PV-to-electrolyzer ratio in Italy is 1.8-2.1
Italian researchers say hydrogen storage offers more supply-side flexibility than battery storage, while a German consortium has developed a global hydrogen potential atlas for sustainable production and trade.
