Swiss solar tiles for new and historic buildings – in photos
The product costs around $28 to $30 per square-foot although prices will vary depending on project complexity. Swiss manufacturer Freesuns says its tiles can be used on historic buildings and can cover 100% of rooftops.
Cooling down PV panels with water
France’s Sunbooster has developed a technology to cool down solar modules when the ambient temperature exceeds 25 C. The solution features a set of pipes that spread a thin film of water onto the glass surface of the panels in rooftop PV systems and ground-mounted plants. The cooling systems collect the water from rainwater tanks and then recycle, filter and store it again. The company claims the technology can facilitate an annual increase in power generation of between 8% and 12%.
Electrolyzer overview: Lowering the cost of hydrogen and distributing its production
Electrolyzer manufacturers are in agreement on the goal of rapidly reducing investment costs, mainly through economies of scale. Some are embracing large units, while others are betting on quantity over size. The first approach is attractive for operators of large PV plants, while the latter is better suited to operators of small systems.
Morning Brief: China labor is returning, expected to be at 70% in March and over 90% in April
Also in the brief: The coronavirus response reduced electricity demand in every country across Europe last week
Morning Brief: Power plants part of nation’s critical infrastructure, staff to remain onsite for weeks, months
Also in the brief: The business of putting solar panels on homes is being severely damaged, CIP to purchase stake in 440 MW solar PV project in Texas
Job moves at DOE, Enel, Trina, FERC, Engie, Sunpower, PG&E
Executive and boardroom moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy finance.
Analyst expects recovery for PV and storage supply chains
Analyst Wood Mackenzie expects solar demand to decline but predicts the market will recover, with the prospects for the energy transition remaining intact.
Avalon and redT unite in $70 million merger of vanadium redox flow battery startups
Two vanadium redox startups join to take on the $0 billion flow-battery market.
Morning Brief: Reporting from Shanghai on implications of the outbreak on the solar supply chain
Also in the brief: Enphase ships storage; homeless encampments using secondhand solar; big batteries.
Lessons to be learned from Italy’s alleged PV recycling fraud
The alleged resale in developing countries of solar modules sent for end-of-life recycling in Sicily could have an important lesson for the PV industry: select reliable recycling entities to avoid potential trouble further down the line. The PV industry should also avoid another potential risk, that of the illegal disposal of PV waste outside the EU.
