In case you missed it: Five big solar stories in the news this week
pv magazine USA spotlights news of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.
In case you missed it: Five big solar stories in the news this week
pv magazine USA spotlights news of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.
As more buildings use heat pumps, four technologies can provide grid support
Wider use of electric heat pumps to heat buildings creates a larger market for renewable energy, but also presents challenges, which can be met through building insulation and weatherization, cold climate heat pumps, thermal energy storage systems, and higher-voltage distribution grids, a report says.
Copeland debuts industrial heat pump
The U.S. heating specialist said its Vilter VQ95 heat pump is an ideal solution for district heating and industrial processes. It has a heating capacity of 1 MW to 5 MW per skid and can reportedly provide a temperature of up to 95 C.
Sunrise brief: California bill requires utilities to evaluate grid-enhancing technologies
Also on the rise: Polysilicon prices steady amid global trade policy uncertainties. First floating solar installation in Utah. And more.
U.S. ethanol facility to host steam-generating heat pump
Western New York Energy says it will install an industrial steam-generating heat pump at its ethanol plant in Medina, New York, with a maximum output temperature of 215 C and a coefficient of performance of 2.7.
New refrigerant may improve coefficient of performance of air-source heat pumps by up to 21%
Developed by a Chinese research group, the novel refrigerant is made of a mixture of carbon dioxide (CO2) and a non-flammable hydrofluoroolefin. It has slightly higher costs compared to conventional compounds, but its creators claims these costs could be significantly reduced with large-scale industrial production.
Canadian government extends heat pump grant scheme
The provincial government of Prince Edward Island, Canada, has signed an agreement with the Canadian federal government to implement the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) program. The scheme offers grants to low- and medium-income households to install heat pumps and has nationally delivered more than 7,000 units to date.
Elastocalorics could replace heat pumps, air conditioning systems
Elastocalorics have the potential to replace current air conditioning and heating systems, offering significant energy savings when paired with technologies such as photovoltaics.
Sunrise brief: U.S. solar trade case moves forward
Also on the rise: Bosch unveils water source heat pumps for residential, commercial applications. More states now require smart inverters, enabling more distributed solar. And more.
