World

Relectrify said its new storage system is suitable for commercial and industrial applications and is designed for installations in the 120 kWh to 2 MWh range.

Every year, chemical and energy companies produce $15 billion worth of commodities such as carbon black, silicon oxide, and aluminum oxide, for manufacturing purposes. Engineers do this by pumping chemicals into a flame and collecting material formed in the fire, in an approach known as flame spray pyrolysis. This approach, according to scientists at Argonne National Laboratory, has the potential to create more advanced materials for use in next-generation storage batteries.

A new report from the U.S.-based analyst predicts that new PV additions for 2021 may range from 163 to 221 GW next year and from 179 to 240 GW in 2023. According to BloombergNEF, the current supply bottlenecks for glass and polysilicon will unlikely halt the global PV market.

Scientists in Germany have estimated that roof and facade PV systems can cover almost 40% of the total requirements of a standard office building, assuming that no battery storage is installed.

Sony lab and LF Energy are developing a new approach to enable peer-to-peer microgrid energy trading, so remote communities can store and distribute energy without connecting to large-scale power stations or distribution grids.

In various forms, quantum dot technology has attracted plenty of attention among PV researchers recently. And as efficiencies have crept past the 15% mark, the community is beginning to look at other factors limiting the viability of quantum dot solar cells in a commercial setting. Scientists in Germany examined the degradation mechanisms affecting different quantum dot materials; and suggest a standardization of stability testing to enable comparability of results.

A group of scientists in Bangladesh has developed a model to determine the optimal cleaning schedule for a PV installation at any location in the globe, requiring only the average insolation and soiling rate for a given site to make the calculation. The study also draws new conclusions regarding the influence of sandstorms and rain on soiling, and aims to be among the first studies to paint a global picture of soiling trends by region.

Austrian solar manufacturer Energetica aims to commercialize gapless PV modules by the fourth quarter.

Slowly but surely, environmental concerns are making their way into mainstream thought throughout the PV industry. A look at recycling offers an example of this, with stakeholders trying to get ahead of the high volumes of end-of-life modules already on the horizon. pv magazine examines the technologies that will be needed, alongside policy and economic support, to keep the bulk of these modules out of landfill and ultimately to establish a circular economy for PV materials.

The system generates electricity and heat for residential houses and small businesses. An integrated energy management system should guarantee maximum self-consumption of the solar power produced.