3D solar tower increases capacity factor 50%, triples solar surface area
Janta Power closed $5.5 million in seed funding to develop its vertical solar tower, with pilot programs already underway in major global airports like Dallas-Fort Worth and Munich International Airport.
Ascent Solar testing CIGS modules for power beaming, marine applications
The US-based developer of copper indium gallium selenide thin-film PV products said its modules will be tested without modifications by companies developing marine PV and power beaming applications.
PNW data center opts for BESS to jump the interconnection queue
Calibrant Energy will install the system next year at Aligned Data Centers’ Pacific Northwest site in what the companies call the nation’s first battery built to help data centers speed up interconnection.
Researchers envision a ‘bright harvest’ from space-based solar power
Developers say space-based solar will be cost-competitive with utility-scale PV. A new documentary showcases a Caltech team’s efforts to supply the Earth with limitless energy from space.
Alsym Energy launches sodium-ion battery line
The Massachusetts-based startup says its new battery is non-flammable, non-toxic, and uses non-FEOC (Foreign Entity of Concern) materials, aiming for a lower levelized cost of storage (LCOS). The technical specs provide some highlights as well.
Solar deployment and policies have had a mixed effect on electricity prices, researchers find
While large-scale solar and wind deployment “may have reduced” retail electricity prices over the past five years, net energy metering and renewable portfolio standards generally increased prices, the researchers found. But states with the highest renewable generation in 2024 had among the lowest prices.
Mercedes unveils car with 20% efficient ultra-thin solar coating
Mercedes-Benz unveiled its first car prototype with a silicon-free, 20%-efficient nanoparticle solar coating that powers the vehicle even when off and uses modules thinner than a human hair.
Energy storage reshapes data center siting amid regulatory pressure
Power cut regulations and slow permitting are driving data centers toward storage-backed, grid-independent designs.
Cadmium telluride vs. crystalline silicon in agrivoltaics
Canadian researchers investigated how the transparency of cadmium telluride and crystalline silicon solar panels affects lettuce growth in agrivoltaic systems. They found that 69%–transparent silicon panels increased lettuce yield by 3.6%, whereas cadmium telluride panels led to a reduction in yield.
Sofab Inks achieves 22.2% efficiency in mini inverted perovskite solar panel
The U.S. startup said the 30 x 30 cm perovskite solar cell device featured its tin oxide electron transport material produced in a sheet-to-sheet slot die coating process.
