RMI says utilities should model and plan for distributed solar adoption
Some utilities are using models to project the adoption of distributed solar and storage, and counting distributed resources in their planning process. Others should do the same, says the nonprofit RMI.
Sunrise brief: If approved, Ohio solar plant could be largest in nation
Also on the rise: Bipartisan group files to repeal solar tariff moratorium. Town recoups $2.3 million in back taxes with solar on a landfill. And more.
Thin, lightweight coating protects perovskite solar in space
An ultrathin coating protects a perovskite solar cell from the harmful effects of space and hardens it against environmental factors on Earth, according to a study by researchers at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Scientists assess lifetime for perovskite PV to become competitive on rooftops
Researchers say that lightweight, high-performance perovskite solar modules could soon become competitive with crystalline PV modules in the residential segment, as such products will likely have lower manufacturing and balance-of-system costs in the future.
Largest rooftop terminal solar array designed for JFK airport
The 7.66 MW of solar, 4 MWh batteries microgrid is the first fully resilient airport array that can function offgrid. The planned upgrade is part of a new JFK terminal said to be valued at $9.5 billion–what would be the largest global project financing transaction on record.
Sunrise brief: New Mexico law seeks solar on every roof, and an EV charger in every garage
Also on the rise: 50 states of solar incentives–Illinois. Falling costs, 15 GW of US solar module production, and TOPCon trends. And more.
Startup begins producing 40%-efficient thermophotovoltaic cells
Antora Energy says its new 2 MW factory will make thermophotovoltaic cells for thermal storage applications. The cells are based on III-V semiconductors and reportedly have a heat-to-electricity conversion efficiency of more than 40%.
Startup unveils saltwater flow battery for large-scale storage
U.S.-based Salgenx has developed a scalable redox flow battery with two separate tanks of electrolytes, one of which is saltwater. Unlike other flow batteries, the new device is membrane-free, promising big gains at the levelized cost of storage level.
Vertical PV for clean energy and crop production
Agrivoltaic installations with vertically oriented solar panels are increasingly being adopted and studied across the globe.
Flexible cadmium telluride solar cell with 12.6% efficiency via lift-off method
A U.S. research team has developed a cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cell through a lift-off method that reportedly ensures higher crystallinity of the cadmium sulfide film. The device has a power conversion efficiency of 12.60%, an open-circuit voltage of 0.829 V, a short-circuit current density of 23.64 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 64.30%.
