Assessing the sustainability of existing photovoltaic technologies
Solar PV technologies are expected to play a massive role in the world’s battle against climate change; headed for a global deployment of 7.5 TW by the year 2050. However, a number of PV chemistries exist in the market and PV modules get better in performance and durability by the year. This analysis looks at various PV technologies and develops a technological and ecological rationale for the best PV technology mix to combat global warming
Can a transparent solar window harvest enough power to be practical?
Can an organic solar cell material finally be commercialized? Last year, Ubiquitous Energy claimed a world record for efficiency of a “transparent solar cell” with a “certified” 9.8% efficiency.
Hot electrons? Surface plasmons? Thin-film solar innovation marches on
Thin-film solar startup PI Energy didn’t disclose the photovoltaic materials system it’s been commercializing, other than to say that it wasn’t CIGS, CdTe, or perovskites.
Morning Brief: TVA solicits 200 MW of renewables, Sungrow supplies the Wright project
Also in the brief: 14 MW approved in Maine, 20 MW approved in Indiana, a molten aluminum thermal energy storage system and more.
Morning Brief: Longroad acquires 160 MW of First Solar projects, Glidepath Ventures sells 887.5 MW PV portfolio
Also in the brief: Pollinator-friendly solar projects in Virginia, register for the Energy Storage Grand Challenge and more.
Trina announces 23.3% efficient PERC cell produced on commercial tools
The Chinese manufacturer claims a record — since the device was manufactured on standard commercial production equipment.
Sunrun responds to PG&E’s gas procurement by modeling a decentralized grid
Directly challenging the bankrupt utility’s system reliability request for proposals, Sunrun has released a paper outlining a renewable alternative: distribution islands with solar and battery backup.
How Canadian hydro could save New England and New York $5.4 billion
MIT researchers model how 4 GW of powerlines connecting the northeast USA to Quebec hydroelectric facilities eliminates the need for up to 60 GW of wind, solar and storage as the two regional power grids approach 100% clean energy.
The inner workings of a lithium battery
An international group of scientists has developed a method to track the microscopic processes at work in lithium batteries. Employing a ‘virtual unrolling’ model developed for ancient manuscripts too sensitive to be opened, the group peeked inside the layers of a commercial battery to gain a better understanding of the processes at work and the degradation mechanisms affecting them.
Silicon heterojunction solar cell hits 23.5% efficiency with new hole-selective contact
Researchers from Switzerland’s École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have used molybdenum oxide as the hole-selective contact in a heterojuction silicon cell. The scientists claim the compound can compete with traditional contacts despite a lower level of optimization.
