Lithium-ion storage is here to stay with no ‘post Li-ion’ era in sight
A German-Israeli research group has gathered to discuss which storage technologies may outperform lithium-ion batteries in the future. They concluded that there is no such a thing as a “post Li‐ion” era in sight. They recommended a “side‐by‐side” approach for multiple technologies in different applications, as well as the hybridization of technologies.
Solar inverters vs. cyberattacks
A U.S. research group is developing inverters and cybersecurity standards to protect solar installations from cyberattacks. The researchers said that inverters can shut down if they are hacked, or contribute to grid instability and result in the overcharging of batteries, while potentially creating problems that we still don’t know how to address.
Morning Brief: Mysterious Rashba effect detected in bulk perovskites, Zanzibar’s ‘solar mammas’
Also in the brief: SEIA disappointed by USTR’s decision to remove Section 201 tariff exclusions for bifacial solar modules, plus VC investment in energy and grid startups.
Six-junction III–V solar cell with 47.1% efficiency
A U.S. research group has developed a new solar cell, based on six active photoactive layers, to capture light from a specific part of the solar spectrum. The scientists claim that they could potentially reach a 50% efficiency rate with the new cell.
Morning Brief: Rick Perry bucked Congress’s clean energy mandate
Also in the brief: How a conservative coal county built the biggest community solar energy project in East Kentucky. Why 30M solar rooftops should be in the next relief bill
The Southeast has become a dual peaking region
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has made that determination after studying the annual maximum peaks for 22 different utility planning authorities over from 1998 to 2018.
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.
