Technology and R&D

Agrivoltaic installations with vertically oriented solar panels are increasingly being adopted and studied across the globe.

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%.

The State of Colorado selected NexCore to build the 40-acre Glo Park renewable energy center.

Argonne National Laboratory released an online geospatial mapping tool to aid siting decisions and identify areas that are suitable for solar, wind and other clean energy infrastructure projects.

The University of Cambridge developed a device that converts plastics and greenhouse gases to usable fuels and products.

European researchers have evaluated the electricity generation, levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), and payback period of vehicle-integrated PV in EVs.

On January 3, Caltech launched a PV array into orbit to test its ability to transmit electricity back to Earth.

It was a good year for the inverter market. Strong demand was only stifled by supply chain limits, but new inverters are less innovative and show a slower evolution in improvements. Nevertheless, more versatile options are emerging in response to the energy crisis.

Researchers have proposed the use of solar inverters in utility-scale solar assets to replace expensive voltage compensators, in order to provide voltage support at night. They said reactive power from PV inverters could be significantly cheaper and suggested the introduction of incentives to convince PV plant owners.

The POL Lux from Sweden is a catamaran boat design with dual electric motors and a solar canopy that can covert into a private sleeping area.