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.
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.
Standardized testing for indoor PV
Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada have proposed protocols for standardized testing to avoid skewed results. The validated recommendations cover procedures for key measurements and the use of the indoor PV reference cell method.
Researchers discover photovoltaic properties in zinc-based film
Research from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has found zinc-phosphate-hydrate (ZPH) films are capable of producing electricity from light. The coating’s photovoltage was amplified when anthocyanin, a natural dye found in blackberries, was added.
Astrobotic, Honda developing vertical solar, storage solution for lunar missions
Pittsburgh-based aerospace company Astrobotic and Honda’s North American subsidiary are working on integrating Astrobotic’s vertical solar array technology with Honda’s regenerative fuel cell system to develop a power and storage solution capable of supporting prolonged exploration of the moon.
Scientists break Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit for silicon solar cell in experiment
A Chinese-US research group claims to have achieved a power conversion efficiency of over 50% in an n-type single-junction solar cell by inhibiting light conversion to heat at extremely low temperatures. The result was achieved at temperatures of 30-50 Kelvin, which are a few tens of degrees above absolute zero.
Why do some cities have higher low-income solar adoption rates than others?
After studying low- and moderate-income solar adoption for years, Lawrence Berkely Laboratory drilled down on three cities and captured why solar equity requires looking beyond numbers alone.
Scaling perovskite tandems’ U.S. prospects
Three US manufacturers actively working to commercialize their respective perovskite-silicon tandem technologies make the case for tandem modules. CubicPV, Caelux and Swift Solar argue a commercial future for perovskites is inevitable, and they tell pv magazine the current policy environment could work in the technology’s favor.
RE+: Ten cutting-edge technologies from North America’s largest solar trade show
New solar panels, battery energy storage systems, factory announcements and more are set to be unveiled at RE+ Las Vegas, Nevada, Sep 8-11.
All back-contact perovskite solar cell designs at a glance
Scientists from Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United States have investigated existing back-contact perovskite solar cell architectures and have proposed a strategy to help reach commercial production.
