Shedding light on tandem perovskite solar cell progress
Perovskite tandem devices are at the front of the queue for commercialization but their characterization presents technical challenges.
U.S. scientists develop air-bridge thermophotovoltaic cells with 44% efficiency
U.S. scientists have developed a thermophotovoltaic cell that could be paired with inexpensive thermal storage to provide power on demand. The indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) thermophotovoltaic cell absorbs most of the in-band radiation to generate electricity, while serving as a nearly perfect mirror.
Bladeless wind energy innovation aims to compete with rooftop solar
A compact, “motionless” wind turbine with a magnetic generator designed for large commercial rooftops provides 5 kW of capacity per unit. Aeromine Technologies secured Series A funding for scaling its innovative design.
Quantifying losses from harmonics in solar facilities
Gamesa Electric has released a white paper on losses due to harmonics in PV plants, including an independent study that compares the performance of ultra-low total harmonic distortion inverters.
NREL-led consortium releases PV reliability forecasting tools
The Durable Module Materials consortium (DuraMAT) announced in its latest annual report the availability of new PV forecasting tools, and new research results towards the goal of more reliable PV modules.
Researchers demonstrate 25%-efficient perovskite-cadmium tandem solar cell
University of Toledo researchers say the cell has a top perovskite cell with a transparent back contact made of indium zinc oxide and a commercially established cadmium telluride bottom device. They claim the champion tandem cell has the potential to reach a 30% efficiency.
Solidion seeks to provide sodium-based electrolytes as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries
The company says the technology’s better cycle times and potential lower costs would benefit grid storage and EV sectors.
Longi announces 27.30% efficiency for heterojunction back contact solar cell
The Chinese module manufacturer said the new efficiency record was confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH).
Novel PV-driven desalination tech achieves lower levelized cost of water
Scientists led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a new PV-powered desalination system based on the time-variant electrodialysis reversal (EDR) technology. The proposed system reportedly achieves lower levelized cost of water than conventional solar-powered desalination techs.
South Korea plans 120 GW space solar project
Two Korean research institutes are designing the 2.2 km × 2.7 km Korean Space Solar Power Satellite project with the aim of providing approximately 1 TWh of electricity to the Earth per year. The proposed system should use 4,000 sub-solar arrays of 10 m × 270 m, made out of thin film roll-out, with a system power efficiency of 13.5%.
