‘New and strange properties’ provide a boost to energy storage
MIT scientists have developed a class of liquid electrolyte with properties they say could open up new possibilities for improving the performance and stability of lithium batteries and supercapacitors.
‘Turbocharging’ silicon PV: MIT scientists scratch the surface of singlet exciton fission
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a device they say could “turbocharge” a single-junction silicon PV cell, pushing the technology beyond its theoretical limit to efficiencies of 35% and higher.
MIT works to refine the flow of promising perovskites
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed an accelerated process for screening new perovskite compounds as they search for those with the potential to be used in high efficiency solar cells. According to MIT, the process speeds up the synthesis and analysis of new compounds by a factor of ten and has already highlighted two sets of materials worthy of further study.
MIT identifies central role of deployment policies in PV cost reductions
A new study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology finds that from 1980 to 2012 government and private R&D was the biggest driver, and that policies to stimulate demand drove both private R&D and economies of scale.
MIT researchers develop ‘air breathing’ sulfur flow battery
A team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a type of battery which it says could store energy for long durations at a fraction of the cost of current storage technologies.
MIT researchers develop ‘any surface’ solar cell
A team of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative has developed a flexible, transparent solar cell, using low-cost organic materials and graphene. The researchers say this cell could turn virtually any surface into a source of power generation.
MIT report questions value of distributed solar
The Utility of the Future report decries poor state-level rate-making, mythical cross-subsidies by non-solar customers, and economies of scale as reasons that adding more distributed PV to utilities’ portfolios make little long-term economic sense.
Dominion constructs another solar plant outside of Virginia
Despite repeatedly interfering with solar development in its home state of Virginia, the electricity-generation giant continues to build solar plants in other states.
