2021

Scientists have set a new efficiency record for a single-junction perovskite solar cell at 25.6%. The cell additionally showed operational stability for 450 hours, and intense electroluminescence with external quantum efficiencies of more than 10%.

Hunter Douglas, a blinds and awnings manufacturer, will use the Enosi Powertracer platform to direct its oversupply of rooftop solar to its workforce.

Tata Power Delhi Distribution has installed a 150 kW/528 kWh battery energy storage system at a substation in New Delhi. The system will help the utility to manage peak load and frequency regulation, while providing 150 kW of power backup for durations of four hours.

Enhanced module appearance and power output can be achieved by a smart cell interconnection technique Longi is employing in its Hi-MO5 module series. But as with all new technologies, there are potential pitfalls.

The 133 MW Puerto Real 1 project is the first phase of a planned 223 MW solar plant in Cádiz. Swiss asset management firm Capital Dynamics last year acquired plant and has also purchased the upcoming 50 MW Puerto Real 2 project.

Longi has started construction of its 10 GW ingot factory in Yunnan, CLYPG signed PV project contracts for up to 32.6 GW in 2020 and GCL has agreed to sell PV parks with a combined capacity of 321 MW. Polysilicon prices, meanwhile, continue to rise while those of solar glass are falling.

The combination of rooftop solar and storage is a big opportunity. A new report highlights Australia – a nation with the world’s highest per capita rooftop PV capacity – as a guide for Indian policymakers.

Sinopec wants to build 1,000 hydrogen refueling stations by 2025. Ways2H is building a facility in the Tokyo area that will convert daily 1 ton of dried sewage sludge into 40-50 kilograms of hydrogen for fuel cell mobility and power generation. Ørsted wants to deploy two renewable hydrogen production facilities for a total of 1 GW by 2030. Wacker Chemie is planning to produce green hydrogen and renewable methanol at its German site.

Albanian utility KESH has secured funding for its 12.9 MW floating solar plant and, in Spain, the Port of Malaga is planning a 2.1 MW floating facility. Construction began on two unsubsidized solar plants in Germany and Portugal. Enel and Sterling & Wilson will build two large solar plants in Peru and the US, respectively.

Scientists in Madrid investigated the use of antireflective coatings in multijunction solar cells, drawing several conclusions that could further improve the efficiency of these cells. Their approach could improve on current antireflective coatings, particularly for high-efficiency multijunction cells, using methods and materials already proven in mass production.