The Hydrogen Stream: US team produces hydrogen from ocean water
A team of US researchers engineered a double-membrane system to minimize chloride oxidizing the anode. Meanwhile, the Spanish government supports Destinus to develop its hydrogen-powered supersonic plane and test it in 2024.
Toshiba combines heat pumps, rooftop PV, storage in residential home
Japan’s Toshiba has shared the results of a “future-proof” housing project in the United Kingdom. It combined two 11 kW air-source heat pumps in a five-bedroom house in Chester, England, with a 16 kW PV system and an 11 kW battery. The property is reportedly energy neutral in the summer months.
Australian company to explore hydrogen storage in salt caverns
EntX has secured a license to explore salt deposits along the western side of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia for the purpose of hydrogen storage.
Japanese oil suppliers testing solar carports for EVs under PPA model
Idemitsu Kosan is leading a four-year demonstrator to assess the viability of solar carports for EV recharging at Tanegashima Airport in Japan. The 54.7 kW solar facility will sell power to airport buildings via a power purchase agreement (PPA) and to EV users under a pay-as-you-go billing system.
Australian developer starts working on 240 MW/480 MWh battery
Renewables developer GMR Energy has started working on a 240 MW/480 MWh battery project in Victoria, Australia.
Trina Tracker unveils 2P tracker solution with new features
Trina Solar’s tracker subsidiary has launched a new version of its Vanguard single-axis two-in-portrait (2P) tracker. It uses multiple motors on one tracker row, reportedly allowing it to withstand higher wind loads and reduce tilt angle misalignment. The new solution is compatible with large modules up to 685 W.
Storing renewables with aquifer thermal energy storage
US scientists have looked at how aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) could be used to store wind and solar power, while catering to heating and cooling energy demand during extreme hot or cold periods. They modeled a distributed energy system for a neighborhood in Chicago and found that ATES could reduce consumption of petroleum products by up to 40% at a slightly higher cost than other forms of storage.
Jolywood claims 26.7% efficiency for n-type TOPCon solar cell
The China Academy of Metrology and Science has certified Jolywood’s 26.7% efficiency rating for an n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell, which the company claims is a world record. In November 2022, it announced a 26.1% efficiency rating for a similar cell.
PEDOT:PSS/silicon solar cell built at room temperature with 10.1% efficiency
Japanese researchers have fabricated a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell with silicon and a polymer material known as PEDOT:PSS under room temperature conditions. It has an efficiency of 10.1%, an open-circuit voltage of 0.57 V, a short-circuit current density of 33.3 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 0.53.
France to offer 2.3 GW of solar in tenders in June
The French government has announced the launch of a tender for 1.5 GW of ground-mounted PV and another tender for 800 MW of rooftop capacity, in order to compensate for the high failure rate of the third round of tenders for large-scale PV plants.
