2024

Tokyo-based startup Girasol Energy and the enterprise bureau of Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture have repowered Japan’s oldest PV system, a 100 kW array built in 1993. The project aimed to partially replace the original 13.3% efficient solar modules, offering an alternative to dismantling and recycling the system’s components.

Researchers in Sweden have measured barney yield in a vertical agrivoltaic facility and have found that despite the shade created by the modules the yields are comparable to open-field control conditions, if not slightly higher. Their methodology can be replicated for other sites and crops.

Using atomic layer deposition, a research team from the City University of Hong Kong has created an an oxygen-deficient tin oxide layer to replace the more common fullerene electron transport layer in perovskite solar cells. The result is a 25%-efficient device that is able to retain around 95% of its efficiency after 2,000 h.

Gautam Solar plans to launch an initial public offering (IPO) in the next 12 to 18 months to fund its PV cell expansion plans.

Scientists have created a lighting system based on the AEM10941 solar harvester developed by Belgium-based E-peas. The system is reportedly able to provide a full brightness run time of 10 hours.

Researchers in Western Australia have discovered a method to increase the number of molecules that adhere to the surface of tiny semiconductor nanocrystals. They claim this breakthrough could significantly enhance the efficiency and performance of solar panels.

The Singapore-based manufacturer said its new panel can achieve self-cleaning through rainwater thanks to its frameless design. The new product features an operating temperature coefficient of -0.30% per C and an efficiency ranging from 21.51% to 22.53%.

U.S. startup Sylvatex offers mixed metal oxide cathode active materials made with a waterless, continuous synthesis process. The company is currently validating its technology in the domestic lithium ion battery supply chain and plans to build a pilot line in California.

Israel-based inverter maker SolarEdge has unveiled its new TerraMax Inverter, which boasts 99% efficiency and enables 200% DC oversizing. It features an integrated night-time PID rectifier and is paired with the company’s H1300 Power Optimizers.

The Energy Taiwan & Net-Zero Taiwan 2024 trade show kicked off in early October with a whimper rather than a bang, as the threat of Typhoon Krathon prompted organizers to cancel the first two days of the conference in Taipei.