The result, confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH), was achieved on a heterojunction solar cell based on an M6 wafer.

The new device has an efficiency of up to 98.6% and a European efficiency of up to 98.1%. It features up to two maximum power point tracking (MPPT) inputs, with MPPT voltage ranging from 140-1,000V.

Scientists in Spain have built a 10.61%-efficient tin perovskite solar cell with improved open-circuit voltage and stability. The device was fabricated with formamidinium tin iodide (FASnI<sub3), sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) as a reducing agent, and a bulky secondary ammonium cation of small size known as dipropylammonium iodide (DipI).

A Dutch-British research group is developing a 1μm crystalline silicon membrane with a remarkable optical performance and a hyper-uniform pattern design. A simulation of the device was theoretically able to achieve an absorption equivalent photocurrent of 26.3mA/cm².

Vattenfall and Siemens Energy are building an 8MW heat pump for district heating applications in Berlin. The facility will be powered by wind and solar via the electrical grid and will provide heating and cooling to the local district heating network.

German scientists have tried to determine whether a PV system linked to a small electrolyzer, a fuel cell, and lithium-ion batteries could fully power a grid-connected household. Their new proposal consists of a 6.8kW PV array, a 5kW electrolyzer, a 1.24kW fuel cell system, and battery storage.

German consultancy VDE Renewables and global reinsurer Munich Re have outlined an approach to quantify the impact of risk mitigation measures applied to PV projects, as well as the advantages that may be derived by relying on an insurance solution. Risk mitigation expert Ulrike Jahn has spoken with pv magazine on how the new approach was shaped and what kind of performance issues should be taken into account by PV asset owners.

Alliander and Groenleven have completed construction on the Netherlands’ first green hydrogen production facility. It is connected to a 50MW solar park and is expected to generate hydrogen from June.

The Italian government hopes to deploy 375MW of PV capacity via a new rebate scheme. The funds will be provided through the post-Covid recovery plan.

Japanese automaker Toyota has used its hydrogen tank tech in a new module to expand hydrogen storage to railways, shipping facilities, cargo ports, and fuel cell generators. Its 70MPa tank has a storage capacity of 2.7 kg to 18.7 kg and a tank mass ranging from 43.0 kg to 243.8 kg, depending on the size.