Technology & Products
Solar technology moves fast, as the industry pursues the joint goals of improving efficiency and lowering costs. From tiny tweaks in battery or solar cell materials, to optimizing large-scale system layouts, solar rewards effective innovations with a quick route to market.
As the industry grows, reliability testing becomes more complex and factors like recycling and critical mineral consumption come into the frame as well.
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Everything’s bigger in Texas
By almost any measure, the story of solar power in Texas has been one of astounding success. The state is by far the country’s fastest-growing solar market. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) records nearly 54 GW of solar and more than 29 GWh of batteries have been installed, while Texas is also growing into a vital hub for the US solar manufacturing industry, as Ben Zientara reports.
16 hours ago
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Thermal energy storage delivers industrial heat but can solve grid issues too
A recent IEA report proposed a 35% global electrification target by 2035 was in “striking distance” thanks to existing commercial technologies such as electric vehicles and battery storage systems but the electrification of heat-dependent industry sits outside the target, yet commercial technologies can play a role in the broader grid system.
Italian startup offers 535 W PVT solar module with 1.4 kW thermal output
Syntropia has developed a 535 W hybrid photovoltaic-thermal module that combines electricity generation with heat recovery, achieving a combined energy conversion efficiency of 66.8% in recent tests. The company is also developing an integrated energy system combining PVT modules, geothermal probes, heat pumps and intelligent energy management software.
Brilliant Matters, HeiQ plan to commercialize 12%-efficient semi-transparent organic solar cells
A Canadian-Swiss-German collaboration has developed semi-transparent organic solar cells with efficiencies of up to 12.04% and fully printed modules reaching 10.2%. The technology combines Brilliant Matters’ BM10 OPV platform with HeiQ’s silver nanowire electrodes and is targeted for commercial availability in 2028.
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All Technology & Products news
Thermal energy storage delivers industrial heat but can solve grid issues too
A recent IEA report proposed a 35% global electrification target by 2035 was in “striking distance” thanks to existing commercial technologies such as electric vehicles and battery storage systems but the electrification of heat-dependent industry sits outside the target, yet commercial technologies can play a role in the broader grid system.
Everything’s bigger in Texas
By almost any measure, the story of solar power in Texas has been one of astounding success. The state is by far the country’s fastest-growing solar market. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) records nearly 54 GW of solar and more than 29 GWh of batteries have been installed, while Texas is also growing into a vital hub for the US solar manufacturing industry, as Ben Zientara reports.
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Italian startup offers 535 W PVT solar module with 1.4 kW thermal output
Syntropia has developed a 535 W hybrid photovoltaic-thermal module that combines electricity generation with heat recovery, achieving a combined energy conversion efficiency of 66.8% in recent tests. The company is also developing an integrated energy system combining PVT modules, geothermal probes, heat pumps and intelligent energy management software.
Advertisement
Brilliant Matters, HeiQ plan to commercialize 12%-efficient semi-transparent organic solar cells
A Canadian-Swiss-German collaboration has developed semi-transparent organic solar cells with efficiencies of up to 12.04% and fully printed modules reaching 10.2%. The technology combines Brilliant Matters’ BM10 OPV platform with HeiQ’s silver nanowire electrodes and is targeted for commercial availability in 2028.
AuroraCell launches 9.7 kWh sodium-ion chromium oxide residential battery
The 48 V residential energy storage system uses sodium-ion NCO chemistry and offers 9.7 kWh of rated energy. AuroraCell claims a cycle life of 20,000 cycles at 100% depth of discharge and backs the battery with a 20-year warranty.
The U.S. market is writing its own sodium-ion spec
Sodium-ion batteries are rapidly transitioning from promising alternative to commercial reality in the U.S. energy storage market, but navigating federal domestic content policies, complex FEOC sourcing rules, and stringent UL 9540A safety testing remains crucial for developers seeking to deploy scalable, bankable projects.
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