Japanese scientists use manganese to boost perovskite cell performance
Researchers working on inorganic perovskites at the Energy Materials and Surface Sciences Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) in Japan have found that doping with manganese can significantly improve the performance of wholly inorganic perovskite solar cells.
AT Solar builds innovative storage project based on hydrogen in Sweden
The goal of the project, RE 8760 is to show how the storage of renewable energies can make them usable all year round. The generated solar power is stored and converted into hydrogen. It can also be conserved over long periods and used to recharge fuel cell vehicles during the dark winter months.
Taiwan’s biggest PV module manufacturing fab inaugurated
The first solar PV modules have come off of TSEC Corp.’s new 1 GW manufacturing facility – the biggest of its kind in Taiwan.
Alta Devices launches new solar cell for vehicle integration
U.S. technology company, Alta Devices has launched a new gallium-arsenide based solar cell, which it says improves on the power to weight ratio of its previous cell by 160%. The cell is designed to provide lightweight, high efficiency generation for integration with cars, drones and other vehicles.
ET Solar selected for utility-scale projects in Palestine
The Chinese solar manufacturer and project developer has been selected to build, operate and maintain two utility-scale PV plants in Palestine.
Germany covered 12.1% of its power demand with solar in April
Eon announced that, for the first time, more than 10 billion kWh of solar power were generated in Germany between January and April. Bruno Burger of Energy Charts has also determined that the last week of April was the best week for renewable energies in the current year, with a share of 53.2% in electricity generation across the country’s grid.
SkyPower Global enters deal to deploy 1 GW of solar in Uzbekistan
The Canadian solar developer has signed an agreement with local power utility, Uzbekenergo for several large-scale PV projects, which would span several regions in Uzbekistan. Overall, around US$1.3 billion is expected to be invested in this plan.
Renewables penetration unbalanced across sectors, off-grid solar boosts access to electricity – report
According to a tracking report from five international agencies, the world is lagging behind its sustainable development goals for the period 2015-2030, although significant progress has been made in reducing electrification deficit in the least developed countries, and industrial energy efficiency. Off-grid solar solutions, meanwhile, are emerging as one of the key drivers of rural energy access.
Iconic Mercedes-Benz star to disappear from residential battery market
The German car maker entered the solar PV home storage business in mid-2016. In the future, its parent company, Daimler will align the stationary storage segment with its grid business.
Four-junction tandem thin film cells have strong potential for residential applications, MIT scientists say
Four different thin film solar PV technologies were tested by the MIT experts across three types of environment in the U.S.: Arid (Arizona); temperate (South Dakota); and humid (Florida).
