Technology

Researchers have developed a novel deep-learning method to predict ultra-short-term PV power, using an optimization method that is based on the behavior of dung beetles. The proposed approach reportedly performed better than seven other conventional prediction methods over a 1-year period.

US-based Bluetti has developed a new energy storage system (ESS) that offers up to 154.8 kWh of storage and 60 kW of output by connecting up to three systems in parallel. It includes an inverter and a voltage controller with up to seven batteries.

MBJ Solutions, a German testing equipment specialist, recently launched two new products for developers of perovskite and perovskite silicon tandem devices. The MBJ Steady State Sun Simulator is designed for cells and small perovskite module research, and the MBJ Light Soaking Unit is for aging tests and preconditioning.

Australian battery tech company Li-S Energy has announced a major improvement in the performance of its lithium-sulfur battery technology, with its latest iteration achieving an energy density close to 500 Wh/kg.

Korean researchers have used thermal and wet gravity separation (WGS) to separate EVA from reclaimed silicon powder in end-of-life PV modules with “minimal” chemical usage. The proposed technique provides silicon powder that could be reused as a raw material for upcycling into silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or silicon carbide.

The allure of the open road is strong in the United States, where highways can snake through breathtaking landscapes. Recreational vehicles (RVs) make adventuring easy but powering portable homes with diesel generators is a poor solution for today’s travelers. Briter Products President Avanti Lalwani tells pv magazine how her company is putting solar on wheels.

Although local defects in chloride-iodide-based perovskite are hard to avoid due to ion migration, a group of scientists have now found a way to passivate them. They used different combinations of 4-chlorobenzylammonium chloride and 4-chlorobenzylammonium bromide beneath the hole transport layer and reached up to 15% improvement in efficiency.

Researchers in China and Malaysia simulated a new structure for copper zinc tin sulphide (CZTS) cells featuring a tungsten oxide buffer layer and a back surface field kesterite layer. A device simulated with this configuration achieved an open circuit voltage of 1.2 V and a fill factor of 83.37%.

The Spanish company said that its new tracker “is designed for maximum adaptability to any terrain.” It works with all PV modules.

Researchers in Canada have created an experimental workbench for aboveground compressed air energy storage. Experimental data calibration reportedly ensured model accuracy with a mean absolute percentage error below 4.0%.