Technology

BMW has launched its iX5 Hydrogen vehicle pilot fleet, with plans to start production by the end of the decade. Everfuel and Hy24, meanwhile, have launched a joint venture to accelerate hydrogen development in Scandinavia.

US researchers have developed a new lithium-air battery with solid electrolyte and the potential to reach a record energy density that is nearly four times that of lithium-ion batteries. The test cell demonstrated stability over 1,000 charge and discharge cycles.

DMEGC Solar says its new tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar panels combine a double-glass design with half-cut n-type cell technology. It says the efficiency ratings range from 22.07% to 22.45%.

Virtuous-Re’s new PVradar Cleaning App can reportedly model soiling losses and cleaning benefits, while reducing cleaning costs and maximizing the overall economic performance of projects.

Das Solar’s new tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) product, developed for large-scale PV applications, features 605 W to 625 W of power output. Its temperature coefficient is -0.30% per degree Celsius.

German scientists have investigated the role of surface texturing in perovskite-silicon tandem cells and have found that several new processes offer the ability to etch smaller, more uniform textures onto the surface of a silicon cell than today’s industry standard. This could help to ease the subsequent growth of a perovskite cell on top of the silicon, enabling researchers and manufacturers to target higher performance.

Sono Motors, a solar electric-vehicle manufacturer in Germany, has terminated its Sion passenger car development program, as it has failed to secure enough funding to support pre-series production. It says it will now focus exclusively on retrofitting and integrating its patented solar technology into third-party vehicles.

Malaysian scientists have tested bio-inspired coconut fiber to cool down solar modules. The cooling system features a moist coconut pith encapsulated with a polyurethane sheet. It is placed on the back of a PV module’s surface and acts as a heat sink.

US engineers have built a scalable thermal energy storage prototype system that combines the best latent and sensible heat transfers. The technology, which is now market-ready after three years of testing, consists of engineered cementitious materials and thermosiphons in a combination that enables fast, efficient thermal performance at low cost.

China’s GS Energy has developed a new lithium iron phosphate battery system with a nominal voltage of 96 V. It says that up to five 3.74 kWh modules can be stacked and connected in series for a total capacity of 18.7 kWh.