Retired coal sites to host multi-day iron-air batteries
Form Energy will install two 10 MW / 1,000 MWh batteries on the sites of Xcel Energy’s former coal-fired plants.
Australian scientists unveil method to produce hydrogen straight from ocean
University of Adelaide researchers and their international partners have successfully used seawater with no pre-treatment to produce green hydrogen. They did this by introducing an acid layer over the catalysts in situ.
Steam-generating heat pump for industrial applications
The Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) plans to build a heat pump that generates steam at 184 C at 11 bars without using gas. The tech, which uses natural refrigerants, will be used in the pharmaceutical industry.
New ‘cushion’ solution to take stress off perovskite solar cells
Scientists in Germany have discovered a polymer compound that, when added to perovskite thin-film precursor materials, wraps itself around the perovskite crystals, acting as a cushion to protect the perovskite structure from thermomechanical stress. They used the additive to fabricate cells with up to 24.6% efficiency, retaining 96% of their initial performance after accelerated testing equivalent to one year in the field.
China mulling restrictions on polysilicon, wafer production tech exports
The Chinese government is considering the introduction of export restrictions on solar wafers, black silicon, and silicon casting equipment. It has launched a public consultation process on the proposed measures.
Swedish authorities issue warning about solar panels on balconies
The Swedish authorities have identified electrocution and fire risks posed by the improper deployment of plug-in solar modules.
Novel snow-removal tech uses electricity from uncovered PV panels
JA Solar has worked with Chinese scientists to test a new electrical heating system for solar panels that uses the heat from uncovered panels to remove snow. The system starts by using grid electricity, but then relies on the thermal effect of resistance to uniformly heat the whole PN junction area of the snow-covered panels.
New photovoltaic-thermal solar panel from Spain
Spanish PVT specialist Abora Solar has developed aH72SK modules, which combine solar panels with power conversion efficiencies of 17.8% and a thermal efficiency rating of around 70%. Its total area is 1.96 square meters.
Yaskawa releases 25 kW inverters for rooftop PV
Yaskawa’s new Enewell-SOL P3A 25kW inverters are suitable for applications in medium- or large-size rooftop solar projects and carports.
Greek manufacturer to open organic solar cell factory
Organic Electronics Technologies (OET) has announced the start of a European-funded project that will develop and build an automated manufacturing production line for integrated printed organic photovoltaics in Thessaloniki, Greece.
