UK frees up just shy of half a million pounds for solar innovation fund
Innovate UK, a division of the government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, invites businesses to apply for share of GBP 455,000 for projects that drive solar innovation.
Solar Impulse co-founder expects passenger electric planes within 10 years, SolarStratos aircraft unveiled
Bertrand Piccard, pilot and co-founder of groundbreaking Solar Impulse project, believes electric planes powered by solar energy can carry passengers within the next decade. SolarStratos project aims to become first solar-powered plane to penetrate stratosphere.
Additional investor commits to Meyer Burger
The Swiss PV equipment manufacturer has received a CHF 5.76 million (USD 5.7 million) commitment from new investor Brustorm SA, as the company continues its capital increase, as part of the major restructuring it announced earlier in the year.
Australian researchers produce 12% efficient, 16cm2 perovskite PV cell
University of New South Wales engineers have achieved the highest efficiency for a perovskite PV cell of its size to date.
Oxford PV signs partnership with solar manufacturer
To top off a busy year for the British perovskite pioneer, Oxford PV has announced the signing of a joint development agreement (JDA) with a global solar cell and module manufacturer, as it aims to commercialise its perovskite technology for the solar industry.
Finnish scientists claim leaf-like polymer coating can deliver 17% solar cell output increase
Physicists at the University of Oulu have developed a nano surface that mimics the structure of plant leaves and can, they claim, increase the output of solar cells by 17%.
Cologne PV workshop: A life in the day of a solar module
Around 150 experts headed to Cologne for the 13th TÜV-Module workshop. The focus of the event was on topics related to increasing the lifetime of solar modules and the avoidance and identification of failures in PV systems.
Professor Eicke Weber to retire from Fraunhofer ISE
After ten years heading one of the world’s leading solar energy research institutes, Eicke Weber has announced his retirement from Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE as of the end of the year. It is not known who his replacement will be.
British researchers claim tin-based PV perovskites offer cleaner, cheaper lead alternative
Group at Warwick University replaced lead with tin in perovskite-based solar cells and found similar rates of performance but at cheaper cost and with lower toxicity.
The pv magazine weekly news digest
With the fallout from the U.S. election still hot on everybody’s lips, news and speculation as to what The Donald might be planning with the solar industry was rife, but while the world’s eyes were fixed on the bizarre events taking place in Washington, the solar ‘deal of the year’ was finally approved between Tesla and SolarCity.
