Technology and R&D

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that the regions with the highest year-to-year variability in irradiance include Central and Northern Europe, East Coast Australia, Northern Argentina, and China, with Africa exhibiting the most stable irradiance year-on-year.

Indian researchers have compared the performance of an agrivoltaic system to monofacial and bifacial rooftop PV systems, and have found that the agrivoltaics setup had a shorter payback time and lower levelized cost of energy. Their analysis of performance considered panel temperature, power output, land equivalent ratio, and reliability.

A research team at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has developed a new generation of lithium metal batteries, representing a significant advancement in the field. The innovation centers on microcrack-free polymer electrolytes, which promise extended lifespan and enhanced safety at temperatures as high as 100 degrees Celsius.

Multiple factors affect lifespan of a residential battery energy storage system. We examine the life of batteries in Part 3 of our series.

OptoGPT is a new algorithm that harnesses the computer architecture underpinning ChatGPT. Its creators say that it will enable researchers and engineers to design optical multilayer film structures for a wide range of applications, including solar cells.

German flow battery firm VoltStorage says its next stage of technology development will deliver 20-fold increase in performance.

Multiple factors affect the productive lifespan of a residential solar inverter. In Part 2 of our series, we look at solar inverters.

Researchers in Malaysia have proposed a new approach to identify the optimal power sizing ratio to balance PV energy capture with inverter costs. The calibrated model is said to accurately reflect the relationship between inverter efficiency and real-world system behavior.

The Luxembourg-based manufacturer said the new product can reach flow temperatures of up to 72 C and achieve a seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) of up to 5.7.

A Dutch and U.S. research team performed optical and electrical simulations to understand loss mechanisms in two terminal (2T) tandem cells based on perovskite and commercially available copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) cells, and subsequently established a roadmap to increase efficiency via four key modifications.