Technology and R&D

Scientists in China have constructed and tested a device that uses redox couples paired with a single triple-junction amorphous-silicon photoelectrode. When tested under a xenon lamp simulating one sun, the device achieved an average solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 4.2%.

The efficieny result represents one of the best performances ever achieved for this kind of thin-film solar cell to date. The device was fabricated with a rear contact interface that reportedly enhances charge transport.

Repurposed electric vehicle batteries have been used for the energy storage component of a solar and battery project that is now helping power operations at carmaker Nissan Australia’s aluminium casting plant in Victoria.

A team of Sweden-based researchers has developed a snow loss model to estimate snow-induced PV power losses on an hourly basis. The proposed approach relies solely on data from remote sensing sources, such as aerial imagery, LIDAR, and satellite data.

The Chinese manufacturer said its 2-terminal 34.76%-efficient perovskite-silicon tandem lab-scale cell is based on heterojunction technology and developed by a collaboration of Solarlab Aiko Europe, Aiko headquarters, and its R&D in Yuwi, China.

Researchers in Norway investigated the melting behavior of silicon kerf agglomerates under different atmospheres and temperatures to improve recycling for solar-grade silicon. They found that vacuum melting enhances deoxidation and produces a homogeneous, oxide-free melt, while agglomerate size has little effect on melting behavior.

Glare from a nearby solar park forced temporary runway closures at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, prompting Dutch authorities to order the removal of about 78,000 PV modules and apply anti-reflective film to others. The solar park operator, however, decided to replace all the panels. The largest portion of the removed, near-new modules have since been acquired by BM Energy and are expected to be redeployed in projects where glare is not a concern.

Scientists have simulated a solar-powered hydrogen production system comprising 32,050 photovoltaic panels, a pumping system, a seawater reverse-osmosis desalination unit, an electrolyzer, and a hydrogen storage tank. Operation of the system in Oman could potentially yield a levelized cost of electricity of $0.05/kWh and a levelized cost of hydrogen of $9.5/kg.

In its latest monthly column for pv magazine, IEA PVPS shows that with climate-specific site selection, robust design, proper installation, and proactive O&M, most PV systems can be made resilient and remain reliable despite intensifying weather risks.

A team at Fraunhofer ISE has created new imaging methods to measure losses in individual sub-cells of multi-junction solar cells based on perovskite-silicon and perovskite-perovskite-silicon combinations.