Technology and R&D

Australian grid operator Transgrid has partnered with German machinery manufacturer Zeck for the use of its innovative steel separation tech. Zeck’s machine can process electricity transmission lines into a recycle-ready state onsite. Previously, Transgrid sent old transmission lines offshore for this process at a much higher cost.

Croatia’s Viktor Lenac Shipyard aims to replace electric boilers and a water-to-water heat pump with a seawater heat pump, in order to provide heat and cooling for buildings. The pilot project is backed by EU funding and has launched a tender to support the construction of the seawater heat pump.

Scientists in Belgium have designed a solar-powered electrolyzer that uses standard-sized, large area shingled silicon PV for water splitting. The system is reportedly able to achieve solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 10% at electrolyzer current densities of approximately 60 mA cm−2.

A new three-year pilot project will assess the efficiency of vehicle-integrated PV and verify it with on-the-road monitoring and testing. The goal is to predict the charging infrastructure needed for electric vehicles with PV modules.

US researchers are studying how agrivoltaic systems mounted on single-axis trackers affect rainfall and light redistribution at a 1.2 MW installation on grassland in Boulder, Colorado.

Gautam Solar’s 10-busbar solar panels feature peak power outputs ranging from 520 W to 550 W, with front-side conversion efficiencies ranging from 20.11% to 21.27%.

TÜV Sud has confirmed that the maximum power of Risen Energy’s heterojunction PV module series is 741.4 W.

Cadenza Innovation produces its SuperCell with funding assistance from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The battery technology prevents the problem of “thermal runaway events.”

Shell has provided Australian startup MGA Thermal with “game-changer” funding to accelerate the completion of a commercial-scale pilot storage plant.

Long-duration energy storage (LDES) is essential for decarbonizing the grid but gigawatt-hour scale systems continue to be tricky for companies with big ideas. Here are some of the latest innovations across a flourishing array of new – and old – ideas.