Technology and R&D

The independent test lab Kiwa PVEL names 53 manufacturers and 388 models–a record number of Top Performers in the ten-year history of the Scorecard.

The new edition of the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV), published this week, reveals that the world’s installed PV capacity reached 1.6 TW at the end of last year. The learning curve, which reflects average module prices relative to cumulative shipments, is 24.9% for the period from 1976 to 2023.

Wattando has developed a new rooftop PV solution that can be easily connected to a household’s power network via an AC connection. The system uses existing infrastructure and reportedly reduces installation work and time.

An international research team developed an organic solar cell based on a novel non-monotonic intermediated state manipulation strategy. The device reportedly showed non-radiative recombination losses while exhibiting remarkable power conversion efficiency.

After analyzing the future usage of material by the crystalline silicon PV industry, including glass, aluminum, silver, copper, ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA), and silicon, a German research team found that a circular recycling approach could address foreseeable supply problems. It could also reportedly become economically sustainable.

ABB says it has launched a smart panel for home energy management in partnership with Lumin, featuring software to control solar, batteries, and electric-vehicle chargers.

New research from India shows the advantages of deploying fixed tilt PV systems with low angles in regions with high summer load demand like India. The scientists said that, although PV systems with low tilt angles may not achieve maximum power yield or the lowest levelized cost of energy (LCOE), they can reduce reliance on expensive grid electricity during high-demand periods.

Leapton says its new panels have a temperature coefficient of -0.30% per C and an efficiency of up to 23.14%. They come with a 30-year power output guarantee for 87.4% of the initial yield.

The partnership will see architecture and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), responsible for some of the world’s tallest buildings, incorporate Energy Vault’s gravity energy storage technology into tall buildings in urban environments and deployable structures in natural environments.

The European Commission says it has started working on a new pilot mechanism, and Italy has agreed to expand collaboration with Austria and Germany, while also supporting cooperation between Italian companies and Finland’s Wärtsilä.