Technology and R&D

An international research group has analyzed the most important barriers preventing antimony trisulfide solar cells from reaching satifsfying power conversion efficiencies and has suggested a series of optimization parameters that could get them closer to commercial production.

Researchers from West Virginia University have secured $1.6 million from the US Department of Energy to install and assess the benefits of agrivoltaics on small cattle farms.

A set of technological improvements incorporated into the new product NAS MODEL L24 allows for lower maintenance costs compared to the earlier sodium sulfur battery type developed by the two manufacturers.

The report from kWh Analytics, with input from several industry leaders, identified 14 risks to be aware of in the solar industry, including risks related to extreme weather, such as hail, and operational risks.

French developer Solveo Energies has developed a 247 kW agrivoltaic facility spread across 3,500 m2. The system features trackers controlled by the Cultiveo Dynamique algorithm, to protect an apricot farm in Pyrénées-Orientales, France.

A research group in Canada has optimized the performance of concentrator photovoltaics by using the so-called surface-mount technology for thermal management. The CPV module prototype utilizes four non-interconnected III-V germanium cells, a Fresnel lens, and a transparent glass printed-circuit board.

Researchers in China have built a tandem-perovskite solar cell with a top perovskite device based on an absorber treated with n-butanol, which reportedly reduces the detrimental effects of moisture in manufacturing processes carried out in air environment. The result is a tandem cell with improved charge collection.

The authorities in the Philippines have inaugurated the country’s largest solar-powered irrigation system, featuring more than 1,000 solar panels and two submersible pumps. The system benefits over 200 farmers and is the first of its kind to be constructed over an irrigation canal, preserving farming land.

Elewit, the tech platform of Spain’s Red Eléctrica de España (REE), has revealed plans to build a hybrid storage project in the Canary Islands, featuring an 18.8 MVA virtual synchronous compensator and a 16 MW hybrid solution based on ultracapacitors.

Taiwanese manufacturer Winaico said its newest bifacial, n-type, glass-glass TOPCon compact modules are available in a 435 W aluminum-framed version, and a 430 W full-black version. The module efficiency is up to 22.30%.