Technology and R&D

DEC’s “Dongchu No. 1” prototype completed more than 100 charge-discharge cycles at 65 meters depth in a freshwater lake.

Rising silver prices are pushing PV manufacturers toward copper-based metallization, with DK Electronic Materials targeting 2026 for large-scale deployment of high-copper paste solutions, while Fraunhofer ISE warns efficiency trade-offs remain unacceptable.

Researchers in Spain have tested the erosion resistance of common galvanized coatings using both free-falling sand and forced-air sand-impingement methods. The study found that continuously galvanized steel coatings showed the lowest erosion rates, outperforming HDG and Zn-Al-Mg coatings.

With data center demand rising and residential batteries evolving from backup power to grid assets, Marco Krapels, SVP and chief marketing officer at Enphase Energy, says the industry must shift from “save with solar” to “get Enphase, get paid.”

China-based metallization paste supplier DK Electronic Materials says a major unnamed customer has adopted its high-copper metallization paste for gigawatt-scale solar cell production, combining copper paste with a seed-layer silver paste compatible with n-type and tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) 3.0 processes.

France-based IT services provider Cyllene has developed the RC-DC4/5G “Cyllene Box,” a network device for PV power plants that manages multiple internet connections, encrypts data, and supports compliance with the European Union Network and Information Security Directive (NIS 2).

Researchers have used multivalent amidinium ligands to boost perovskite solar cell efficiency to 25.4%, achieving over 95% stability after 1,100 hours at 85  C. The proposed approach enables controlled low-dimensional passivation layers, offering a practical route for durable, large-area perovskite devices.

A research group from the European Commission Joint Research Centre has developed a new PV climatic classification, the first to address annual yield and performance ratio. Their work resulted in 10 globally applicable clusters. “It challenges the assumption that many more classes are needed to capture PV-relevant climate,” the researchers said.

The Australian scientists designed the cell with a sodium sulfide additive to achieve uniform sulfur and selenium distribution, improving charge transport.
This controlled elemental layering reduces energy barriers and defects, enabling a certified efficiency of 10.7%.

US-based Copeland has launched its Sensi Hydro sanitary water heat pump designed to provide energy-efficient hot water for hotels, commercial buildings, and public facilities. The units feature ZW scroll compressors, independent refrigerant circuits, and backup mode to ensure reliable hot water supply.