Sinovoltaics tracks emerging PV manufacturing hubs in Europe, North America
Sinovoltaics is studying the changes in the supply chains in manufacturing hubs in Europe and North America to determine site capacity, current and planned, for dozens of manufacturers. The results are being published in free reports.
PV-driven water splitting system with solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 9.8%
Scientists in Korea have built a green hydrogen system prototype that embeds a PV generation unit based on photoanodes made of perosvksite solar cells. The device purportedly achieved a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 9.8% for a device with a size of 0.25 cm2, and 8.5% for a system measuring 123.2 cm2.
New method to find right tilt angle for PV systems located in high-latitude, cold regions
A group of researchers from Sweden has developed a new model to find the optimal tilt angle in PV installations located at high latitudes. The new approach takes into account, among other factors, the effect of transmittance change based on snow.
First attempt to build selenium-silicon tandem solar cells
Scientists in Denmark attempted for the first time to build a selenium-silicon tandem solar cell and found the device was immediately able to deliver a remarkable open-circuit voltage. Despite its current low efficiency levels, the new cell concept promises to reach efficiencies over 40%, according to its creators.
K2 Systems to offer mounting system for green solar roofs
Germany’s K2 Systems says that its new mounting system will be available in the spring. It supports module elevation of 10 degrees to 15 degrees.
Researchers identify path to fast-charging lithium-sulfur batteries
Australian researchers have designed a new catalyst that has the potential to deliver a new generation of lithium-sulfur batteries that can be charged in less than five minutes, instead of several hours.
French startup offers solar aerothermal system for space heating
Solar Brother, a French startup, has developed a solar aerothermal system for space heating. The system incorporates a PV panel, an aerothermal heat pump module, and cassette filtration, enabling homeowners to save on heating.
Scientists identify new ‘promising’ absorber material for thin-film solar cells
Researchers in the United States have identified zintl-phosphide (BaCd2P2) as a new potential high efficiency absorber material for thin-film PV applications among 40,000 promising inorganic materials. The selected compound has a potential energy bandgap of 1.45 eV and a carrier lifetime of up to 30 ns.
How to convert PV plants with dual-axis trackers into agrivoltaic facilities
A Spanish group of researchers has investigated how much agricultural production may be hosted by existing ground-mounted PV plants using dual-axis trackers. They outlined a new methodology that reportedly enables to quantify how much space around and beneath the panels can be uses for agricultural purposes.
Austrian startup launches portable containerized PV system
Solarcont has developed a portable, containerized PV system featuring 240 solar modules on a folding system for easy removal and storage.
