Technology and R&D

Newton Energy Solutions claims its new thermal storage system is ideal for houses equipped with solar panels and either heat pumps or gas boilers. The battery has an energy storage capacity of 20 kWh to 29 kWh.

Georgia Tech researchers have discovered that isolated water or oxygen exposure does not degrade cells, as it is the interplay of the molecules that causes rapid degradation.

Longi has announced the achievement of 27.09% efficiency for its heterojunction back contact (HBC) solar cell, a result that has been confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH).

A Spanish research team aims to bring concentrating photovoltaics closer to commercial viability by miniaturizing its components. The scientists claim that smaller CPV cells may reduce production costs and enable better CPV module assembly.

A group of researchers in China has developed an energy management system for modular gravity storage. Compared to single block gravity storage, the modular counterpart offers more flexibility in output power, ease of mass production of related equipment and better flexibility in the selection of weights.

KPIT, an India-based automotive software and engineering solutions supplier, has unveiled its proprietary sodium-ion battery technology, and is now on the lookout for manufacturing partners. Ravi Pandit, chairman of KPIT, tells pv magazine, that that the company has developed multiple variants with energy density ranging from 100 Wh/kg to 170 Wh/kg, and potentially reaching 220 Wh/kg.

A handful of projects are now exploring for “natural” hydrogen, also known as “white” hydrogen. pv magazine speaks with Adam Bumby, associate professor of structural geology at the University of Pretoria, about the HyAfrica project and the geological strata and structures that are most suitable for hydrogen storage.

A team of scientists at Germany’s Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen Nürnberg has set an efficiency record of 14.46% for an organic PV module. The performance was certified by Germany’s Fraunhofer Institue for Solar Energy’s PV calibration laboratory (CalLab).

German renewable energy developer BayWa re has collected scientific data on aquatic fauna, water quality, and avifauna from several environmental impact monitoring studies on eight of its operational floating PV facilities in Europe. It has found the artificial habitats under the panels offer protection to some animal species and improvements to water quality.

CEA-INES researchers and Enel have developed a new solar cell with an active area of 9 cm² and an open-circuit voltage above 1,900 mV. Their results improve on the 27.1% efficiency they achieved for the same kind of cell in June.