Scientists boost organic solar cell efficiency using polymer zwitterions
A research team based in China and the United States has developed electroactive polymer zwitterions to modify zinc oxide interlayers in organic solar cells. Their work was found to passivate defects in organic solar cells, helping to improve device performance and stability.
Chinese scientists build 10.48 cm2 kesterite solar module with 10.1% efficiency
The efficiency result was confirmed by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The module was fabricated with 13.4%-efficient kesterite cells designed with high film porosity and uniformity.
PV-powered thermal distillation device with self-cleaning, cooling
Scientists in Hungary have built a prototype of a thermal distillation device, supported by PV power. The PV panels use an IoT component that self-cleans when dust is detected and cools itself when the temperatures are too high. The system achieved a daily freshwater yield of 6.1 L/m2⋅day.
SolarEdge unveils all-in-one residential inverter and clickable modular battery system
The stackable battery ranges 4.9 kWh to 19.6 kWh per unit while the inverter is available in ranges from 3.8 kW to 13 kW. The company also introduced a meter socket adapter to avoid triggering costly main panel upgrades.
NREL researchers warn of unexpectedly high UV-induced degradation in n-type solar modules
A research team from the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory has analyzed n-type modules deployed in a 3 MW commercial PV project in an effort to assess the high degradation rate reported by the plant owner. The scientists found that ultraviolet-induced degradation (UVID) was a major factor affecting the facility’s performance.
Hands-on with the Bluetti Apex 300 portable power station
A hands-on with the Apex 300 reveals it has unique strengths for those looking for portable power in a design that is made to expand through accessories.
Scaling perovskite tandems’ U.S. prospects
Three US manufacturers actively working to commercialize their respective perovskite-silicon tandem technologies make the case for tandem modules. CubicPV, Caelux and Swift Solar argue a commercial future for perovskites is inevitable, and they tell pv magazine the current policy environment could work in the technology’s favor.
Improving diamond wire sawing to reduce kerf loss in solar wafer production
Researches in China have sought to assess how lateral vibration in diamond wire sawing can increase kerf losses in solar wafer manufacturing and have developed a predictive model than can reportedly help reduce them. Their analysis showed that, with constant sawing parameters, smaller wafers suffer from greater excess kerf loss.
Floating PV system with ring-like floater geometry
Scientists in China have investigated the hydrodynamic performance of a novel modular floating photovoltaic system. They did so using a novel hybrid approach, which integrates viscous-flow effects from computational fluid dynamics into a potential-flow solver. They analyzed the new system with varying numbers of panels, either in a single chain or a parallel configuration.
Researchers identify main source of wide-bandgap solar perovskite degradation
Scientists in Belgium have investigated how perovskite absorbers used in solar cell degrade under three different stress test types and have found that the interface between the perovskite layer and the electron transport layer suffers from weak thermomechanical stability, which creates the conditions for performance losses.
