Technology and R&D

California has completed the 1.6 MW Nexus canal-top solar pilot, adding a 75 kW iron-flow battery system as part of a $20 million state-funded project to test water and energy benefits.

Conceived for Nordic conditions, the Raynor heat pump features a seasonal coefficient of performance of 5.1 and a cooling seasonal energy efficiency rating of 9.2.

Researchers in China have investigated four strategies that minimize TOPCon solar cell surface recombination centers and improve light trapping performance. They identified alkali polishing with micro-texturing as the most suitable technique to improve TOPCon cell open-circuit voltage and fill factor and the overall device performance.

The company said that its Dowsil EG-4175 Silicone Gel resists temperatures of up to 180 C in next-generation IGBT modules used in inverters.

The Japanese companies have used their unique technologies to demonstrate how glass from end-of-life PV panels can be used in office furniture components, specifically in an office privacy cabin.

Scientists at Italy’s University of Cagliari explored the integration of a water electrolyzer with a floating PV-pumped hydro energy storage system. They found that under high curtailment conditions, hydrogen production helped to stabilize system efficiency and lower the levelized cost of electricity when compared to a system without the electrolyzer.

Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has launched a 2025–29 project with 24 themes to advance the development of next-generation solar cells, site-specific systems, grid stability, and recycling in line with its carbon neutrality goal.

The system plugs into either a standard power outlet or the main electrical panel and automatically captures surplus solar energy – whether generated by rooftop panels or a portable plug‑and‑play kit. Up to four modules, each with a capacity of 2,200 Wh and 500 W of output, can be combined, and the system comes with a 7,500-cycle warranty for long-term reliability.

S&P Global’s first 2025 Tier 1 Cleantech Companies list ranks 63 solar, wind, inverter, and battery suppliers by technology, financial health, and sustainability to guide investors and developers.

The industry sector is most challenging to defossilize, due to high energy and feedstock demand, large and continuously running production plants, hard-to-abate process emissions, and infrastructural challenges. In public discourse, hydrogen is discussed prominently for industry, but its role may be overestimated. Solar PV as the least cost source of electricity may bring the electrification of industry to the next level.