Technology and R&D

Dutch scientists have used atomic layer deposition to build an organic solar cell with a tin oxide electron transport layer. This improved electron mobility and transparency, resulting in a record fill factor.

Solis has released a new line of hybrid inverters in five different power output versions, ranging from 3 kW to 8 kW. The hybrid inverters can be used with either lithium-ion or lead-acid batteries, with a maximum charging and discharging current of 190 A.

Balcony solar modules are becoming increasingly popular. TÜV, a technical inspection association in Germany, has come up with tips to safely install and operate them.

In recent months, China’s Risen Energy has posted impressive module efficiencies, closing in on 24%, with its hyper-ion series. The company will ramp up to large-scale production of these heterojunction products in the first half of 2023, and pv magazine recently caught up with Risen Energy’s Chief Information Officer Terry Wu to discuss this, as well as the company’s work on energy storage projects.

An international research team has fabricated a quasi-2D perovskite solar cell with a special kind of phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI) salt to enhance hole extraction. The result is a 23.08%-efficient device that is also able to retain 95% of its initial efficiency after 900 hours.

Spanish researchers compared two software programs that are used to analyze bifacial PV systems. They found that PVsyst outperformed Comsol in calculating solar production in nearly all cases.

UK researchers have assessed the cost of a 24V soluble lead flow battery optimized for PV applications. They have found that a total component cost of GBP 50 ($62)/kWh could be achieved, which is half that of current nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) lithium-ion cells.

A research team has studied the potential of using concentrating photovoltaics in agriculture and found that it offers advantages in terms of energy yield and de-shading compared to conventional photovoltaics. However, the higher costs must be carefully considered.

Bosch has announced plans to build its first heat pump factory in Dobromierz, Poland. The German heating manufacturer will invest €225 million ($247.3 million) in the new facility, which is expected to start operations in early 2026.

Non-synchronous renewable energy affects grid stability but storage-as-transmission (SAT) assets offer grid companies a trump card. Whether it’s “virtual transmission” in Australia, Germany’s “Grid Booster” program, or the giga-scale pipeline of projects emerging in the United Kingdom, energy storage is finding a way.