French startup deploys 300 kW offshore solar pilot in Mediterranean
SolarinBlue has deployed the first units of an offshore PV pilot plant in the Mediterranean Sea, 1.5 km off the port of Sète, France.
Scientists achieve 24.83% efficiency with 2D/3D heterojunction perovskite PV cell
Researchers in China have built a perovskite solar cell with a 2D/3D heterojunction architecture. The device has an open-circuit voltage of 1.19 V, a short-circuit current of 25.21 mA cm−2, and a fill factor of 82.61%.
Australian startup using second-life Nissan Leaf EV battery packs for storage
Relectrify, an Australian battery technology startup, has secured approval from the International Electrotechnical Commission for its ReVolve energy storage product, which opens the way for it to globally scale up its cell-level control tech.
Used, resold PV module prices aligned with general market, says US supplier
EnergyBin has released its annual PV module price index, which shows that module prices have fallen from their 2022 peak – but they are still more expensive than they were in 2020.
Bosch unveils propane heat pump for residential applications
Germany’s Bosch has developed an air-source heat pump that uses propane (R290) as the refrigerant. It can produce between 3.9 kW and 6.7 kW of heat, and domestic hot water to a temperature of up to 75 C. It says the heat pump can be paired with rooftop solar to maximize self-consumption.
Solitek to build 600 MW solar module factory in Italy
Solitek has revealed plans to build a new manufacturing facility in Benevento, Italy.
Australia startup announces nanosilicon tech that may help build better batteries
Australian materials tech developer Kinaltek has unveiled a one-step production process that it says can convert common silica powders into battery-grade nanosilicon for less than 5% of the cost of existing technologies. The innovation paves the way for the use of silicon nanoparticles in high-performance lithium-ion batteries.
Midsummer develops 24.9% efficient 4T tandem perovskite-CIGS solar cell
Midsummer and researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), say that their new tandem PV cell is suitable for the company’s Duo production equipment, which makes 56 mm x 156 mm CIGS cells on a flexible stainless steel substrate.
Iberdrola using dogs, robots to monitor solar plants
Iberdrola is using a springer spaniel in a solar park to smell electrical problems that could lead to power cuts. It is also using a robotic dog to detect and analyze faults in substations.
Paving the way for lead-free perovskite solar cells
Researchers in Singapore have developed a perovskite solar cell via a new method to synthesize the capping without using lead. The cell is capped with a zinc-based compound and reportedly has a conversion efficiency of 24.1%.
