Technology and R&D

Researchers from Tokyo Tech, AIST, and Yamagata University have demonstrated drastic reduction of resistance at the interface between the positive electrode and solid electrolyte of an all-solid-state lithium battery is achievable by annealing the entire battery cell.

Developed by scientists in China, the cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of 1.192V, and a fill factor of 80.67%. Its perovskite capping layer was treated with a special ionic liquid that had a positive influence on both the device’s efficiency and stability.

Deployment in the building integrated PV segment is accelerating, and so too are the number of solar products available to architects and developers. And while BIPV had long been the segment in which an array of thin-film technologies could shine, they are now in increasingly stiff competition with crystalline silicon rivals.

Researchers in the UK have developed a novel controllable unidirectional ice-templating strategy to fabricate new carbon electrode materials which can boost the performances of sodium and potassium-ion batteries.

Recent research from Thailand has shown that solar-plus-storage on floating platforms could be the cheapest option to power energy-intensive aeration systems in aquaculture projects. The battery accounts for around 54% of the capital costs, which is why system sizing would be key for economic viability.

Developed in partnership with Dutch heating specialist Feenstra, the all-electric heat pump solution will initially be available in the Netherlands. The system’s buffer works as a heat battery that is used to provide heat to radiators and generate hot tap water.

French start-up HelioRec has developed a new floater that can contain water to add more weight and increase its stability on the water. According to its creators, the new product can be 3.5 times more stable than conventional blow-molded floaters.

Built by the Chint Group, the project is currently the largest in China combining PV power generation and fish farming. It is located in Wenzhou, a city with a subtropical maritime monsoon climate in China’s Zhejiang province.

Franklin Whole Home has developed an integrated battery and control system with artificial intelligence. It is inverter-agnostic, can be used to charge electric-vehicle batteries, and turns homes into microgrids when utility services are down.

With a new start-up and a consortium in the Netherlands, German automotive supplier Schaeffler wants to significantly reduce the costs of green hydrogen.