All solar is equal, but rooftop solar is more equal
Cornell Researchers have found that upstate New Yorkers prefer rooftop solar to community solar under 50 acres, but opinions are split 50/50 over large-scale ground mounts. The distaste for utility-scale solar is strongest when converting forests, public land and productive farmland.
Perovskite ink for flexible solar panels
Developed by a Canadian start-up, Solar Ink can be used to create standalone perovskite solar modules or it can be combined with existing solar modules in a tandem configuration. It can be coated on both flexible and rigid substrates, resulting in translucent solar cells which, in turn, can be used to produce flexible and light modules for application in solar windows and vehicle-integrated photovoltaics.
Modeling method for agrivoltaics in greenhouses
Spanish researchers have developed a new modeling technique to assess the performance of semi-transparent PV systems for greenhouses. Their novel approach considers the broadband and spectral content of the irradiance, the solar cell technology and its performance metrics, and the relationship between the photosynthetic rate and the effective photon flux that falls on the crops.
Seraphim releases PV module series with 595/670W of output, up to 21.57% efficiency
Seraphim’s new solar modules are available in monofacial and bifacial variants. They rely on multi-busbar technology and are built with 210 mm silicon wafers.
US scientists explore how to compensate battery owners for grid value
Current price signals to distributed battery owners “do not align with grid value,” says a study from the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
Solar module tech from oldest PV system in Netherlands
A solar panel on display at a science museum in the Netherlands is one of 2,748 modules that were used for the country’s oldest PV system. The module has an efficiency of around 9% and a power output of 18W. It was manufactured by Germany-based AEG-Telefunken in 1982.
All-polymer organic solar cell with 16.05% efficiency
The device achieved the highest efficiency and fill factor ever reported for an all-polymer solar cell based on polymerized small molecular acceptors. The cell was built with a top donor material known as PBDB-T and an electron acceptor made of the polymer PYT.
Millions saved with onsite mulching of solar trash
Florida utility FPL has been mulching solar panel packaging – cardboard boxes and pallets – to save approximately $130,000 per 75 MW (AC) site, compared to standard disposal practices.
The Hydrogen Stream: More large scale hydrogen for Port of Rotterdam
Elsewhere, French renewable hydrogen startup Lhyfe has announced it is building an electrolyzer in eastern Germany, and Los Angeles-based Southern California Gas has launched a hydrogen-powered drone to monitor its gas grid.
Cadmium selenide solar cell with 1.88% efficiency
The cell may be potentially used as a top subcell in tandem crystalline silicon-based devices. It was built with CdSe thin film with a direct bandgap of 1.72 eV.
