Photovoltaics for curved surfaces
Researchers in Japan have used heat-shrinkable polymers to laminate organic photovoltaics onto curved surfaces. The process improves efficiency while minimizing damage to photovoltaic components.
Solar-powered camper from Airstream is a two-wheeled electric car
The camper can be driven and parked without the use of a car, is integrated with solar, and optimized for the electric vehicle revolution.
The Hydrogen Stream: New fuel cell design to solve longstanding problem of overheating
Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers developed a new polymer fuel cell that is claimed to solve the long-known issue of overheating. Furthermore, Mexican cement producer Cemex invested in HiiROC, a UK-based hydrogen production startup, which developed a scalable technology that uses thermal plasma electrolysis to convert biomethane, flare gas, or natural gas into hydrogen at a reportedly lower cost than competing solutions.
Forget batteries, what if surplus renewable energy could be stored as information?
A pair of researchers from UC San Diego has proposed to precompute certain data when the grid is flooded with solar or wind power, and then store it on servers for later use.
Multiple effects of potential-induced degradation on solar module performance
UK researchers have analyzed the multiple effects of PID on 28 modules at an outdoor testing field. The novel approach considered all multiple PID effects through a comprehensive analysis, which included power losses, hotspots, mm-level defects, and the performance ratio.
Reversible photovoltaic shade under the Madrid sky
The 8 kW photovoltaic shade was deployed on the outdoor rest area of a commercial building located in the northern part of Madrid. It was built with conventional solar modules provided by JA Solar and a structure made with light galvanized steel profiles for plasterboard partitions.
Ford, Sunrun to backup US solar homes with the electric F-150
With Ford Intelligent Backup Power and the Home Integration System, F-150 Lightning will automatically kick in to power the home if the grid goes down, while also giving customers the freedom to charge their truck or power their home using their residential solar installation.
PV-powered rechargeable aqueous zinc battery
Conceived by scientists in China, the device combines an integrated carbon-based perovskite solar cell module with a rechargeable aqueous zinc metal cell. The proposed system achieved an overall efficiency of 6.4%, and a steady operation for more than 200 cycles with little performance degradation.
SolarAPP+ permitting software reduces project times in pilot run
The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory has released a free, web-based platform for automatic residential solar permit approvals.
Maxeon extends IBC modules’ product, perfomance warranty to 40 years
The manufacturer said the 40/40 warranty is the longest and most comprehensive combined warranty offered in the photovoltaic industry to date. The product line is sold in most countries outside the United States and Canada under the SunPower Maxeon brand.
