Technology and R&D

Energy commissioner Kadri Simson has opened the 38th European solar technology conference and exhibition with a positive message for the industry. A week of tech and innovation events have got under way at this year’s event, which is again being held online.

German scientists have built a perovskite solar cell with spiro-TTB as a hole transport material, via the thermal co-evaporation method. The solar cell has an open-circuit voltage of 1.08 V, a fill factor of 83.0%, and a short-circuit current of 21.6 mA cm.

Switzerland-based Energy Pier has developed a new concept for hybrid-wind solar projects located along highways. The proposed solution combines a rooftop PV system with small scale wind generators that are installed on both sides of the supporting pillars of the system.

Scientists in Germany developed a new process for manufacturing battery electrodes, that they say could be both more cost effective and environmentally friendly compared to current technologies. The technique could be applied to a range of different battery materials/chemistries and its creators say they are in discussion with a number of battery cell manufacturers regarding pilot production.

A Dutch research group has shown that south-oriented solar parks offer better environmental conditions for soil and vegetation than east-west oriented facilities. According to their findings, a distance between panel rows of at least 1.5 times panel height is crucial to favor ideal plant growth and soil functioning.

Off-peak electricity rates in Australia are quickly becoming an unhelpful price signal for rooftop solar owners, who benefit by self consuming their excess solar ahead of drawing electricity from the grid at any time of day.

Moreover, two big Russian corporations have unveiled plans to produce hydrogen and Portuguese utility EDP said it wants to set up a a pilot project for a green hydrogen plant in Brazil.

Oceans of Energy is planning to deploy a 3 MW off-shore floating PV array in the North Sea.

Scientists in Switzerland found that perovskites can be used to detect thermal neutrons emitted by radioactive devices. Taking advantage of several properties that also make the materials attractive for solar cell applications, the group was able to fabricate a novel device that could have various practical applications, including in energy generation.

US scientists claim to have created a crossover-free, high-voltage, non-aqueous hybrid flow battery with a novel chemistry for the solid sodium anode. The device has shown a high working voltage of around 2.6 V and a coulombic efficiency of 95.0%.