Technology and R&D

Scientists in Canada evaluated the potential of a lesser-known approach to boosting solar generation efficiency. Thermionics uses heat from the sun to generate electricity, and could be combined with photovoltaics to create devices with better than 40% efficiency from a single junction. In their evaluation, the scientists find promising pathways for further research, despite a mountain of challenges that will need to be overcome.

South Korean scientists have developed a novel coating that purportedly reduces average cell reflectance and significantly increases short-circuit current. The coating is based on aluminum oxide and indium tin oxide.

The two agreed to advance safe deployment and use of second-life battery energy storage systems.

U.S. scientists have developed a new way to combine PV generation and rabbit farming. They claim their new approach to agrivoltaics produces lower emissions and uses less energy than non-integrated methods.

Researchers from the TNO in the Netherlands have proposed two novel east-west PV plant designs that are claimed to increase soil quality underneath the solar panels. Both approaches are said to provide a 77% ground coverage ratio, which compares to a 90% ratio in conventional east-west oriented projects.

Research suggests that we can power 80% of the United States with wind, solar, and 12 hours of energy storage, but the replacement of nuclear power plants hasn’t been financially viable. Is that about to change?

Ankica Kovač is an assistant professor at the University of Zagreb and the head of the Power Engineering Laboratory. She is also a member of the Council of the President of the Republic of Croatia for Energy Transition, along with numerous energy transition bodies and working groups.

Xinte’s parent company – TBEA – has agreed to buy new shares issued by the company for RMB2.3 billion and these funds will be used to implement its 100,000 MT expansion plan. Furthermore, EVA solar film manufacturer Bbetter Century and 8 GW factory in the Shaanxi Province.

Gazprom said it will participate in projects to develop technologies for the production, transportation, storage, and use of hydrogen, as well as the utilization of carbon dioxide. Furthermore, Italy’s Fincantieri and Enel are developing an integrated solution for the production, supply, management, and use of green hydrogen for port areas and long-range maritime transport.

Researchers in China have developed a smart solar window tech based on a photovoltachromic device that is able to achieve a high pristine transmittance and to be self-adaptable to control indoor brightness and temperature. The device was assembled via a full solution process in an architecture incorporating glass, a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) layer, a perovskite-based PV cell, an electrochromic gel, another FTO layer, and glass.