Technology and R&D

Lux Research has found that the copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar market is likely to double between now and 2015. However, it warns that only a few manufacturers will succeed.

Scientists from Germany and the U.S. use a sunflower pattern to enhance concentrated solar efficiency. The RWTH Aachen University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) create a heliostat array that is more compact.

The Arizona State University (ASU), Salt River Project (SRP) and SunPower Corp. announced today that a one-megawatt (MW) project will go ahead, the first to use SunPower’s C7, concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) technology. SunPower hopes the trackers can achieve the lowest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for photovoltaics.

After spending more than seven years constantly on the move in hazardous, previously uncharted territory, the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity—a geologic robot— is taking some time to kick back and bask in the sun.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has entered a patent license agreement with Natcore Technology Inc. to develop a line of black silicon products that can help to increase solar PV cell efficiency.

The next coat of paint on the exterior of our houses may just generate electricity from the sun. University of Notre Dame’s researchers have taken a leap towards this vision by creating ‘solar paint’.

The solar racing car SolarWorld GT has crossed Australia and New Zealand, ending the first leg of the round-the-world trip. The solar powered car will now move on to San Francisco and then across the North American continent.

Imec, Polyera and Solvay announce that they have achieved a world record efficiency of 8.3 percent on their organic solar cells, which use inverted architecture.

Solar3D, Inc., developer of a three-dimensional solar cell technology, has announced that simulated tests on its new cell design, have indicated that conversion efficiencies of over 25 percent are achievable.

Just over a week after Imec and Kaneka announced they had developed a silver-free heterojunction silicon solar cell, Germany-based Scott Solar says it has produced a cell using copper contacts, instead of the precious metal. The company has also closed a cell production facility.