Organic PV module with 12.36% efficiency
Chinese researchers have taken a quaternary approach to fabricate a module with an area of 19.34 cm2, a geometrical filling factor of 95.5%, and an efficiency of 12.36%.
Canadian Solar acquires German off-grid specialist
Berlin-based start-up Solarworx specializes in the supply of modular, off-grid, solar-plus-storage solutions.
Volkswagen, Iberdrola, Enel, BP to install EV recharging stations, battery plants in Europe
German car manufacturer Volkswagen plans to create a gigantic network of charging points for electric cars in Europe with Enel and BP. They aim to set up six gigafactories for EV batteries across Europe by the end of this decade, with a total production capacity of 240 GWh.
URE Corp wants to begin TopCon solar cell production this year
The Taiwanese cell and module manufacturer claims to have achieved a 23.5% efficiency for its TopCon solar cell.
New deals in Australia’s growing redox flow battery sector
Redflow has agreed to supply biowaste specialist Anaergia with a 2 MWh energy storage system, while Perth-based Technology Metals has signed a deal with Japan’s LE System to potentially make vanadium electrolyte in Australia.
Iron redox flow battery promises to store power at €0.05/kWh
The Landshut University of Applied Sciences and German start-up Voltstorage will initially develop a residential battery with a capacity of 8 kWh. At a later stage, they want to fabricate a 50 kWh device for applications in the commercial segment.
Flexible perovskite quantum dot solar cell with 15.1% efficiency
An international research team has developed a PV cell with all-inorganic cesium-lead iodide (CsPbI3) perovskite. The scientists added phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), one of the best electron acceptors in organic PV cells, into the CsPbI3 quantum dot layer.
Solar tile made in Germany
German manufacturer Autarq is selling its solar tiles at a price ranging from €25 to €30 per piece. It claims a PV system built with these products can cover around 70% of household needs.
An aluminum battery that can charge in a fraction of a second
Scientists in China and the United States investigated the inner workings of aluminum-ion batteries. With new insights into mechanisms at work within the battery during cycling, the group was able to demonstrate a battery capable of ultrafast charging, with the highest capacity so far reported for an aluminum battery.
Floating PV for desalination
Spanish water-treatment specialist Emalsa has teamed up with Instituto Tecnologico de Canarias ITC and Universidad Europea de Canarias to study the feasibility of a 1.53 MW floating solar plant that could potentially power the Piedra Santa desalination plant in Gran Canaria.
