Technology and R&D

A group of scientists in Bangladesh has developed a model to determine the optimal cleaning schedule for a PV installation at any location in the globe, requiring only the average insolation and soiling rate for a given site to make the calculation. The study also draws new conclusions regarding the influence of sandstorms and rain on soiling, and aims to be among the first studies to paint a global picture of soiling trends by region.

Around 2,400 South Australians will soon be fogging up the bathroom mirror without qualms about the cost of heating water, as Solahart is set to implement a new trial to control hot water systems.

The product is available both with monocrystalline and CIGS solar cells and is claimed to be the world’s largest solar tile with dimensions of 457 x 510 mm.

French start-up Verkor is planning to build a 16 GWh manufacturing facility for EV batteries in southern France. French industry consultant Capgemini has joined the project to improve the manufacturing processes.

Scientists in Singapore have conducted a review of all existing methods to produce colorful opaque and semitransparent perovskite solar cells for applications in BIPV and urban environments. They identified two general approaches consisting of coloring the perovskites via external or internal modifications.

Reclaim PV is now one step closer to ensuring that solar generation lives up to the promise of providing clean energy throughout its life cycle, and that repurposing its component materials becomes viable.

South Korean researchers claim to have developed a PV cell with a higher efficiency rate than any other tandem cell based on perovskite and organic materials.

The expedition to Manaslu Peak (8,163m) in Nepal, led by Alex Txikon, will not consume a single liter of fossil fuels thanks to two portable photovoltaic installations. The initiative is being promoted by Eki, a foundation created by Spanish solar company Solarpack and supported by the Basque Energy Agency (EVE).

French company Sirea has installed one of its energy management systems on a rooftop PV plant that is connected to an air conditioning system at a school on Reunion island. The system can help manage four real-time measurement points: photovoltaic production, withdrawal and injection into the distribution network, consumption of cooling units, and building consumption.

A German research team has created a new solar cell architecture with self-assembled, three-dimensional nanocomposite thin film. The special cell configuration purportedly improves electrical output by a factor of five.