Technology and R&D

The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems report producing perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells with open-circuit voltages exceeding 1.9 V as the result of a two-step hybrid evaporated/blade-coated process for perovskite films.

Researchers in South Korea have conducted a literature review on recorded cases of floating PV plants placed on mine pit lakes and tailings ponds, both of which are byproducts of the mining industry. Looking at more than dozens of cases, they have concluded that mine pit lakes generally provide more stable environments for deployment.

GCL Optoelectronics has achieved 29.51% efficiency for its perovskite-silicon tandem solar module, with the result certified by China’s National Institute of Metrology.

The European Commission says it will introduce an energy storage package in 2025, as outlined in a new report on progress by member states toward 2030 clean energy targets.

Researchers in China conceived a new PV forecasting approach that integrates causal convolution, recurrent structures, attention mechanisms, and the Kolmogorov–Arnold Network (KAN). Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms 10 existing forecasting models.

An international research team has observed a significant increase in series resistance in LECO-treated TOPCon solar cells after temperature and bias treatment. The scientists said they now need to conduct further investigations into its impact on cell efficiency, reliability, and bankability.

Researchers at University of Toledo produced antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) thin film solar cells with 7.69% power conversion efficiency after determining optimal hydrothermal deposition, post annealing, and light soaking conditions. Stability tests showed more than 95% of initial efficiency after ten months.

Chinese inverter maker Solavita says its new hybrid inverter series offers high PV oversizing, multi-port battery integration, and grid-smart controls to meet growing demand for scalable solar-plus-storage in commercial and industrial (C&I), and large residential markets.

The new FS5 v2 Spectrofluorometer is available as a benchtop system for fluorescence spectroscopy.

The system is described by its creators as a cost-effective solution for water heating by storing thermal energy in fine sand. Techno-economic analysis indicated the system is economically viable for domestic water heating applications, with an initial capital cost of $278 and an expected lifespan of 25 years.