Technology and R&D

Researchers at Western Australia’s Curtin University have developed a low-cost and environmentally friendly method to capture solar power and produce clean fuels such as hydrogen.

The European Solar Manufacturing Council has been launched at EU PVSEC in Brussels. Participating research institutes, mechanical engineers, material and PV manufacturers stress the importance of having big solar manufacturers in Europe.

The new Selectively Coated Ribbons (SCR) technology could improve yields by 2.2 Watts on module level, says the manufacturer. The new ribbons can also be used with existing equipment, omitting the need for manufacturers to invest in new production outlay, at a time when profit margins in module manufacturing are squeezed.

In an interview with pv magazine, vice president of GoodWe, Ron Shen, talks about the company’s plans for Germany, Spain, Africa and India, in addition to its goal to triple production capacity to 15 GW in China. He also discusses the effect of China’s 31/5 policy change, and plans for an initial public offering (IPO).

The Dutch company provides lithium iron phosphate batteries and employs artificial intelligence solutions for mobility-as-a-service applications. It aims to develop its technology further with the help of the University of Twente.

The market for EVs is experiencing robust uptake worldwide with companies, governments and municipalities implementing policies to drive development. EVN and EVBox announced plans for expansion this week, and the UK government is also pouring investment subsidies into the electric vehicle market.

In PERC modules, both light and elevated temperature induced degradation (LeTID) and light induced degradation (LID) must be mitigated. What makes this tricky, however, is that the mitigation process of the first, counteracts that of the second, says Karin Krauß, R&D project manager, Rehm Thermal Systems. At the pv magazine Roundtable in Taipei next week, she will discuss possible solutions with cell and module manufacturers, and EPCs.

The Sahara Desert, and the Sahel region, could be set to take advantage of large-scale wind and solar power projects covering huge surfaces.

The benefits of deploying bifacial solar panels on single-axis trackers are touted like snake oil these days, with promises of anywhere from 5 to 50% gains in energy output compared with a monofacial panel. Unfortunately, the field data that might delineate the actual energy gain of a bifacial panel on a tracker are hard to acquire, and the data that are available typically describe small-scale tests under tightly defined conditions.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has offered funding to nine Australian universities and research organizations to propel innovation in green hydrogen export.