Wavelabs unveils tester for mini perovskite solar modules
The Germany-based testing equipment manufacturer has launched mini-module testing equipment targeted at researchers working on scaling perovskite solar cell technology, thin film devices, and wafer-based PV.
U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab announces layoffs
A statement released by NREL calls the layoffs an “involuntary separation,” thanks them for their work and acknowledges that the mission is critical to achieving “an affordable and secure energy future.”
Canadian Solar’s storage unit launches 5 MWh battery
The battery unit of the Chinese PV manufacturer said its new large-scale battery has a lifecycle of over 12,000 cycles. The system has a nominal capacity of 5 MWh and a roundtrip efficiency of up to 95%.
Harnessing the power of agrivoltaics: the future of sustainable land use
In its latest monthly column for pv magazine, IEA PVPS provides a comprehensive overview of the recently released edition of the “Dual Land Use for Agriculture and Solar Power Production: Overview and Performance of Agrivoltaic Systems” report. The 91-page handbook was developed by IEA PVPS Task 13.
PV outperforms wind, piezoelectric energy in street lighting
Scientists in Thailand have assessed which technology between PV, wind, or piezoelectric energy is better for powering street lighting and have found solar is the winning tech, as it proved both economically and technologically feasible.
How to find optimum PV placement in mountain regions
Switzerland’s WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) is investigating how solar yield can be optimized in snow-covered terrain. It is envisaged the results will help to place PV systems on mountains so they make use of light that is reflected from neighbouring slopes.
UK scientists build PV redox flow battery with 9.54% solar-to-chemical efficiency
The PV-driven redox flow battery can reportedly achieve a maximum solar-to-output electricity efficiency of 3.11% during a 36-hour period. The system incorporates a 25 cm2 heterojunction photovoltaic device and is based on a neutral pH aqueous iodine-bromine redox couple.
Solar grazing supports healthier soil, food for sheep, says American Solar Grazing Association
Solar sheep grazing helps to create a beneficial dual-use environment, found American Solar Grazing Association in a two-year study conducted at 31 different solar sites.
Fraunhofer develops contactless method for measuring back-contact solar cells
Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have developed a contactless method to measure the performance of back-contact solar cells, enabling in-line assessment of key parameters such as efficiency, fill factor, and current-voltage characteristics.
Inverted perovskite solar cell based on ionic salt achieves 26% efficiency
An international team led by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has used ionic salt for the electron transport layer of a perovskite solar cell to improve device stability and performance. Test results showed a 26% power conversion efficiency with 2% degradation after 2,100 hours of 1-sun operation at 65 C.
