Fraunhofer ISE unveils M10 TOPCon solar cell with 24.0% efficiency
The German research institute said the new 120 µm thin solar cell could exceed 25% efficiency with the next optimization steps. The device was metalized via screen-printed contact fingers and calibrated by scientists at the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin.
Svolt abandons plans to open battery factory in Germany
Chinese battery manufacturer Svolt has cancelled plans to open a plant in the German state of Brandenburg. Meanwhile, its plans for cell production in Saarland, southwest Germany, continue to be delayed.
Novel attempt to design solar cell based on chalcogenide perovskite delivers 13.86% efficiency
Scientists in South Africa have proposed a new chalcogenide perovskite solar cell design based on a compound known as barium zirconium sulfide. They tested different hole transport materials in the new device and found that a polymer known as P3HT achieved the best performance.
High import duties affecting solar deployment in Bangladesh
Analysts at a recent event in Dhaka called for the removal of high import duties on solar products in Bangladesh, as it could reduce PV system prices by up to 11%.
PV string fault detection technique based on multi-layer neural network
Scientists in India have proposed using a multilayer neural network to find line-to-ground, line-to-line, and bypass diode faults in PV module strings. They tested the new approach on a 22.5 kW solar array and reportedly achieved “competitive” accuracy results.
Combining residential air heat pumps with air-geothermal heat exchangers
Researchers in Italy have found that combining residential air heat pumps with air-geothermal heat exchangers may reduce power consumption by up to 30%. They tested the proposed combination using Matlab in a passive single-family building located in Valtellina, northern Italy.
Italy, Spain, Portugal break daily solar generation records
Italy, Spain and Portugal recorded their highest-ever daily PV production rates during the week of May 20, while prices also rose across all major European electricity markets, according to AleaSoft Energy Forecasting.
RWE approves first 8-hour big battery in Australia
Germany’s RWE has signed key contracts for the Limondale eight-hour battery storage project, which is now under development in Australia.
Maxvolt secures $1.5 million for lithium battery plans in India
Maxvolt Energy Industries has raised $1.5 million from angel investors to accelerate its lithium-ion battery R&D efforts, enhance production capacity, and expand market reach.
US states accept grid modernization challenge
Twenty-one US states have accepted the grid modernization challenge as part of the Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment initiative, which aims to shore up the US energy grid for future challenges and opportunities in the power sector.
