Technology and R&D

Daewoo’s new hybrid inverters feature LiFePO4 batteries. They are available in six variants, with power ratings ranging from 0.5 kVA to 10 kVA.

Conceived by a Dutch research group, the proposed system is intended to store surplus renewable electricity via hydrogen generation and battery storage, with the latter being used only when hydrogen generation is not immediately available. Despite its high initial costs, the system can reportedly offer stable operation.

Researchers in China have outlined a new surface engineering strategy to build low-cost solar cells without a hole transport layer. The devices were treated with benzoylcholine halide to reduce non-radiation recombination and achieved remarkable efficiency and stability.

Researchers in China have developed a model to predict lifetimes of heterojunction (HJT) modules made with ultraviolet cut-off polyolefin elastomer (POE) encapsulant. The approach considers factors such as temperature, humidity and UV irradiation.

Researchers have developed a thermal regulation strategy to improve the performance of inverted tin-lead perovskite tech for all-perovskite tandem solar cells. It has an efficiency of 23.4% and contributed to a 27.2% efficiency in a tandem cell while ensuring stability.

IEA-PVPS is poised to launch a new format for expert engagement. It will include an action group on agrovoltaics, as well as a collaborative effort to match agriculture and solar generation. It aims to unlock the potential of agrivoltaics, optimize land use efficiency, enhance agricultural resilience to climate change, and foster social consensus for solar development.

Swiss researchers have engineered a device that uses solar energy to heat to more than 1,000 C. The technology could make it possible to use solar energy to decarbonize energy-intensive industries that require high temperatures for production processes.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge has announced a new set of dates for for the 2025 edition of its unique 3,000 km solar car race across the Australian continent, along with some regulation changes.

Slovakian scientists have developed a novel hydrophobic, antireflective coating for solar glass with a silica-titania thin film as the bottom layer and an inorganic-organic upper layer made of silica modified with triethoxy(octyl)silane. This new coating increases glass transmittance by 7% compared to uncoated glass.

The researchers say the cell has a top perovskite cell with a transparent back contact made of indium zinc oxide and a commercially established cadmium telluride bottom device. They claim the champion tandem cell has the potential to reach a 30% efficiency.