Author
Lior Kahana
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Articles written by Lior Kahana
Brilliant Matters, HeiQ plan to commercialize 12%-efficient semi-transparent organic solar cells
A Canadian-Swiss-German collaboration has developed semi-transparent organic solar cells with efficiencies of up to 12.04% and fully printed modules reaching 10.2%. The technology combines Brilliant Matters’ BM10 OPV platform with HeiQ’s silver nanowire electrodes and is targeted for commercial availability in 2028.
Oct 08, 2026
Silver-nickel contacts cut TOPCon rear metallization costs by 11%
Chinese researchers developed a screen-printed silver-nickel paste that reduces rear-side metallization costs by approximately 11%. The optimized formulation achieved an average cell efficiency of 26.67% in a production trial, with a champion device reaching 26.87%.
The case for railway-integrated solar in South Korea
South Korea’s extensive railway network could provide new space for solar generation in densely populated areas where land availability is limited. Researchers have investigated the potential of installing PV systems between railway tracks, finding that suitable sections of five surface railway corridors could host more than 8.5 MW of solar capacity.
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Hybrid PV cooling system boosts electrical efficiency by 26%, provides building ventilation
Researchers have developed a hybrid PV cooling system that combines rear-side evaporative cooling with intermittent front-side water spraying, increasing electrical efficiency by up to 26%. The system also produces precooled ventilation air, offering potential for reducing building cooling loads in hot, arid climates.
Module cooling: too hot to handle
Even after the record-breaking heat waves of this summer and associated performance losses at PV plants across the northern hemisphere, active cooling for solar arrays remains a difficult market prospect. Developers might be a bit more interested in preventing temperature-related losses, but in most cases, the numbers still don’t quite add up.
Two-stage pyrolysis process turns waste solar panels into silicon carbide
Russian scientists have developed a process that combines pyrolysis at 500 C with electric arc treatment above 1,800 C. The resulting solid product contained up to 61% silicon carbide, a material used in power electronics and refractory ceramics.
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Chinese scientists develop hydrogen-powered CO₂ heat pump with PCM storage
Chinese researchers have modeled a heating system combining PEM fuel cells, a CO₂ heat pump and phase-change thermal storage, assessing the impact of different thermal boundary conditions. The results show that cathode inlet temperature has the strongest effect on hydrogen-to-heat and hydrogen-to-electricity performance, while the PCM tank can meet modeled domestic hot water demand.
Researchers test laminated bamboo structures for floating PV platforms
Chinese researchers tested thin-plate glued laminated bamboo (glubam) assemblies for use in floating PV platforms, assessing their flexural behavior under different plate and bolt configurations. The results show that plate configuration, bolt spacing, bolt diameter, and thickness distribution can significantly affect the structures’ ultimate load capacity.
Bilayer transparent conductive film for electrostatic dust removal achieves 96.36% cleaning rate on PV panels
Chinese researchers have developed an bilayer transparent conductive film for electrostatic dust removal from PV panels.
An 80 nm magnesium fluoride coating offered the best balance of optoelectronic and cleaning performance, with dust removal reaching 96.36%.
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