Eco-friendly solvent for a 16.7% perovskite solar cell
Scientists in Germany looked to eliminate the use of toxic solvents in the production of perovskite solar cells, replacing them with a more environmentally material called dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) which has so far proved difficult to integrate into processes suitable for large-scale production. The group demonstrated a scalable blade coating process using DMSO as the only solvent, and reached cell efficiencies close to those achieved using more toxic substances.
The Hydrogen Stream: Global electrolyzer market to reach 8.5 GW by 2026
GlobalData has predicted that the global electrolyzer market will hit 8.52 GW by 2026. BP and Thyssenkrupp have agreed to cooperate on the use of hydrogen in the steel sector, while electrolyzer supplier Nel Hydrogen has secured orders in Australia and Denmark.
The stabilizing effect of vertical east-west oriented PV systems
German researchers have looked at how vertical PV systems could provide more electricity during periods of higher demand, while enabling a higher level of integration with agricultural activities.
All-perovskite tandem solar panel with 19.1% efficiency
German scientists have developed a two-terminal, all-perovskite solar panel with laser scribing and module interconnections. It has a fill factor of 75%.
Germany raises feed-in tariffs for solar up to 750 kW
The new provisions are part of the new version of the country’s renewable energy law, which was approved today by the German parliament.
Europe’s largest heat storage tank
The heat storage tank is 45 m high and has a capacity of 56 million liters. It will store district heating water at a temperature of 98 C and, according to Vattenfall, will use heat produced with renewable electricity coming from the grid.
Heterojunction solar cells with lower silver consumption via rotary screen printing
Scientists from the Fraunhofer ISE built a bifacial heterojunction solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 21.7% via rotary screen printing. They used a machine that is able to achieve a cycle time of just 0.6 seconds per solar cell and enables a strong reduction in silver use.
German consortium plans to build world’s largest heat pump
Basf and Man Energy announced a plan to build a 120 MW renewables-powered heat pump for steam production at an industrial site operated by Basf in the Rhineland-Palatinate region, Germany. The feasibility study for the project should be completed by the end of this year.
Germany deployed 548 MW of PV in May
The cumulative capacity of all subsidized PV systems in Germany hit 59.3 GW at the end of May.
Perovskite-CIS tandem solar cell with 24.9% efficiency
A Dutch-German research team has developed a new PV cell with a certified efficiency of 23.5%, an open-circuit voltage of 1.59 V, a short-circuit current of 19.4 mA cm–2, and a fill factor of 75.5%. It reached maximum efficiency of up to 24.9%, due to the high quality of the subcells.
