‘Low-cost renewable hydrogen may already be in reach’
If the three record-busting low solar price tariffs recorded in the Middle East in the past 18 months are to be believed, renewables-powered hydrogen in prime sites in the region could already compete with gas-plus-CCS production, according to IRENA. Has the Gulf discovered the new petrol?
New perovskite material for 23.5%-efficient solar cell
Researchers in Japan have found a new way to fabricate one of the most promising perovskite materials for PV application — the α-formamidinium lead iodide known as α-FAPbI3. With a pre-synthesized version of this material, they were able to produce a cell with a power conversion efficiency of 23.5% and a lifespan of more than 2,000 hours.
Panasonic combines hydrogen fuel cell generators with PV and storage
The pilot project is combining hydrogen fuel cell generators with a combined capacity of 500 kW with a 570 kW solar array and 1.1 MWh of lithium-ion batteries. It is planned to come online in the spring of 2022.
Panasonic launches 380 W heterojunction solar module compatible with its Evervolt battery
The new module series has a power output ranging from 370 to 380 W, a temperature coefficient of -0.26% per degree Celsius, and an efficiency of up to 21.7%.
Off-grid rooftop solar with metal-wrap-through solar modules
Chinese MWT solar module manufacturer Sunport has provided its S1 product for a solar-plus-storage commercial rooftop PV project in Japan. The array is linked to 165 kWh of storage and is equipped with flexible solar panels that weigh 1.3kg each.
I’ve got solar over my skin
Researchers in Japan have built a PV-powered device to measure volumetric variations in blood circulation. The system, which is just a few microns thick, was built with an organic solar module, a polymer light-emitting diode (PLED), and an organic photodetector.
Orix secures PPA for 2.2 MW unsubsidized solar plant in Japan
The Japanese company will supply, with solar power, a denim factory in the Hiroshima prefecture.
Solar and wind together overhaul global hydro capacity
The latest set of clean energy statistics compiled by the International Renewable Energy Agency signal a changing of the guard when it comes to clean power, with legacy hydropower facilities overtaken by new intermittent renewables.
Trina became world’s third biggest panel supplier in 2020
The Chinese giant overhauled JA Solar by moving almost 16 GW worth of modules, with the 600 W-plus, 210mm-wafer-based Vertex range it launched last year having already sold 10 GW of units.
Multi-layer front contact perovskite solar cells with 16.55% efficiency
Japanese scientists have used spray pyrolysis deposition to fabricate perovskite solar cells based on a titanium oxide electron transport layer. They claim that the cells have the potential to reach a power conversion efficiency rating of more than 30%.
