Lithium batteries – 1.2m tons ready for recycling by 2030
The recycling market will experience a tenfold expansion between last year and 2030, driven by EV battery usage and portable electronics. Retrieving valuable metals and minerals is becoming a high priority and several dozen companies are already in position for the first big wave of end-of-life batteries.
Straining to fix perovskite cells
A technique based on optical imaging has been used by an international research team to illuminate strains in lead halide perovskite solar cells without harming them. The scientists claim the approach helped them discover misorientation between microscopic perovskite crystals was the main cause of the strains.
Google’s reverse auctions net 1.2 GW of renewables in 60 minutes
Google pre-qualified bidders and used reverse auctions to obtain the lowest price for renewable energy. Reverse auctions for corporate purchases could potentially benefit solar developers, if their transparency and simplicity can influence more corporations to procure green power.
Solar electricity can retail for $0.027-0.036/KWh as renewables close in on global grid parity
The latest figures released by BloombergNEF show new solar and onshore wind power plants have reached parity with average wholesale prices in California, China and parts of Europe. The technologies are winning the race to be the cheapest sources of new generation for two-thirds of the world’s population.
The largest private coal company in the United States just went bankrupt
Despite promises by President Trump to save the coal industry, the crisis in the sector is clear. Solar, wind and batteries have the world to gain.
Enphase is riding high
Enphase’s Q3 results show a company that has turned its fortunes around, with revenues more than doubling and high profitability, but questions remain around growth potential.
Tesla unveils a bigger, better, simpler Solar Roof – at a 40% discount
Elon Musk has officially launched the third phase of his crusade to make a successful solar roof tile, with promises that this time it is going to be a success.
Perovskite solar cells need proteins
A U.S. research team has used protein bacteriorhodopsin to improve the efficiency of what it called ‘bioperovskite’ solar cells. The scientists used Förster Resonance Energy Transfer to predict the strength of long-range excitonic transport between the perovskite and protein layers.
PV against cancer
Research from the United States has demonstrated how PV technology can be used to kill cancer cells. Although still at an embryonic stage, the findings of the study and initial test results suggest solar power could be an effective tool in relation to light-activated fluorescent dyes for disease diagnosis, image-guided surgery and site-specific tumor treatment.
First Solar is sold out through mid-2021
The thin film PV maker has reported solid third-quarter results after the opening of its massive, 1.3 GW factory in Ohio.
