Research

Spanish scientists have created a bifacial thermophotovoltaic cell that reportedly provides high power and efficient energy conversion at moderate temperatures. They say the device can achieve twice the power density of “conventional” monofacial thermophotovoltaic devices without higher system costs.

Researchers in China have successfully prepared cobalt oxide-modified graphite felt as an electrode material for an iron-chromium flow battery. The electrode performance significantly improved due to the effects of cobalt, which in turn boosted the energy efficiency and overall performance of the battery.

pv magazine speaks to Gianluca Coletti, program manager of tandem photovoltaic tech at Dutch research institute TNO, about initial attempts to bring tandem perovskite-silicon solar cells to market. He says the first PV products based on the highly efficient technology could make an appearance sooner than expected.

European researchers have looked at how zinc phosphide could be used in solar cell development and found that monocrystalline thin films might perform better than polycrystalline films in electrical devices. They also determined that the performance of such films is directly correlated to the zinc/phosphide ratio.

Researchers in Germany have assessed direct coupling and integration between PV and batteries at the scale of a single PV module. They say their solution could be cheaper and provide superior performance than maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in optimizing PV system performance.

Japan’s Panasonic says its new GB-L1CMH1A meter can operate without changing the state of the fuel cell. It says it can also measure a wide range of hydrogen flow rates and concentrations.

IIT Madras Research Park and US-based First Solar have agreed to cooperate on a range of R&D activities, including the localization of thin-film solar and other next-generation PV technologies in India.

Felix Krause, co-founder the Vireo Ventures, tells pv magazine that the Berlin-based company plans to make pre-seed and seed-phase investments in startups that are developing innovations for the energy transition.

The Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity (A2EP) has released a free, online estimation tool to aid Australian businesses in sizing heat pumps to replace gas boilers. The tool estimates the capex, opex, net savings, and payback time based on inputs about heating, cooling, location, and temperature requirements.

Chinese scientists have simulated a new photovoltaic-thermoelectric technology, based on radiative cooling and III-V solar cells, to generate electricity at night.