Research

New research from Hungary shows that Sarahan dust events can reduce PV power output in five Mediterranean countries by an average of 25-40%. The scientists stressed the need for including real-time dust monitoring and cloud interactions in solar forecasting.

Researchers have developed a maximum power point tracking algorithm based on the social hierarchy and hunting strategy of grey wolves. When tested under realistic shading conditions, the grey wolf optimizer achieved an average MPPT efficiency of 98.15%, significantly outperforming conventional MPPT methods.

Sandia National Labs researchers have created a new dataset on the rates and types of rooftop PV connector failures. Their analysis has shown that tight wire bending radius, extra dirty connectors, and loose nuts are the most common failure causes in 6,276 connectors deployed between 2014 and 2017 across seven U.S. regions.

A team of Japanese scientists explored how typical PV panel component materials affect the ability to re-use end-of-life PV cover glass. Specifically, they measured contamination by materials, such as aluminum, silicon, carbon, and copper, and their effects in melted PV panel glass cullet.

Scientists from Spain have developed a daylight electroluminescence method that uses other strings to supply current to the inspected string. It was simulated and then tested in two 50 MW PV plants. Comparative assessment against lab-electroluminescence resulted in acceptable diagnostic performance.

Flexell Space is planning to put its perovskite-copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) tandem solar cell technology in-orbit later this year. It has also raised venture capital and signed several collaboration agreements, including a technology transfer with the Korea Institute of Energy Research.

Researchers in Singapore have accelerated the weathering of PV backsheets and investigated their flame spread behavior at different intervals. After 6 weeks, they found that weathered PV backsheets show 46% faster flame spread than unwearthered ones. They have also highlighted that current safety standards fail to account for long-term degradation.

Scientists from Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United States have investigated existing back-contact perovskite solar cell architectures and have proposed a strategy to help reach commercial production.

Canadian and U.S. researchers have investigated applying pressure to a 2D hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite to tune the optical and electronic properties to suit photovoltaic applications, light emitting diodes or other semiconductor devices.

The Chinese manufacturer said the result was achieved thanks to new perovskite crystallization additives and high-mobility carrier transport layer materials.