science

Developed by a German group of scientists, the panels are considered an ideal solution for aesthetically demanding applications in buildings with stone facades. Although their power yield is more than halved compared to conventional modules, the modules can also be used as partial shading walls or semi-transparent roof elements.

Scientists in Canada evaluated the potential of a lesser-known approach to boosting solar generation efficiency. Thermionics uses heat from the sun to generate electricity, and could be combined with photovoltaics to create devices with better than 40% efficiency from a single junction. In their evaluation, the scientists find promising pathways for further research, despite a mountain of challenges that will need to be overcome.

South Korean scientists have developed a novel coating that purportedly reduces average cell reflectance and significantly increases short-circuit current. The coating is based on aluminum oxide and indium tin oxide.

The two agreed to advance safe deployment and use of second-life battery energy storage systems.

U.S. scientists have developed a new way to combine PV generation and rabbit farming. They claim their new approach to agrivoltaics produces lower emissions and uses less energy than non-integrated methods.

Researchers from the TNO in the Netherlands have proposed two novel east-west PV plant designs that are claimed to increase soil quality underneath the solar panels. Both approaches are said to provide a 77% ground coverage ratio, which compares to a 90% ratio in conventional east-west oriented projects.

Research suggests that we can power 80% of the United States with wind, solar, and 12 hours of energy storage, but the replacement of nuclear power plants hasn’t been financially viable. Is that about to change?

Researchers in China have developed a smart solar window tech based on a photovoltachromic device that is able to achieve a high pristine transmittance and to be self-adaptable to control indoor brightness and temperature. The device was assembled via a full solution process in an architecture incorporating glass, a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) layer, a perovskite-based PV cell, an electrochromic gel, another FTO layer, and glass.

Scientists in India fabricated a redox flow battery based on zinc and iron that showed strong storage characteristics and no signs of degradation over 30 charge-discharge cycles. The battery also showed no signs of dendrite formation, overcoming one of the key hurdles for redox-flow batteries based on these low-cost, abundant materials.

The battery operates at 230 degrees Fahrenheit, opening what researchers said could be “a whole cascading cost savings” including everything from less expensive materials to less insulation.