Australian researchers to develop new tandem PV cell measurement equipment
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Adelaide-based laser supplier Lastek are developing equipment and procedures to accurately measure the performance of multi-junction solar cells with the help of an LED-based solar simulator.
European researchers seek standard to assess short-circuit current temperature of PV devices
A European research team working on the EU-funded EURAMET ENG55 “PhotoClass” project has taken a step toward standardizing the measurement of the relative temperature dependence of the short-circuit current in different PV devices, although it applied completely different approaches.
Malaysia mulls P2P energy trading and renewable energy certificates
Giving an update on the country’s renewable energy future, Malaysian Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said that the government is looking into P2P energy trading schemes and virtual net metering to expand solar uptake. On the residential side, a recent government-led communications push has lifted installation numbers over the last few months.
Netherlands’ ECN achieves 30.2% efficiency for bifacial tandem cell based on perovskite
The cell was created by applying a newly developed perovskite cell on top of an industrial bifacial crystalline silicon version. The resulting cell is said to better harvest sunlight, as one unit is optimized for high energy photons and the other absorbs low energy particles.
Titanium oxide helps perovskite solar cell reach 16.8% efficiency
A group of Japanese researchers have used anatase and brookite, which are two different variants of titanium dioxide, to improve the efficiency of a perovskite-based solar cell. The use of the two minerals is said to considerably improve the control of the electron transport out of the perovskite layer.
Swiss researchers claim 29% efficiency for residential CPV panel
The module was developed by Insolight, a spin-off of Switzerland’s École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne. The panel is based on tiny solar cells usually used for spaceflight applications and the limited amount used in the module makes it close to mass production, its creators claim.
Understanding why cesium and rubidium salt improve the yield of perovskite solar cells
The addition of either salt enables more even distribution of halide atoms within the perovskite material – key to increasing cell conversion efficiency. The explanation should speed up the process of identifying the best perovskite mixes.
Japanese scientists seek to lower costs of PV-powered hydrogen
A research team has conducted a demonstration of the economic feasibility of battery-assisted, low-cost hydrogen production from solar. The scientists claim their system will mean hydrogen could be produced for $0.15-0.25 per cubic meter in 2030.
Singlet fission may raise theoretical efficiency of solar cells to 44%
According to a U.S. research team, new nanomaterials relying on dyes based on diketopyrrolopyrrole and rylene can generate a singlet fission reaction that extends the life of harvestable electronic charges.
Scatec Solar’s 65 MW Malaysian plant reaches commercial operation
It is the first of three solar parks of that size the Norwegian IPP has put in commercial operation in Malaysia’s growing market.
