Solar Technology & PV R&D News

New dopants might enhance PV glass efficiency
According to a British-Swedish research team, the down‐shifting process for solar glass manufacturing can be enhanced via making use of 2 dopant cations that produce no absorption bands. The doping with these substances is claimed to minimize the UV transmission while likewise maintaining the glass free from absorption in the visible as well as near-infrared ranges.
Aug 31, 2020 // Technology, Manufacturing News, Sweden, Europe, PV glass
Lithium metal enabler for low temperature batteries
Scientists in the United States showed a new course to enhancing battery efficiency. The group integrated a self-assembling layer which bases on the surface of the anode, avoiding the development of dendrites. While their prototype has an extremely brief lifetime, the team is convinced method might bring about better carrying out batteries, and also is specifically encouraging for reduced temperature level applications.
Aug 31, 2020 // Technology, Storage, USA, North America, Lithium metal, Donghai Wang
Test bench compares floating PV with onshore solar arrays
Moroccan researchers have actually established a brand-new floating PV test bench. They assert floating solar arrays use far better power returns than roof and ground-mounted PV systems, with reduced module operating temperatures.
Aug 31, 2020 // Technology, Floating PV, floating PV, Africa, Morocco
Exoskeletons for photovoltaic panel placing
Endesa, the Spanish system of Italian power team Enel, is using a brand-new technology in the construction of 3 solar parks in southern Spain.
Aug 28, 2020 // Technology, Manufacturing News, Plants, Large-Scale, Spain, Enel, Europe, Endesa, pv powerplants
Enel, French PV institute improve heterojunction cell efficiency by 0.37%.
The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has licensed the effectiveness of the cell, which was made with a standard M2 wafer.
Aug 28, 2020 // Technology, Manufacturing News, France, Enel, Europe, efficiency, heterojunction cell
'Bigger is not always much better'
Longi will certainly hold off on added panel output increases past the 600 W+ range until it can settle a number of key difficulties, a firm speaker informed pv magazine. Those impressive issues consist of low cell manufacturing yield, system compatibility, concerns regarding module transport, as well as hotspot-related failure dangers, along with the need for mechanical loading examinations.
Aug 28, 2020 // Technology, Manufacturing News, Tongwei, China, JA Solar, JinkoSolar, Asia, Trina Solar, LONGi, Hongbin Fang
United States startup to shake up battery market with metal hydrogen tech
EnerVenue introduced with $12 million in seed funding, flaunting advantages over lithium-ion in efficiency, price, operability in severe weather condition, and years of use in the aerospace sector.
Aug 28, 2020 // Technology, Storage, USA, North America, Yi Cui, EnerVenue
Losing weight on silver
Using an ingenious high-speed video clip arrangement, researchers in Germany had the ability to observe the screen-printing process utilized in solar cell metallization, on a time scale of less than 50 milliseconds. Insights into the paste's behavior and the mechanisms at the workplace during display printing will improve the procedure as well as the formulation of the silver paste it relies upon.
Aug 28, 2020 // Technology, Manufacturing News, Germany, solar cells, Europe, KIT
In search of the 'most rational design' for anti-reflective finish
Researchers in Spain have examined different buildings of anti-reflective and anti-soiling finishes for PV module glass, aiming to create a product that uses the most effective equilibrium of desired product homes at the lowest cost. Over a year of testing, the most effective finishes were revealed to increase module result by around 2%, and also the group likewise made a number of monitorings that can influence future developments of coverings for PV module front glass.
Aug 27, 2020 // Technology, Spain, Europe, soiling
New MPPT formula for bidirectional inverter layout
A recently recommended inverter layout counts on a solar cost controller including optimal power point tracking. It is based upon a fabricated fish-swarm formula, which supplies high convergence speeds, flexibility, mistake tolerance, and also accuracy.
Aug 27, 2020 // Technology, Inverters, China, Asia, MPPT
Brand-new pathways for tin-monosulfide PV
Scientists in Japan have established a new procedure for the manufacture of crystalline tin monosulfide (SnS). By facilitating the development of crystals measuring up to 24mm in size, the procedure can aid conquer several of the challenges to pressing higher efficiencies out of this cheap, plentiful product.
Aug 26, 2020 // Technology, Japan, Asia, crystalline tin monosulfide
Simpliphi predicts cobalt-free battery takeover earlier than anticipated
pv magazine consulted with Catherine Von Burg, CEO of the Californian battery company, to go over why she believes lithium-iron-phosphate is the chemistry of the future.
Aug 26, 2020 // Technology, Storage, California, USA, Wood Mackenzie, North America, Catherine Von Burg
Solar-powered hydrogen under $2/kg by 2030
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have recognized websites where hydrogen could be produced via PV electrolysis at rates varying from $1.90/ kg to $4.20/ kg in the United States by the end of the years.
Aug 26, 2020 // Technology, Manufacturing News, Solar to Fuel, USA, hydrogen, North America
German-led consortium aims for 33% efficient perovskite-silicon solar cell
The Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) as well as the Institute for Materials as well as Components in Electronics at the University of Hannover, in addition to Centrotherm, Singulus, Meyer Burger as well as Von Ardenne are associated with a study project focused on achieving a 27% conversion effectiveness for silicon solar cells based on perovskite.
Aug 25, 2020 // Technology, Manufacturing News, Germany, solar cells, Europe, perovskite, silicon, KIT, isfh, efficiency
Destruction and also regrowth in polysilicon passivation layers
Scientists in Australia took a close consider the long-term efficiency of passivation layers in silicon solar cells, as well as found a surprising procedure of degradation and regrowth at the office within the product. The outcomes could have ramifications on the procedures used in industrial scale solar cell manufacturing.
Aug 25, 2020 // Technology, Manufacturing News, Australia, solar cells, JinkoSolar, silicon, Oceania, Australia National University, ANU