Technology

Scientists in Russia introduce a promising new material for battery energy storage, the product of more than three years of research. Incorporating a nickel-salen polymer into the cathode, the group demonstrated a battery that can charge and discharge ten times faster than today’s lithium-ion batteries. And though the battery still lags in terms of overall capacity, the group is confident that its discovery will lead to big improvements for lithium batteries.

The innovators will be required to showcase their technologies in actual field conditions. The shortlisted ones will be empanelled and allocated sites for installing solar pumps under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Scheme.

Scientists have set a new efficiency record for a single-junction perovskite solar cell at 25.6%. The cell additionally showed operational stability for 450 hours, and intense electroluminescence with external quantum efficiencies of more than 10%.

The solar manufacturer and EPC player has added new lines to its existing factory at Bengaluru, widening its current product range to include half-cell and bifacial mono PERC panels.

The startup has developed an industrial Internet of Things-enabled sensor and analytics solution that allows manufacturing and power industries to track device-level energy wastage in real time. 

German start-up Phytonics has developed the film by taking inspiration from nanostructures in plants. In solar cells, the film enables a broader absorption spectrum and a higher angle of light-incidence tolerance.

The Recommended Practice guide, on top of describing the most common requirements for building a floating PV array, provides a series of technical guidelines for electrical safety, anchoring and mooring issues, operation and maintenance, and specific plant design that can withstand site-specific environmental conditions.

U.S. researchers have assessed the technical and economic feasibility of solar canals in California and have found that their LCOE is already close to that of ground-mounted solar plants. Three different project configurations were analyzed for eight different sites across the California network of canals.

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore has set up a solar-powered charging station to conduct the system’s impact assessment. The system—designed by UK-based renewable energy advisor GreenEnco—uses Vikram Solar’s 16 mono PERC solar modules of 400 Wp each, a hybrid inverter, and battery storage.

In India, the lack of suitable fiscal incentives and relevant experience, combined with high upfront capital costs, has hindered the adoption of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in comparison to other developed countries. However, there is potential for the country to take the lead.