Technology

The research group led by Professor Martin Green has published Version 63 of the solar cell efficiency tables. There are six new results reported in the new version.

Scientists in Iraq have applied two different kinds of phase-change materials to lower the operating temperatures of PV panels. Their experiment showed that beeswax and paraffin wax are particularly effective in achieving this goal, even when they are combined together.

Profils Systèmes, a French aluminum carpentry specialist, has developed Wallis&Energy, a new solar veranda that is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing buildings and new structures.

The new cobalt-free battery yields about 60% greater energy density than conventional lithium-ion batteries for an equivalent weight and volume and sustains unprecedented 1,000 cycles.

Statkraft, a Norwegian energy company, is investigating the scalability and commercial viability of Aquabattery’s technology. It will finance a pilot project for between six and 12 months in the Netherlands.

India’s power minister RK Singh said the majority of the green hydrogen production plants in India are expected to come up near port locations as per the industry feedback. In such cases, desalinized seawater could also be used for green hydrogen production.

Australian energy giant AGL will install a nickel-hydrogen battery at its Torrens Island power station site in South Australia as it explores the potential opportunities that the technology could provide for stationary energy storage applications

Madrileña Red de Gas is testing a heating system prototype developed by Germany company Vaillant that uses exclusively green hydrogen. The 25 kW system is equivalent in shape and size to a current natural gas heating system.

The application of busbarless cell interconnection approaches could unlock the potential of heterojunction (HJT) technology, primarily by reducing the historically high silver usage of negatively-doped, “n-type” cell technology. As HJT manufacturing increases, a wave of applications may very well be on the horizon.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $250 million policy-based loan to strengthen the market for power trade and related ancillary services in India, facilitating the integration of intermittent renewable energy. The loan will also enable measures to improve the financial performance, corporate governance, and service quality of electricity distribution companies (DISCOM) and create a conducive environment for private sector investment.