Research

Following hot on the heels of Exide Industries, lead acid battery maker, Indian-based Amara Raja Batteries Limited has said it will set up a 100 MWh lithium ion assembly plant in Andhra Pradesh. The company aims to establish a foothold in the energy storage market for electric vehicles.

Research conducted over several years by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrates that air pollution in cities can put a dampener on the performance of PV panels which, if not taken into account, can threaten a project’s viability.

By double stacking a perovskite-silicon solar cell and using the cell in a glass-on-glass bifacial solar module, scientists model that a 30-36% efficient solar module can be attained.

India’s PV sector is expanding at a serious pace, creating jobs and further securing energy supply for many businesses. Yet, sourcing battery cell technology at the current rate resulted in annual foreign exchange of Rs. 1012 crore creating deficits, that hopefully can be averted in the future.

Researchers in the U.S. have confirmed the existence of a novel state of the element manganese, first proposed in a journal dating from 1928, which could allow for the development of low-cost, high performance batteries for grid level, and other energy storage applications.

While they cannot match the durability and efficiency of inorganic silicon-based solar cells, organic polymer solar cells show potential to provide power to remote microwatt sensors, wearable technology and the Wi-Fi-connected devices constituting the Internet of Things.

India’s Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), which is actively working with the Indian government to update the country’s solar target, says increasing solar pump installations in India requires more than just subsidies.

IESA and IEEMA have together organized a masterclass to develop advanced energy storage manufacturing in India. The event has also witnessed increased government support for the sector as energy storage opportunities in India are expected to attract investment of more than $3 billion in the next three years.

Dutch solar-powered car, with an average speed of 69 km/h and a carrying capacity of up to five people, has been hailed as the future of solar powered cars after competing in World Solar Challenge.