Technology and R&D

Fraunhofer ISE researchers claim the new silicon carbide inverter is technically able to handle voltage levels of up to 1,500 V at 250 kVA in utility scale solar power plants.

NTPC’s R&D center NETRA and Engineers India Ltd (EIL) will collaborate in carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS), green hydrogen, and green ammonia.

Singapore-based PV module manufacturer REC Group has launched in Australia a new series of rooftop solar panels with power ratings ranging from 450 W to 470 W and efficiencies of up to 22.6%.

Log9 Materials will use Gamma Technologies’ system simulation software in developing the next-generation lithium-ion battery cells for electric vehicles. 

US scientists have achieved a breakthrough in PV cell tech by creating a 24 cm2 perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell. It positions a lithium fluoride interlayer between a hole transport layer and the perovskite absorber to reduce shunting losses.

The IEA PVPS Trends Report for 2023 discloses a historic milestone in the photovoltaic (PV) industry, surpassing 1 TW of cumulative capacity. The PV industry registered significant global growth in 2022, with China and Europe leading in charge. PV competitiveness in the market was strong, despite some regions facing problems due to supply issues, grid capacity constraints or labor shortages. The report shows that global collaboration, innovation and strategic planning remain key to a sustainable energy transition.

Dutch company Triple Solar has launched a residential thermal battery with a heat loss rate ranging from 0.67 kWh/day to 0.84 kWh/day. The new product can reportedly provide hot water at temperatures ranging from 45C and 55C, with the minimum heat source temperature ranging between 65C and 80C.

Scientists in Spain tested PV modules under partial shading conditions, aiming to better understand the formation of performance-damaging hotspots. The study reveals a potential issue particularly affecting half-cell and bifacial modules, which may cause accelerated performance loss and is not covered by current testing/certification standards.

Scientists in India have fabricated indoor bifacial perovskite solar cells that purportedly achieve remarkable power output per single cell. The devices also reached a bifaciality factor of 0.73.

Italian researchers studied sodium-seawater batteries (SWBs) for short- and long-term energy storage on Sardinia and found that SWBs with wave energy smoothed out power fluctuations, while enabling a fully decarbonized power generation system over the long run.