World

The research group led by Professor Martin Green has published Version 66 of the solar cell efficiency tables. There are 17 new results reported in the new version.

Japan’s Sekisui Solar Film and the Netherlands’ TNO have signed a letter of intent to explore collaborations related to flexible perovskite solar PV. Talks will be initiated on a potential perovskite module factory in Brabant and the exchange of relevant information.

Live fire tests aim to demonstrate physical containment technology.

A team of São Paulo-based researchers have found incorporating formamidinium cations into methylammonium-based lead iodide perovskite films increases the durability of perovskite solar cells when fabricated and measured under ambient conditions.

The latest report from the technical compliance and quality assurance company added several new producers but also noted several plant closures acorss the region. It said the current nameplate capacity for the region stands at 21 GW for modules, 3.2 GW for cells, and 1.5 GW for ingots.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, reports that pessimism in the global polysilicon market has deepened, driven by a persistent oversupply that exceeds buyers’ total monthly purchasing volumes. Several global polysilicon buyers have confirmed maintaining substantial inventories, which has contributed to the current subdued trading activity.

US-based software provider Solesca presents new ways of handling PV system unavailability and solar module degradation. Engineers have a key role to play in this evolution, ensuring more accurate and reliable energy predictions for solar projects.

Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere, powering everything from consumer electronics to electric vehicles, residential PV storage systems, and, more recently, mitigating curtailment in large-scale wind and solar power plants. EVs are driving large-scale demand for Li-ion batteries which will result in substantial volumes of spent batteries in the near future. This scenario highlights the potential for repurposing EV batteries for second-life stationary applications, which could maximise their value before recycling. However, to fully realise this opportunity, several economic, technical, and regulatory challenges must be addressed and resolved.

Scientists have placed mist nozzles inside a bifacial PV module and measured it under an extremely hot climate. The module was found to generate up to 37% more electricity on sunny days and up to 46% more on cloudy days compared to standard monofacial panels.

Engineers at Monash University have a developed a next-generation water-based battery suitable for application in residential use and compatible with rooftop solar in real time.