Technology and R&D

The German research institute said it is currently exploring three copper metallization methods: Screen printing, FlexTrail printing and rotary printing. The proposed technology is reportedly compatible with either TOPCon or heterojunction bottom cells.

New research from the Netherlands shows that using free-space luminescent solar concentrators could be used to considerably increase bifacial solar module performance in vertical residential setups. The scientists are confident that a variety of bifacial PV systems incorporating this technology can be designed and deployed in the future.

A Norwegian-Swedish research group has used multiple linear regression to assess if 128 existing wind power plants in the Nordics could be potentially converted into wind-solar plants with cost-optimal PV capacities and good net present value (NPV) levels. Their modeling could potentially be used in all countries and latitudes.

The five-year MaNiTU project, involving six Fraunhofer institutes, covered a range of investigations across the life cycle of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. It included the development of a scalable solar cell with a 31.6% power conversion efficiency.

Investments in battery storage within Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) are increasingly profitable due to higher power price volatility and changing market dynamics, according to the latest report by Wood Mackenzie. Going forward, four-hour storage systems are projected to have fastest return on investment.

The French company says its Inelio thermal battery can store solar power in the form of heat for heating and cooling applications, as well as for producing domestic hot water, while maximizing self-consumption. It can reportedly provide a hot water temperature of up to 65 C.

The agrivoltaic project, with a production capacity of up to 5,011 MW, will cover 2 km of the Orellana Canal in Cáceres, western Spain.

New research from China shows that using rigid connectors instead of polyester ropes in floating photovoltaic arrays may help reduce the relative motion of floats and simplify the layout of the connection system.

Thai researchers developed three organic phase-change material (PCM) mixtures with nanoparticles to cool PV modules and improve efficiency. They used lauric acid blended with aluminum oxide, copper oxide, and magnesium oxide in an optimal 94:6 weight ratio, boosting module efficiency by up to 14.11%.

Researchers in China have integrated a wide-bandgap perovskite solar cell with a hybrid back contact device in a four-terminal tandem cell that achieves high efficiency and stability. Key for the strong performance was a new surface passivation strategy that the research group adopted for the top cell.