Zero-waste batteries
Efforts to recycle lithium-ion batteries face a range of technical and economic challenges, but such programs are already far more commonplace than many assume. However, there are still significant obstacles looming a few years down the road.
Hydrogen is getting cheaper
Electrolyzer manufacturers are in agreement on the goal of rapidly reducing investment costs, mainly through economies of scale. Some are embracing large units, while others are betting on quantity over size. The first approach is attractive for operators of large PV plants, while the latter is better suited to operators of small systems.
2020: The decade of perovskite PV
About 10 years ago, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) made their entry into the world of PV with a power conversion efficiency of 3.8%. Fast forward to 2020, and PSCs are the talk of the town, with a string of impressive laboratory achievements to their name. Global research efforts have shifted toward PSCs as efficiencies keep on getting thrashed on a regular basis. But is it too soon to say that the technology is ready for commercialization?
pv magazine Award
Glass-glass without the edge Teknisolar Robostak Laminator Italian supplier Teknisolar introduces its new laminator, with which it aims to bring down the cost of ownership without compromising on quality. The equipment manufacturer states that its new design eliminates the ‘edge pinch’ stage entirely, which means no encapsulant outflow or belt cleaning is required. The design […]
pv magazine Award
The first entries for the 2020 pv magazine Award were gathered together in March and April. We presented highlights from the production equipment, modules and materials categories in last month’s magazine.
Solar vs. salty drinking water
A solar array – complete with battery storage and remote monitoring and control capabilities – has been transforming brackish groundwater into fresh drinking water in the village of Beyo Gulan in the Somaliland desert since 2018. The installation was developed by Germany’s Phaesun. Its unique combination of low-maintenance electrodialysis desalination with PV saw it pick up an Outstanding Projects award from The smarter E. Phaesun’s Géraldine Quelle and Florian Martini say they are honored by the plaudits, and are readying the system for series production.
A highly promising cobalt-free battery for electric vehicles
We increasingly need safe, affordable, and powerful batteries as we move to greener technologies. Battery-powered electric cars, for example, have much higher safety standards than our phones, and for such vehicles to travel long distances, lighter batteries with higher energy density and rapid-charging capabilities would make a world of difference. Majid Rasool, a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University, discusses a potential solution.
Ever cheaper PV brings pitfalls, new prospects
Large-scale solar has proven resilient in the face of the global Covid-19 pandemic and the associated economic downturn, with the U.S. marketplace exhibiting an acceleration in deployment, reports Shoals Technologies Group. And while solar’s competitiveness is driving market growth, there remain risks to “going cheap,” according to Shoals Technologies CEO Dean Solon and President Jason Whitaker.
Something truly new
You can try to succeed by making a better version of your competitors’ product, or you can try to do something completely new. NexWafe has chosen the second path. It is developing plans to manufacture wafers for high-efficiency solar cells in Bitterfeld, Germany, that are produced more sustainably and at lower cost than any other products available today.
Anticipating revenue diversification
For all the talk, we must admit there are very few battery projects on the ground in mainland France. But even in these early days for the application, writes Everoze partner Bruno Menu, we are seeing an evolution in financial models with more revenue diversification than was anticipated for the first projects. Let’s take a look at why that is and what attractive options there may be for revenue diversification.
