Technology

The pursuit of higher conversion efficiencies is an eternal theme in the PV industry. Among all the links in the chain, cell technology is the most fundamental and decisive element. As we look beyond the established PERC technology, whether heterojunction or TOPCon will become the dominant “next-gen” solar cell among China’s manufacturing giants is emerging as a balancing act between incumbent and upstart, reports Vincent Shaw from Shanghai.

Victoria is accelerating plans to carve out a share of the evolving global hydrogen market, calling for Expressions of Interest from parties keen to play a role in the newly launched Greater Geelong Hydrogen Technology Cluster.

Canada-based Enertopia filed provisional patents for technology that it said could boost PV system output by 10% or more and reduce panel heat stress.

In the proposed system, the optical element is placed symmetrically at the centre of the solar panel in order to increase the length of the effective light collection region. Each hologram is claimed to be able to separate the colors of sunlight and direct them to the solar cells within the solar panel.

Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, has launched a collaborative “Team Australia” style mission bringing together actors from all aspects of hydrogen development and production toward the goal of driving costs below $2/kg and driving Australia toward hydrogen superpower status by 2030.

A microgrid research project taking place in four farming communities located in New South Wales and Queensland. Over 50 smart meters are collecting real-time energy data to determine models and microgrid solutions to help farmers struggling with high electricity bills, and to help the struggling network of energy infrastructure.

Queensland’s worst power outage in decades has triggered calls for the introduction of more utility scale batteries capable of providing security for the state’s electricity network.

The pilot project is combining hydrogen fuel cell generators with a combined capacity of 500 kW with a 570 kW solar array and 1.1 MWh of lithium-ion batteries. It is planned to come online in the spring of 2022.

A new program has launched on the New South Wales south coast enabling solar generated on residential rooftops to be consumed locally by hot water systems through smart meters alone, helping manage the growing problem of variable electricity in the grid without requiring new infrastructure.

India’s Aegeus Technologies has developed an autonomous, water-free cleaning bot for rooftop solar installations. The bot weighs 5 kg (with battery) and can be operated remotely through a web-based app. It uses an air wash technology to clean the panels, ensuring no need for water or any harmful chemicals.