Technology

Scientists have used the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) HOMER software to calculate the degradation of solar panels deployed in two rooftop PV systems operating in Germany since 2003. Their calculations focused on the energy productivity of the systems.

Scientists in Singapore have developed a methodology to calculate the levelised cost of hydrogen in green hydrogen facilities powered by photovoltaics, emphasising the need for a levelised cost of storage (LCOH) below USD 10/kg ($15/kg) to enable green hydrogen to compete with grey, blue, and orange hydrogen in the current technology landscape.

Chinese researchers have developed a solar cell using CsSnI3 perovskite, known for its unique phase transitions and near-IR emissions. By simulating the device with various electron transport layers (ETLs) and hole transport layers (HTLs), they determined that the optimal cell could be created using a titanium oxide (TiO2) ETL and a nickel(II) oxide (NiOx) HTL.

A new generation of flexible, lightweight modules is entering the market. With back contact technology offering its own form of design flexibility and robustness, the new products could crack a hard-to-address market segment, as Jonathan Gifford explains.

In what it says is an Australian first, Queensland network operator Powerlink will offer owners of land adjacent to new transmission lines compensation payments as it looks to roll out new infrastructure to ensure the future security of the energy grid.

Qcells says it is building a pilot line for perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells that will start operations later this year in South Korea. It is working closely with its team in Germany, where it has already established another pilot line for tandem cells.

Queensland clean tech company Graphene Manufacturing Group has signed a deal with global mining giant Rio Tinto with the goal of accelerating the development and application of its graphene aluminium-ion battery technology in the mining and minerals industry.

Sharp’s new IEC61215- and IEC61730-certified solar panel offers a power conversion efficiency of 22.07% and a bifaciality of more than 80%. The operating temperature coefficient is -0.30% per C and its power tolerance is 5%.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has renewed its calls for a fast-tracking of new transmission links, saying that parts of the country’s main grid are effectively in gridlock and causing unprecedented amounts of wind and solar to be curtailed.

Renewable curtailment in Australia has grown by almost 40% from a year ago, Daniel Westerman, head of AEMO says. Frustratingly, the revelation came in the same forum where the head of Australia’s green bank warned the nation is not on track to reach its target of 80% renewable generation by 2030.