Research paints positive picture of used EV battery health
New Australian research around battery degradation in used electric vehicles has found average battery health exceeded 90%, even for vehicles that have travelled more than 120,000 kilometres.
Sky’s the limit for mass produced space-grade solar cell innovation
Extraterrestrial Power has developed a space-grade solar cell thin enough to be mass produced like terrestrial solar cells, and which it estimates to be ten times more affordable than current space solar cells.
Where should we look for new metals that are critical for green energy technology? Volcanoes may point the way
About 400 kilometres northwest of Sydney, just south of Dubbo, lies a large and interesting body of rock formed around 215 million years ago by erupting volcanoes.
PV windows reduce energy consumption in greenhouses by 57%
Developed by a research team including experts from West Australia-based specialist Clearvue, the new PV windows were also able to reduce water usage in a greenhouse by 29%. The group believes that a fully glazed solar greenhouse could offset up to 100% of the energy consumption in worldwide locations by using adaptable and efficient temperature control techniques.
South Australia leads international rooftop solar cost rankings
A new study of residential solar installation costs reveals South Australia has the lowest costs nationally while even Australia’s most expensive states are about three times cheaper than those in the United States and Canada.
NSW solar farms lead way for large-scale generation
Solar farms in New South Wales led the way for Australia’s utility scale PV energy output in January, generating 929 GWh of renewable electricity to drive all Australian large-scale PV and wind generation up 12% on the same time last year.
Thermal storage beats hydrogen, electrification on industrial costs
A new study in Germany shows the advantages of thermal energy storage in the decarbonisation of industrial processes, including in Australia. The researchers noted clear cost advantages and high potential for flexibility in the power grid.
Testing shows BIPV using patterned glass performs better than expected
Scientists have compared conventional PV modules to self-made BIPV panels with thicker, patterned glass. They tested them both under standard conditions and outdoors under Korean summer conditions. Yield was found to be only 0.5% lower in the textured BIPV module.
Solar pioneer Andrew Blakers AO named on Australia Day honours list
A co-inventor of the passivated emitter and rear cell silicon solar cell technology, Professor Andrew Blakers, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia on the 2025 Australia Day Honours list.
Scientists build 23.2%-efficient lead-tin perovskite solar cell with improved lifetime
The researchers built the cell with a hole transport layer (HTL) based on PEDOT:PSS and were reportedly able to reduce the losses caused by this compound with the utilisation of a thiocyanate additive. The champion lab-sized device achieved an open circuit voltage of 0.875 V, a short circuit current density of 31.84 mA cm−2, and a fill factor of 83.23%.
