UNSW attracts research funds to help commercialise clean tech developments
University of New South Wales’ researchers using artificial intelligence to aid analysis of solar cell degradation, developing innovative green ammonia production and an end-of-life electric vehicle battery solution are recipients of commercialisation grants.
Researchers study coal-fired power plant emission effects on solar panels
An international research team studied the solar PV impact of emissions from a coal-fired power plant in the Atacama Desert, Chile finding that after five months of exposure, the deposited dust on co-located PV panels reached a maximum of 1.63 mg/cm2 with a 23 % reduction in photocurrent. The accumulation at the co-located plant was 3 times greater than nearby PV sites with similar coastal climate conditions.
Battery state of health impacts revenue, safety and operations
A new paper from renewable energy technology company 3E lays out strategies to manage battery degradation, saying inaccurate state of health measurements of battery energy storage systems can negatively impact their safety, impede accurate asset evaluation and result in financial losses.
Sydney researchers advance halide perovskite cell stabilisation
University of Sydney researchers have suppressed ion migration in halide perovskites specifically at the B-site, paving a way for cell stabilisation by minimising energy loss and improving performance reliability.
NT solar centre data feeds ultra-short-term PV forecasting method
Scientists utilising data gathered at the Northern Territory’s Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre have created a novel probabilistic model for five-minutes ahead PV power forecasting. The method combines a convolutional neural network with bidirectional long short-term memory, attention mechanism, and natural gradient boosting.
How to identify interruption of ribbons in solar modules
An international group of scientists have investigated the total or partial interruptions of ribbons that connect solar cells in modules and have proposed a classification based on their type and location.
Rooftop solar could supply two-thirds of global power, study finds
Researchers have found that widespread deployment of rooftop solar could cover the vast majority of the world’s electricity consumption, while lowering global temperatures by up to 0.13 degrees Celsius.
Research shows degradation mechanisms in rear side of TOPCon solar cells
Researchers from UNSW and Longi have found that the silicon nitride layers used in TOPCon cell rear-side are particularly prone to chemical degradation from sodium contaminants. This can lead to significant open-circuit voltage losses and reduce cell efficiency.
Fraunhofer ISE research finds solar module output ‘often overstated’
A longitudinal research project from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE reveals that since 2017, the institute has measured less power on average in a solar module than promised by the manufacturer.
Water generates electrical charge 10 times stronger than expected
Electricity generated by water moving across a surface can be 10 times more powerful than previously thought, according to Australian researchers who say their finding could boost energy storage and charging rates and improve safety in fuel-holding systems.
