Technology and R&D

UK researchers claim to have proved the viability wearable photovoltaic devices as an integral part of regular clothing. A solar-powered fabric textile was created by embedding micro crystalline silicon solar cells within the fibers of a textile through very thin copper wires. The scientists claim that the novel device can maintain its performance even after 15 domestic machine wash cycles, 25 hand wash cycles, and 6000 abrasion cycles.

This long Australia Day weekend, Australians may be considering what it takes to survive on their continent. One company based in arid Arizona has partnered with ARENA to demonstrate how solar PV can combine with other technologies to solve some of the country’s biggest problems — take a sip of Renewables 2.0. 

Curtin University research that aims to develop a new way of producing, storing and exporting green hydrogen from Australian resources, UNSW Sydney’s efforts to develop novel cathode coating materials towards more durable and powerful energy storage devices and Monash University’s investigation into phase change materials for wind and solar energy storage are among 18 new research collaborations supported by funding through the Australian Research Council.

Wellington Harbour, NZ, will see the Southern Hemisphere’s first zero-emissions electric commuter ferry.

The Australian government has opened the Critical Minerals Facilitation Office as it looks to develop a large-scale critical mineral industry to stably supply the world the critical minerals needed for batteries, solar panels, and smartphones.

The Chinese manufacturer said the result was confirmed by Germany’s TÜV Rheinland. The achievement beats the company’s previous record of 21.65%, set last month.

Researchers from the City University of Hong Kong have developed an all-inorganic perovskite cell with an electron-pair donor which offers a pair of non-bonding electrons. The cell was developed by applying that ‘Lewis base’ small molecule to passivate the inorganic perovskite film.

Researchers at the University of Newcastle have developed a solar-powered atmospheric water generator, a clean and economical solution to the worsening perennial problem of global water scarcity.

A team at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory has come up with a new process that would reduce the production cost of highly expensive – and highly efficient – gallium arsenide cells.

University of Sydney researchers have found evidence of how hydrogen causes embrittlement of steels, the discovery that can potentially pave the way to hydrogen-fueled future. The groundbreaking research also reveled a technique to address this challenge.