Technology and R&D

A team of scientists has used paraffin wax integrated with aluminum oxide and zinc oxide to improve the electrical and thermal performance of a photovoltaic-thermal system. They have also developed a prediction model for this specific combination of hybrid nano-phase change materials.

The novel technique is based on the VarifocalNet deep-learning object detection framework, which was reportedly tweaked to achieve quicker and more accurate results. Compared to other such methods, the new approach was found to be the most accurate and third quickest.

Researchers at the University of Sydney have achieved 30% efficiency rating with a monolithic perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell and now have their sights set on a new target.

Australian PV equipment specialist BT Imaging will supply its advanced photoluminescence imaging tool for solar module maker Emmvee’s 1.5 GW TOPCon cell manufacturing facility in India.

Thousands more homes and businesses in regional Western Australia now have the option to install rooftop PV with Horizon Power announcing it has completed the rollout of internet-connected technology that eliminates network hosting capacity constraints in its service area.

A Melbourne startup has unlocked new potential to cut environmental and economic costs of lithium extraction and processing by delivering a proof of concept that produces battery grade lithium hydroxide using no water or chemicals and minimal energy.

Queensland lithium-sulphur battery company Li-S Energy has capped the official opening of a 2 MWh cell production line in Victoria by announcing it has secured a $1.7 million federal government grant to develop Australia’s first lithium foil manufacturing facility.

Sineng Electric’s 50 MW / 100 MWh sodium-ion battery energy storage system project in China’s Hubei province is the first phase of a larger plan that will eventually reach 100 MW / 200 MWh. The initial capacity has already been connected to the grid and can power around 12,000 households for an entire day.

United States=based solid-state battery developer ION announced it has achieved 800 cycles with its battery, marking significant progress towards commercialisation. If this trend continues, the development holds promising potential for grid-scale projects.

Sigenergy was one of the first companies to present a bidirectional DC wallbox that is integrated into a photovoltaic storage system. Co-founder and CTO Samuel Zhang talks about the manufacturer’s story and its plans to expand into the commercial market, integrating AI into its systems and the future of vehicle-to-grid technology.