Technology and R&D

ClearVue Technologies says its solar facade solutions, that combine the company’s solar glazing units into a fully integrated energy generating building envelope, have achieved a payback period of less than three years in a Hong Kong government trial.

Printed solar technology startup Kardinia Energy, photoluminescence imaging specialist BT Imaging, and modular solar array manufacturer 5B are among 13 companies awarded more than $26 million in funding by the New South Wales government to support the commercial development of their clean energy tech.

To evaluate the outdoor performance and stability of perovskite solar cells using contactless and noninvasive methods, an Australian and Chinese research team found a way to use photoluminescence imaging as well as demonstrating a proof of concept for implied open-circuit voltage imaging. Their research relied on cost-effective equipment that operates under direct sunlight.

Mining giant BHP has struck early-stage agreements with two of the world’s largest battery manufacturers to explore the application of battery technology and electrification across its global operations.

Li-S Energy has produced Australia’s first lithium metal foils at its cell production facility in Victoria, a milestone the company says supports its broader mission to commercialise high-performance lithium-sulfur and lithium metal batteries.

A United States-based collaboration between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and CubicPV has yielded a perovskite minimodule with certified efficiency of 24.0%. The two noted that it is the first time a U.S. effort has set a record in the perovskite mini module category.

Researchers have combining advanced AI techniques with First Nations seasonal data and discovered a 14.6% more accurate way to predict solar power generation, with potential to improve renewable energy planning.

Testing conducted by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin in Germany has shown that perovskite solar cells operating at high latitudes in Europe may suffer from higher performance losses in winter compared to conventional PV devices. The scientists warned, however, that at lower latitudes this seasonality may be less pronounced.

While attempting to address suparradiance in Dicke quantum batteries to leverage their fast charging qualities, researchers at RMIT University and the CSIRO have developed a method to extend the lifetime of quantum batteries by 1,000 times.

In a new scientific paper published in nature, the Chinese manufacturer presented a new tandem perovskite-silicon solar cell based on a bottom cell with a heterojunction design. It also used a new type of self-assembled monolayer that reportedly reduces non-radiative recombination and increases cell efficiency.