Technology and R&D

Graphene producer First Graphene has secured exclusive global graphene carbon paste production and sales rights with perovskite cell developer and manufacturer Halocell Australia.

Western Power has launched Western Australia’s first distributed energy resources text lab at it’s South Metro Depot to trial how rooftop solar, batteries, electric vehicles and smart appliances can connect, communicate and interact.

The China-based organic photovoltaics manufacturer has launched a line of indoor PV modules suitable for integration into digital office products and electronic devices.

In a new scientific paper, the Chinese solar manufacturer explained that the 27.81%-efficient hybrid interdigitated back-contact cell it unveiled in April is based on passivated tunneling contacts and dielectric passivation layers, while also incorporating both n-type and p-type contacts.

1414 Degrees is progressing the development of a battery energy storage system at the Aurora Energy Precinct in South Australia, for the joint venture SiliconAurora, and is independently developing a long duration thermal energy storage facility, with eyes on providing firmed power for data centres.

In a new scientific paper, the Chinese solar manufacturer explained that the 27.81%-efficient hybrid interdigitated back-contact cell it unveiled in April is based on passivated tunnelling contacts and dielectric passivation layers, while also incorporating both n-type and p-type contacts.

The Chinese company says that its new ESA series is available with a hybrid inverter ranging from 3 kW to 10 kW and storage capacities of 5 kWh to 48 kWh. The IP66-rated product supports an MPPT current of up to 20 A on the PV side and allows 200% PV oversizing, according to the manufacturer.

Engineers in the United States have developed a polymer coating they say could be used to protect PV modules, due to its impermeability to gases. The team has demonstrated that a 60-nanometer-thick film can extend the lifetime of a perovskite crystal by several weeks.

Australia founded, Texas-headquartered Infravision has appointed former Space X  and energy systems engineer Frank Tybor as chief technology officer as the company leverages its recent $139 million Series B led by GIC.

Researchers in the Middle East have developed a fuzzy logic controller that simultaneously optimises the tilt angle of PV systems and performs maximum power point tracking. Year-long simulations indicate that the proposed approach increases power generation by approximately 20%.