National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL

First Solar's Photovoltaic Technology Completes 25 Years of Testing

Determining how many years a solar panel will last can take, well, years. Intended to function for 25 years or more, solar panels must be made to withstand the elements. In some cases, panels continue working well after their planned operational lifetime.

Thermochromic Window Reduces Need for Air Con, Generates Electricity

Scientists report a breakthrough in developing a next-generation thermochromic window that not only reduces the need for air conditioning but simultaneously generates electricity.

Untapped Potential Exists for Blending Hydropower, Floating PV

Hybrid systems of floating solar panels and hydropower plants may hold the technical potential to produce a significant portion of the electricity generated annually across the globe.

Brilliant Matters

Brilliant Matters is a Canadian company that develops and manufactures organic semiconductors for the printed electronics market. The company offers products and services mainly aimed at the organic photovoltaic (OPV) and organic photodiode (OPD) markets, focusing on purity and reproducibility.

Raynergy Tek

Raynergy Tek is a speciality chemical company based in Taiwan. They manufacture commercial quantities of semiconducting materials for organic photovoltaic (OPV) and organic photodiode (OPD) applications. This profile is based on a discussion with Raynergy Tek CEO Dr. Phoebe Tan on July 9 2020.

Emerging Photovoltaics: Materials Opportunity in New $38Bn Market

The new IDTechEx report, "Materials Opportunities in Emerging Photovoltaics 2020-2040", is based on interviews by multi-lingual, PhD level IDTechEx analysts across the world and 20 years tracking the research and applications. They predict $38 billion dollars in 2040 without colliding with the silicon-in-glass "power station" business. There will be many opportunities for premium pricing of its new specialist materials.

Citrine Informatics

Citrine Informatics provide a materials informatics platform. IDTechEx spoke with Greg Mulholland (CEO and co-founder).

Six-Junction Solar Cell Sets Two World Records for Efficiency

Scientists have fabricated a solar cell with an efficiency of nearly 50%. The six-junction solar cell now holds the world record for the highest solar conversion efficiency at 47.1%, which was measured under concentrated illumination. A variation of the same cell also set the efficiency record under one-sun illumination at 39.2%.

Research Boosts Stability of Perovskites, Helps Silicon Solar Cells

A change in chemical composition enabled scientists to boost the longevity and efficiency of a perovskite solar cell. The new formula enabled the solar cell to resist a stability problem that has so far thwarted the commercialization of perovskites. The problem is known as light-induced phase-segregation, which occurs when the alloys that make up the solar cells break down under exposure to continuous light.

Thin-Film Solar Cells Generate as Much Energy as Traditional Ones

Scientists have become the first to achieve an energy efficiency of 25 percent with a thin-film solar cell. This means that this wafer-thin solar cell generates as much energy as a traditional silicon solar cell.

Quadrupling Turbines, US Can Meet 2030 Wind Energy Goals

The United States could generate 20% of its electricity in a breezy way within 10 years according to new research.

Safer Lead-Based Perovskite Solar Cell

Researchers are reporting a potential breakthrough in the development of hybrid perovskite solar cells. Considered rising stars in the field of solar energy, perovskite solar cells convert light into electricity. They're potentially cheaper and simpler to produce than traditional silicon-based solar cells and, on a small scale in laboratory settings at least, have demonstrated comparable efficiency levels. But key challenges remain before they can become a competitive commercial technology.

KULR Technology

KULR have extensive experience in battery safety for aerospace and defence applications, more recently they have been taking this knowledge and aplying it to the electric vehicle market.

For Cheaper Solar Cells, Thinner Really is Better

Costs of solar panels have plummeted over the last several years, leading to rates of solar installations far greater than most analysts had expected. But with most of the potential areas for cost savings already pushed to the extreme, further cost reductions are becoming more challenging to find.

Finalists Announced for 2019 R&D 100 Awards

Finalists for the venerable R&D 100 Awards have been announced by R&D World magazine and its new parent company, WTWH Media, LLC.

Tests Measure Solar Panel Performance Beyond Established Standards

Photovoltaics used in solar panels are sensitive to environmental factors and often suffer degradation over time. International Electrotechnical Commission standards for accelerated degradation do not include field tests. While some testing facilities have made data available, much of the data needed to make business decisions for PV is not available publicly.

Large, High-Quality Perovskite Films Created at Record Speed

Large perovskite films for solar cells can now be rapidly manufactured. The new approach, which combines the right amounts of volatile and less volatile solvents in a blade-coating process, could be an important step towards the commercialisation of perovskite solar cells.

AllCell Technologies

AllCell Technologies design and manufacture LI-ion battery packs. Their phase change material thermal management technology helps them produce lightweight and long lasting batteries.

Electric car research boosted by cobalt-free battery

The elimination of cobalt -- an expensive chemical component currently required to power our smartphones and laptops -- from lithium-ion batteries has been the goal of Texas Engineer Arumugam Manthiram for much of his career.

$5.5 million to apply machine learning to geothermal exploration

The US Department of Energy announced up to $5.5 million for 10 new projects to apply machine learning techniques to geothermal exploration and production. Machine learning - the use of advanced algorithms to identify patterns in and make inferences from data - could assist in finding and developing new geothermal resources.