First Solar claims 21% efficiency for thin-film PV cell
08 August, 2014First Solar claims to have achieved 21% efficiency for its cadmium-telluride (CdTe) PV research cell, as certified by the Newport Corporation's Technology and Applications Center (TAC) PV Lab.
Lead-free perovskite solar cells
02 May, 2014Latest findings by University of Oxford researchers reveal that the lead in perovskite solar cells can be replaced with tin.
Unlocking secrets of new solar material
24 April, 2014Researchers at the US Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are analysing a new solar material that has the same crystal structure as a mineral first found in the Ural Mountains in 1839. The material, perovskite, is extremely efficient.
New material absorbs sun's heat and releases it on demand
14 April, 2014 by David ChandlerA team at MIT and Harvard University has come up with a material that can absorb the sun's heat and store that energy in chemical form, ready to be released again on demand.
Dow granted patents for PV encapsulant films
07 April, 2014Dow has been granted US and EU device patents for the use of encapsulant films in photovoltaic (PV) modules. The patents cover electronic devices having polyolefin (PO) encapsulant films with certain commercially important physical, mechanical and compositional properties.
Imec achieves OPV cell efficiency of 8.4%
13 March, 2014Micro- and nanoelectronics research centre Imec has achieved 8.4% conversion efficiency in fullerene-free organic solar cells. The achievement is said to be an important step to bring organic photovoltaic cells to a higher level in the competitive thin-film photovoltaics marketplace.
New photocatalyst to boost solar energy conversion
20 November, 2013Researchers from Engineering at Illinois have set their sights on improving the materials that make solar energy conversion possible.
New solar technology to change the future of interior lighting
08 November, 2013University of Cincinnati researchers have developed a new technology that might change the future of how building interiors are brightened.
Mornsun PV05/10(R) 200-1200 VDC economical photovoltaic power supply
17 October, 2013Mornsun has launched a series of economical photovoltaic power products called the PV05/10(R) series, an upgraded series of PV05/10. It has a 200-1200 VDC ultrawide input range (6:1) and its efficiency in the high-voltage input is improved by 5-12%.
Solar-powered car-sharing system
17 October, 2013Toshiba has completed construction of a car-sharing system for the Lyon Confluence Smart Community Demonstration Project.
Australia-European collaboration advancing electromaterials science
17 September, 2013Australia-based researchers are in Ireland this week to team up with European collaborators who have helped drive the exciting developments in graphene, medical bionics, artificial muscles and next-generation solar cells at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES).
Panasonic's solar cells to support Tokai Uni solar car team
30 August, 2013Panasonic will provide technological support to the Tokai University Solar Car Team as it competes in the World Solar Challenge (WSR), held in Australia from 6 to 13 October 2013. The company will be supplying high-efficiency HIT solar cells with high electricity output and high-capacity lithium-ion batteries.
3D graphene for solar power
23 August, 2013 by Marcia GoodrichMichigan Technological University scientists have developed 3D graphene, an inexpensive material that could replace the platinum in solar cells without degrading their efficiency.
Dyesol achieves record DSC efficiency of 15%
12 July, 2013Announced in the scientific journal Nature is a paper by a team led by the ‘Father of DSC’ Professor Michael Graetzel describing a new deposition process to create the light harvesting pigment for solid-state dye solar cells.
New method for visualising defects in solar cells
01 July, 2013Researchers at LMU Munich have developed a new method for visualising material defects in thin-film solar cells.