High-efficiency solar cells
16 December, 2011Silver-free heterojunction silicon solar cells have been created by applying copper electroplating, which was developed by Kaneka, based on imec’s existing copper electroplating technology.
Nanotech microscope boosts solar research
07 December, 2011A microscope in QUT is being used to develop plastic solar cells to charge laptops and mobile phones.
European PV market faces sharp decline
07 December, 2011Rapidly falling prices in the first half of this year have been unable to stimulate the faltering European photovoltaic market, according to the latest Solarbuzz European PV Markets report.
Organic solar cells collaboration
02 November, 2011Imec and its 16 European project partners have launched the European FP7 project X10D.
Solar cells reach new efficiency level
07 October, 2011 byThe Belgian research centre imec, together with Plextronics and Solvay, has produced an organic polymer-based single junction solar cell with 6.9% performance in an inverted device stack.
Test & Measurement MIG1203SOLAR instrument
18 September, 2011The standard IEC61730 requires a lightning impulse test with the standard 1.2/50 µs impulse and the test must be within tolerances when the solar panel is connected.
Solar array powering ahead
12 July, 2011The University of Queensland’s $7.75 million solar power system at St Lucia has reached a milestone, with installation completed on one of the project’s most visible components.
Improving solar cells with the microelectronics toolbox
07 July, 2011 byTo make solar energy generation cost-effective, the PV industry has to reduce its manufacturing costs well below 1 euro/Wp. This holds for all PV technologies.
Solar Energy Australia GS PV grid feed inverter range
20 March, 2011PV grid feed inverters now join Solar Energy Australia’s range. The GS Series is built in a compact, lightweight package, no bigger than a mini desktop PC and designed for quick and easy installation. An IP65 rating enables outdoor mounting.
Manufacturing technique holds promise for solar energy
11 February, 2011 byA new semiconductor manufacturing method, pioneered at the University of Illinois in the US, is claimed to make the future of solar energy brighter.
Cheaper solar cells around the corner?
22 November, 2010 byImec is a non-profit European research organisation specialising in the study of nanoelectronics, using the expertise of its global partners in ICT, healthcare and energy. Founded in 1984, its headquarters are in Leuven in Belgium, with offices in the Netherlands, Taiwan, the US, China and Japan. Its staff of more than 1750 includes over 550 industrial residents and guest researchers. Here are some highlights from recent research projects.
Generating power in molecular circuits
22 April, 2010Material scientists at the Nano/Bio Interface Centre of the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated the transduction of optical radiation to electrical current in a molecular circuit.
Solar power all through the night
31 March, 2010‘Baseload’ solar power, once a distant dream, is now claimed to be a reality. While solar electricity was once limited to when the sun was shining, solar thermal energy can now operate 24 hours a day, even at night, with an ingenious and cheap storage method using molten salt.
Bright outlook for flexible solar cells
15 March, 2010Monash University researchers are at the forefront of efforts to develop a new generation of solar cells that are lighter, cheaper and able to be embedded in future roofing materials.
Solar panel output trials
28 October, 2009National Semiconductor and SunEdison, a solar energy services provider, have begun field trials to optimise the energy output of solar arrays.
