By Sam Stranks A new material has entered the emerging low-cost photovoltaics arena and is threatening to blow much of the existing competition away. Power conversion efficiencies (how efficiently incident sunlight is converted to electrical power) in perovskite-based solar cells have increased from a starting point of 3.8% in 2009 to a staggering … [continued]
Midsummer’s CIGS solar cells have recently seen their efficiency improved to an impressive 16.2% — up from a previous high of 15% efficiency. The new, higher efficiency solar cell was manufactured in a normal production run, and the process has already been implemented into the production line. “Considering that the … [continued]
Originally published on EV Obsession. Plans for Tesla’s supercharger network in China appear to be coming along nicely, based on what was seen at the recent delivery ceremony for Tesla’s first batch of orders in the populous country. At the ceremony, Tesla showcased the first two solar PV charging systems … [continued]
If you had to pick the best color for solar cell efficiency off the top of your head, yellow – as in sunlight – would probably get the nod. However, there is a lot of efficiency to be mined in the blue end of the spectrum. The problem is, blue … [continued]
Samsung now holds the record for the most efficient CIGS solar panels — 15.7% on a 1.44 square-meter substrate. This efficiency was achieved using a two-stage process similar to that of Solar Frontier. Solar Frontier isn’t terribly far behind with its 14.7% efficiency rating, which was achieved on a 1.23 … [continued]
The solar cell efficiency horse race is in full swing and it seems like every other week a new record-breaking announcement comes out, but let’s take a step back and consider how efficiency is just one element in the installed cost of solar power. Another key factor is the cost … [continued]
Originally published on Solar Love. The Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) has announced that it has set a new copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cell efficiency record. The 20.8% record beats ZSW’s own previous record of 20.3% as well as the 20.4% multicrystalline PV cell record — … [continued]
Gallium is already on its way to becoming the workhorse of the solar tech field, and now it looks like the soft metal is is on track to become a thoroughbred. A team of US scientists has hit upon an improved method for growing indium gallium nitride (InGaN) crystals that … [continued]
Solar cells that are cheaper to produce and contain fewer toxic compounds may be a reality in the near future, thanks to new research from Oregon State University. By utilizing a commonly used antifreeze — ethylene glycol — and some other comparatively cheap materials to produce solar cells in a … [continued]
Reposted from the website of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association: The European Union’s NER300 programme, which funds innovative low-carbon energy demonstration projects, has issued a new call for proposals. EPIA monitoring has found that it includes several potential funding opportunities for PV projects. Published on 3 April, the call for … [continued]
