Tag Archive for: solarcells

MBJ Solutions launched two products for perovskite device developers: a Sun Simulator for research and a Light Soaking Unit for aging tests.

New sun simulator, light-soaking tools for perovskite solar cells, modules

Germany’s MBJ Solutions, a PV industry equipment specialist, recently launched the MBJ Steady State Sun Simulator, designed for small perovskite module characterization, and the MBJ Light Soaking Unit, made for perovskite device aging tests and preconditioning.

The market for the MBJ Solutions equipment is international, according to Volker Biemann, MBJ solutions product manager. “We have customers all over the world but mainly Europe, US and Southeast Asia,” Biemann told pv magazine.

The MBJ Steady State Sun Simulator, featuring a 500 mm x 500 mm measuring area, is made for teams developing a range of device sizes, from cells to small modules. It has a continuous Class A+ sun simulator, compliant with IEC 60904-9 Ed.3. The 22-LED unit has extended ultraviolet and infrared extended spectrum. The spectral coverage and deviation are > 98% and < 24%, respectively, It is compact, with an integrated 5 megapixel electroluminescence camera.

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Source: PV Magazine

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OptoGPT (Opto Generative Pretrained Transformer) is a new algorithm that harnesses the computer architecture underpinning ChatGPT.

US engineers develop ChatGPT algorithm to design solar cells

Engineers from the University of Michigan have developed a new algorithm capable of designing optical multilayer film structures for applications, including solar cells.

OptoGPT (Opto Generative Pretrained Transformer) harnesses the computer architecture underpinning ChatGPT to work backward from desired optical properties to the material structure that can provide them.

The algorithm produces designs for multilayer film structures, consisting of stacked thin layers of different materials, reportedly within 0.1 seconds. Well-designed multilayer structures can maximize light absorption in a solar cell, and can also optimize design in other optical component manufacturers, such as telescopes. On average, OptoGPT designs contain six fewer layers than previous models, according to its creators. This means that its designs are easier to manufacture.

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Source: PV Magazine

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Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have developed a method to make high-quality perovskite films at room temperature.

UCSB pioneers a low-energy process for high-performance solar cells

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Finding reliable, eco-friendly power sources is crucial as our world grapples with increasing energy needs and the urgent call to combat climate change. Solar energy offers one solution, with scientists devising ever more efficient materials for capturing sunlight.

Perovskite solar cells have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional, silicon solar cells, boasting a number of advantages. But processing the material has been a complicated affair. Now, researchers at UC Santa Barbara have developed a method to make high-quality perovskite films at room temperature. The team’s innovation not only simplified the production process but also increased the material’s efficiency from under 20% to 24.4%. The details appear in the journal Joule.

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Source: UC Santa Barbara

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The Intertubes lit up today with news of a new, 190% efficient solar cell that could finally send fossil fuels packing once and for all.

A new dawn for solar cells: 190% quantum efficiency is possible

The Intertubes lit up today with news of a new, 190% efficient solar cell that could finally send fossil fuels packing once and for all. The research is still in the proof-of-concept stage, but other solar cells that shoot past the 100% mark are already in development, so anything is possible. However, if you’re thinking this blows the Shockley-Queisser theoretical limit to bits, well, guess again.

Solar cells can shoot past 100% efficiency, depending on what that means

The Shockley-Queisser limit refers to the ability of solar cells to convert sunlight to electricity. The theory emerged in the 1960s to describe the upper limit of basic silicon photovoltaic technology. The initial limit was determined to be 30%, later revised upward to 33.7%.

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Source: Clean Technica

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Bifacial solar cells technology soaks up shaded sunlight and artificial light from lamps to produce its own trickle of renewable power.

Startup develops breakthrough solar cells that can make energy indoors

Have you heard the buzz about a new kind of solar panel that works inside the home?

California-based clean energy startup Ambient Photonics has been hard at work since 2019 engineering affordable solar cells that can tap into indoor light. Their latest invention helps devices charge themselves, with no outlet (or battery) required, according to Euronews.

Officially called bifacial solar cells, this technology soaks up shaded sunlight and artificial light from lamps and bulbs to produce its own trickle of renewable power. The technology builds on low-cost solar solutions that emerged in the 1990s, making sustainable energy possible in any indoor environment with light.

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Source: The Cool Down

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If you want to take advantage of solar energy but you can’t (or don’t want to) put solar panels on your roof, you do have other options.

Everywhere else you can install solar panels

If you want to take advantage of solar energy but you can’t (or don’t want to) put solar panels on your roof, you do have other options. As solar panels become more advanced and the technology develops, gathering energy from the sun is growing ever easier and more unobtrusive than ever. Here are some great options for installing solar panels in places other than your roof.

Solar siding

If you have a south-facing wall on your home with about eight feet by eight feet of space, you can install solar panel siding. These solar cells will work best in unshaded areas, of course, but they can still collect energy even in they are in southeast or southwest facing areas. The advantage of this installation method is that you can choose the color of your panels to match your home’s exterior and blend in with the architecture. The disadvantage is that the solar panels won’t be at an optimal angle to absorb sunlight, as they will be perfectly vertical.

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Source: Life Hacker

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Solar cells that combine traditional silicon with cutting-edge perovskites could push the efficiency of solar panels to new heights.

Super-efficient solar cells: 10 breakthrough technologies in 2024

WHO

Beyond Silicon, Caelux, First Solar, Hanwha Q Cells, Oxford PV, Swift Solar, Tandem PV

WHEN

3 to 5 years

In November 2023, a buzzy solar technology broke yet another world record for efficiency. The previous record had existed for only about five months—and it likely won’t be long before it too is obsolete. This astonishing acceleration in efficiency gains comes from a special breed of next-­generation solar technology: perovskite tandem solar cells. These cells layer the traditional silicon with materials that share a unique crystal structure.

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Source: Technology Review

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The FPSC on Gao’s wearable sweat sensor has a record-breaking PCE exceeding 31 percent under indoor light illumination.

New Caltech wearable sensor sets record for solar power efficiency

Sweat, like blood, can tell us a lot about a person’s health. And conveniently, it’s a lot less invasive to collect.

This is the premise behind the wearable sweat sensors developed by Caltech’s Wei Gao, assistant professor of medical engineering, Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, and Ronald and JoAnne Willens Scholar.

Over the past five years, Gao has steadily added features to his wearables, making them capable of reading out levels of salts, sugars, uric acid, amino acids, and vitamins as well as more complex molecules like C-reactive protein that can provide timely assessment of certain health risks. Most recently, in collaboration with Martin Kaltenbrunner’s group at Johannes Kepler University Linz in Austria, Gao has powered these wearable biosensors with a flexible solar cell.

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Source: Pasadena Now

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The US Department of Energy just invested $82 million in 19 innovative projects in 12 states to boost US solar manufacturing and recycling.

19 US solar recycling and manufacturing projects just got $82M in funding

The US Department of Energy just invested $82 million in 19 innovative projects in 12 states to boost US solar manufacturing and recycling.

As part of that $52 million in funding, $10 million will come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strengthen the US domestic solar supply chain, and $30 million will be put toward technologies that will help integrate solar energy into the grid.

The investment will help promote cheaper, more efficient solar cells and advance cadmium telluride and perovskite solar manufacturing.

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Source: electrek

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Dozens of companies throughout the solar supply chain have made more than 40 domestic manufacturing announcements valued at more than $13B.

Turning America into a solar manufacturing powerhouse

A wave of new announcements by manufacturers reveals a massive swing in the American solar industry: a domestic solar manufacturing boom is underway. This is a sea change for energy security and jobs and will ensure the U.S. solar and storage industry has a reliable supply of solar equipment as it grows from nearly 5% of the nation’s electricity mix to a fundamental part of America’s energy supply.

One year ago, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) revealed that companies were waiting in the wings, ready to invest in domestic manufacturing with the right market signals and policies in place.

Now, with new incentives and comprehensive industrial policies in place, they’re taking action.

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Source: SEIA

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