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Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research TNO, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, and the three on-board solar technology system suppliers for vehicles Lightyear, IM Efficiency, and Sono Motors have measured the potential of solar cars on European roads for nine months. The results of the measurements confirm that solar panels on vehicles can be a valuable, mobile source of renewable energy for the transport sector. However, the findings also highlight significant challenges such as shading and user behavior.

An international research team of photovoltaics scientists has taken a crucial step toward the industrialization of perovskite silicon tandem solar cells. They demonstrated that passivation of the perovskite top cell is possible in combination with textured silicon bottom cells featuring large pyramid size, which are the current industry standard for solar cells. Additionally, they discovered that the passivation affects the entire perovskite layer – unlike silicon, where surface treatment only influences the upper layers – leading to further efficiency improvements. The PV researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), University of Freiburg and Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE presented their technological and scientific innovations for the passivation of perovskite top cells in the journal Science. The full paper can be accessed for free at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adx1745.

In addition to expanding renewable energy generation, a successful energy transition requires stable system operation at all times. To achieve this, renewable energies and storage power plants will have to take on extensive system services and essential grid-forming properties in the future. In the “GFM Benchmark” project, Fraunhofer ISE developed a test procedure for grid-forming inverters on behalf of the four German transmission system operators and applied it to devices from various manufacturers. On the one hand, the project provided a comprehensive overview of the market readiness of grid-forming inverters. On the other hand, the project results provide an important practical check for new national and European testing standards.

In a joint research effort, scientists from the University of Ottawa, the National Research Council Canada NRC and Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE developed photonic power converters which convert 1446 nanometer laser light into electrical power with unprecedented 53.6 percent efficiency and an output voltage above 2 volts. These advancements pave the way for long-distance power transmission via optical fibers, for example in telecommunications, as well as free space applications. The results have recently been published open access in Cell Reports Physical Science.

In the course of the energy transition, the proportion of converter-based generation plants in the electricity grid is increasing rapidly, while conventional power plants are being taken off the grid at the same time. In the “SUREVIVE” project, a consortium from research and the energy industry is investigating for the first time in the German distribution grid how grid-forming inverters and a large battery storage system can stabilize the electricity grid. In preparation for the field test, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE is testing the systems in its multi-megawatt laboratory.