Renewable energy week highlights
25 of February to 3 of March 2023
PHOTOVOLTAIC
NREL confirms record efficiency for Perovskite solar cell at 25.73%
South Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) developed a new process for manufacturing Perovskite solar cells.
The technique reduced defects in the crystal structure, resulting in increased cell efficiency. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory tested the cells and confirmed a 25.73% efficiency.
Netherland study concludes the feasibility of installing Solar farms on dykes
The Netherlands has the potential to support 11 GW of solar panels on its 17,000 Km of dykes in the country. The study followed the performance of four pilot solar plants on dykes. In one of the pilots, the modules are installed at 80 cm to a 1 m to allow grazing by sheep underneath them, allowing agrivoltaics dual use.
WIND POWER
Researchers suggest painting black and white stripes on wind turbines blades and towers can prevent seabird deaths
Birds have excellent vision but mostly downwards and sideways. The avian frontal sight works with a lower resolution. Bird fatal collisions with wind turbines result from this visual bias.
The study suggests that by painting the wind turbine blades and towers in contrasting black and white stripes, fatal bird collisions will decrease. A previous study in Norway reduced bird fatalities by 70% by painting one wind turbine blade black.
Some companies suggested bladeless wind turbines to deal with bird fatalities.
HYDROGEN
Hydrogen car swappable deposits designed by Pininfarina for car startup NANX with set for production
Morrocan/French car startup NANX is ready to produce its HUV (Hydrogen Utility Vehicle). The HUV sports six swappable hydrogen capsules in the back (marketed as CapX) to complement the main tank. Each capsule provides a driving range of 500 miles (800 Km).
The capsules are a workaround to the current lack of hydrogen filling stations. NanX aims to provide capsule pick-up points for drivers (CapXtores) or home delivery of these capsules.
Italian design Pininfarina studio collaborated on the car conception and design. The car will be available from Q4 2025 with 300 and 500-horsepower versions at 65,000 and 95,000 euros ($68,000 to $100,000).
European Consumer Organisation pushes back against proposed amendments to allow hydrogen boilers
The proposed amendments to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive would allow for hydrogen boilers and hybrid heat pumps (renewable fuels/hydrogen), resulting in higher consumer energy bills.
The organization (ECO) also mentions fire hazard concerns. The ECO cites an ARUP study for the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), which predicts a three to four times higher risk for fire and explosions for hydrogen boilers than natural gas.
Finally, the amendments would allow the installation of hydrogen boilers in non-insulated homes.
Instead, the ECO pushes for more support for heat pumps, in line with actions from national governments.
Universal Hydrogen, an airplane startup, doubles the previous seat record for a fuel cell aircraft flight set just two months ago.
A converted twin prop De Havilland Canada Dash 8–300 flew 15 minutes in a test flight. The aircraft is an original 50 seater, with 40 seats in this experimental setup to accommodate hydrogen tanks.
The flight doubles the seats from last January’s record set by ZeroAvia with a 19-seater fuel cell aircraft. Unlike ZeroAvia, which electric motor uses a battery fuel cell hybrid architecture, Universal Hydrogen aircraft uses only fuel cells without batteries.
ENERGY POLICY
European Energy Commissioner hints at targeted reform of the European electricity market
European energy markets still suffer from the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the following sanctions on Russian gas.
Some argue that part of the problem is the current organization of the European electricity market. In the current format, fossil fuels set electricity prices, particularly natural gas, currently at an elevated price in Europe.
The high electricity prices and the record profits from energy companies are splitting European countries on the way to reducing energy costs. Some countries, led by France, push for a more extensive overhaul, while others, Germany included, are against it.
The European Commission was against reforms but seems now more open to them.
In the current setup, the most expensive power plants switch on at the last moment to meet electricity demand, setting electricity prices.
France argues that it makes no sense for fossil fuels to set the electricity price when increasingly renewable sources generate electricity.
An opposing block, which includes Germany, pushes back an overhaul of the European electricity market. They fear changes to market rules will do away with the price and stability brought in the last 30 years.
Running on the side, Portugal pushed for extending the Iberian Peninsula solution to the rest of Europe. The Iberian peninsula has an undersized integration with the rest of the European electric grid, operating under different rules since March 2022.
