Deutschlands Wasserstoff-Backbone existiert heute als Stahl im Boden und als unter Druck stehende Pipeline. Doch die wichtigere Infrastruktur wurde lange vor dem ersten ausgehobenen Graben geschaffen. Diese Infrastruktur war intellektuell. Eine lange Abfolge von Studien, Modellen und politiknahen Analysen erzeugte den Eindruck, dass Wasserstoff für großskalige Energienutzung nicht nur plausibel, ... [continued]
Europas Gaskrise im Jahr 2022 wird häufig als ein geopolitisch getriebener Versorgungsschock beschrieben, doch diese Rahmung verfehlt die zentrale Lehre. Die Krise wurde weder durch Importabhängigkeit im Allgemeinen verursacht noch durch Knappheiten bei industriellen Einsatzstoffen. Sie entstand durch die Abhängigkeit von einem importierten Energieträger, der am Rand der Strom- und ... [continued]
BEVs reach 28% market share! EVs had another strong month in Europe, with a record 453,000 plugin vehicles being registered in Europe in December, blasting through the previous record set three years before, 412,000 units. Of those 453,000 units registered in December, 327,000 of them were BEVs, with pure electrics ... [continued]
Deutschlands Wasserstoff-Backbone ohne Kunden und ohne Lieferanten ist in dieser Reihe aus mehreren Blickwinkeln untersucht worden. Ausgangspunkt war die Pipeline von nirgendwo nach nirgendwo selbst und die Energie- und sonstigen Nachfrageflüsse, die sich nicht materialisieren werden. Darauf folgten die fehlgeleiteten deutschen Analysen, die zu ihr geführt haben, die Auswirkungen regulierter ... [continued]
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has asked the Ontario Energy Board to approve a sharp increase in regulated nuclear payment amounts, including a year over year jump of more than 40% in 2027. The weighted average regulated payment amount rises from about $78/MWh in 2026 to roughly $110/MWh in 2027, driven ... [continued]
Deutschlands Wasserstoff-Backbone existiert heute als Stahl im Boden und als unter Druck stehende Pipeline. Doch die wichtigere Infrastruktur wurde lange vor dem ersten ausgehobenen Graben geschaffen. Diese Infrastruktur war intellektuell. Eine lange Abfolge von Studien, Modellen und politiknahen Analysen erzeugte den Eindruck, dass Wasserstoff für großskalige Energienutzung nicht nur plausibel, ... [continued]
Europas Gaskrise im Jahr 2022 wird häufig als ein geopolitisch getriebener Versorgungsschock beschrieben, doch diese Rahmung verfehlt die zentrale Lehre. Die Krise wurde weder durch Importabhängigkeit im Allgemeinen verursacht noch durch Knappheiten bei industriellen Einsatzstoffen. Sie entstand durch die Abhängigkeit von einem importierten Energieträger, der am Rand der Strom- und ... [continued]
BEVs reach 28% market share! EVs had another strong month in Europe, with a record 453,000 plugin vehicles being registered in Europe in December, blasting through the previous record set three years before, 412,000 units. Of those 453,000 units registered in December, 327,000 of them were BEVs, with pure electrics ... [continued]
Tesla reported company-high energy storage deployments and revenue growth in 2025 but expects “low-cost competition” and policy factors to affect margins this year.
Researchers in Iraq have developed biomimetic leaf vein–inspired fins for photovoltaic panels, with reticulate (RET) venation reducing panel temperature by 33.6 C and boosting efficiency by 18% using passive cooling. Their study combines 3D CFD simulations and electrical evaluations to optimize fin geometry, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional cooling methods.
A research group from Iraq’s Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University has numerically investigated the thermal and electrical performance of PV panels integrated with leaf vein–inspired fins. They have simulated four types of venation used by plants, namely pinnate venation (PIN), reticulate venation (RET), parallel venation along the vertical axis (PAR-I), and parallel venation along the horizontal axis (PAR-II).
“The key novelty of our research lies in introducing and systematically optimizing biomimetic leaf vein–inspired fin geometries as passive heat sinks for photovoltaic panels,” corresponding author Yasser A. Jebbar told pv magazine. “While conventional cooling approaches rely on simple straight fins, fluids, or active systems, our study is among the first to directly translate natural leaf venation patterns—particularly RET structures—into manufacturable backside fins specifically tailored for PV thermal and electrical performance.”
The team combined detailed 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling with electrical efficiency analysis to identify geometries that maximize heat dissipation without additional energy input or water consumption. Next steps include experimental validation of the leaf vein fin designs under real outdoor conditions, particularly in hot climates.
The simulated PV panel consisted of five layers: glass, two ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) layers, a solar cell layer, and a Tedlar layer, with a copper heat sink and fins attached. All fin configurations were initially 0.002 m thick, 0.03 m high, and spaced 0.05 m apart. Panels measured 0.5 m × 0.5 m, with a surrounding air velocity of 1.5 m/s and incident irradiance of 1,000 W/m².
RET fins outperformed all other designs, reducing operating temperature by 33.6 C and increasing electrical efficiency from 12.0% to 14.19% —an 18 % relative improvement—compared to uncooled panels.
“This temperature reduction rivals, and in some cases exceeds, water-based or hybrid cooling methods, despite relying solely on passive air cooling,” Jebbar noted. The study also highlighted the significant impact of fin height, more than spacing or thickness, on cooling performance.
The team further optimized the RET fins, varying spacing from 0.02–0.07 m, height from 0.02–0.07 m, and thickness from 0.002–0.007 m. The optimal geometry—0.03 m spacing, 0.05 m height, and 0.006 m thickness—achieved the maximum 33.6 C temperature reduction and 18% efficiency gain.
UNSW researchers identified a new damp-heat degradation mechanism in TOPCon modules with laser-fired contacts, driven primarily by rear-side recombination and open-circuit voltage loss rather than series-resistance increase. The study highlights that magnesium in white EVA encapsulants accelerates degradation, guiding improved encapsulant and backsheet selection for more reliable modules in humid environments.
A research team from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has identifed a new damp heat-induced degradation pathway in TOPCon modules fabricated with laser-assisted fired contacts.
“Unlike earlier studies dominated by series-resistance increase, the primary degradation driver here is a reduction in open-circuit voltage, linked to enhanced rear-side recombination,” the research's lead author, Bram Hoex, told pv magazine. “The new degradation mechanism emerged under extended damp-heat (DH) exposure.”
The scientists conducted their analysis on 182 mm × 182 mm TOPCon cells fabricated in 2024 with laser-assisted firing.
The TOPCon solar cells employed a boron-doped p⁺ emitter, along with a front-side passivation stack consisting of unintentionally grown silicon dioxide (SiOₓ), aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃), and hydrogenated silicon nitride (SiNₓ:H), capped with a screen-printed H-pattern silver (Ag) contact grid. On the rear side, the structure comprised a SiO₂/phosphorus-doped n⁺ polycrystalline silicon/SiNₓ:H stack, also contacted by a screen-printed H-pattern Ag grid.
The researchers encapsulated the cells with different bill of materials (BOMs): two types of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA); two types of polyolefin elastomer (POE); and one type of EVA-POE-EVA (EPE). They also used commercial coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) composite (CPC) backsheets.
“The mini modules were laminated at 153 C for 8 min under standard industrial lamination conditions,” the academics explained. “All modules underwent DH test at 85 C and 85% relative humidity (RH) in an ASLi climate chamber for up to 2,000 h to study humidity-induced failures.
Schematic of the TOPCon solar cells and modules
Image: UNSW, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, CC BY 4.0
The tests showed that maximum power losses ranged from 6% to 16%, with the difference among these values depending strongly on the encapsulation BOM.
“The modules with POE on both sides were the most stable at around 8%, while those using white EVA on the rear side, especially in combination with EPE, showed the largest losses at around 16%,” said Hoex. “The primary driver of the degradation was a reduction in open-circuit voltage rather than the increased series resistance after DH testing, which diverges from previous findings that predominantly attributed DH-induced degradation to metallisation corrosion.”
The research team explained that higher levels of degradation were attributable to additives containing magnesium (Mg) in white EVA, which migrate under DH, hydrate, and create an alkaline micro-environment. “This alkaline chemistry corrodes the rear SiNx passivation layer, increases interfacial hydrogen concentration, induces local pinhole-like defects, and raises dark saturation current, ultimately reducing open-circuit voltage,” Hoex emphasized.
The scientists also explained that, although Mg in white EVA encapsulants and its role in acetic acid–induced degradation was previously reported, the effect of MgO on performance degradation in TOPCon modules was not explicitly studied.
“We hope this work helps refine encapsulant and BOM selection strategies for next-generation TOPCon modules, particularly for humid-climate deployment,” Hoex concluded. “It provides clear guidance for controlling Mg content in rear encapsulants and optimising rear-side passivation robustness. The mechanistic insights from this study have already informed upstream design changes, substantially reducing risk in commercial modules.”
Das deutsche Wasserstoff-Backbone ohne Kunden oder Lieferanten — eine Pipeline von nirgendwo nach nirgendwo — ist realer Stahl im Boden, unter Druck gesetzt und als unvermeidlich verteidigt, doch sie wird für ein Energiesystem gebaut, das sie nicht braucht. Diese Aussage klingt provokant, bis die Energieflüsse vollständig offengelegt werden. Betrachtet man ... [continued]
Der 400 km lange Abschnitt des deutschen Wasserstoff-Backbones ist inzwischen unter Druck gesetzt, mit fossilem Wasserstoff gefüllt und wartet. Es sind keine nennenswerten Lieferanten angeschlossen und keine vertraglich gebundenen Abnehmer entnehmen Moleküle. Allein diese Tatsache rechtfertigt es, innezuhalten und die Rechnung sorgfältig aufzumachen, denn große Infrastrukturentscheidungen werden nicht automatisch klimapositiv, ... [continued]
Das deutsche Wasserstoff-Backbone ohne Kunden oder Lieferanten — eine Pipeline von nirgendwo nach nirgendwo — ist realer Stahl im Boden, unter Druck gesetzt und als unvermeidlich verteidigt, doch sie wird für ein Energiesystem gebaut, das sie nicht braucht. Diese Aussage klingt provokant, bis die Energieflüsse vollständig offengelegt werden. Betrachtet man ... [continued]
Der neu unter Druck gesetzte Abschnitt von Deutschlands Wasserstoff-Backbone ohne Lieferanten und ohne Abnehmer wird oft als klarer Bruch mit der Vergangenheit beschrieben, als notwendige frühe Investition in eine künftige Wasserstoffwirtschaft. Der Stahl erzählt eine andere Geschichte. Trasse, Durchmesser, Alter und Wirtschaftlichkeit der Pipeline verweisen zurück auf russisches Erdgas, nicht ... [continued]
Deutschland hat inzwischen rund 400 Kilometer Wasserstoff-Backbone-Pipeline fertiggestellt und unter Druck gesetzt, ohne angeschlossene Lieferanten und ohne vertraglich gebundene Abnehmer — eine Pipeline von nirgendwo nach nirgendwo. Die Infrastruktur existiert und ist betriebsbereit, aber es fließt kein Wasserstoff zu irgendjemandem, der sich verpflichtet hat, dafür zu bezahlen. Dies ist kein ... [continued]
American Automobile Labeling Act reports show that the 2026 vehicle models with the biggest gains in domestic content — US and Canadian content, that is — are electric vehicle models. Experts indicate that is most likely due to policies put in place during the Biden presidency. Subsidies were implemented as ... [continued]
American Automobile Labeling Act reports show that the 2026 vehicle models with the biggest gains in domestic content — US and Canadian content, that is — are electric vehicle models. Experts indicate that is most likely due to policies put in place during the Biden presidency. Subsidies were implemented as ... [continued]
The global energy storage market is poised for continued expansion in 2026, even as supply chain constraints, regulatory evolution, and emerging applications reshape the landscape, according to Wood Mackenzie.
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