2024 Perovskite Breakthroughs are the Future of Solar

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2024 Perovskite Breakthroughs are the Future of Solar. Perovskites are often hailed as the next big thing for solar panels. They’re more efficient than silicon PVs could ever be, and they have higher yields. However, their fragility and short lifespans have relegated them to the lab…so far.

But 2024 is looking to be the year of the perovskite. The last few months have seen new perovskite researchers all over the world smashing records, including durability. Because of this, some of these new perovskites are even set to hit the market this year. Let’s check out some of the most exciting breakthroughs in the field and see for ourselves if perovskites are finally ready for their big debut. And why should you care?

K2CO3 Salt Heat Battery

Dutch language video.

Space heating solution using K2CO3 and water.

K2CO3 generated using renewable energy/process heat.
Generating heat by mixing K2CO3 and vaporized water.
Output: hot air.
Operating temperature: 60-65 C.
Reverse process: dry the K2CO3 using industrial process or local (summer) solar heat.
400 kg salt suffice to bridge a winter for a single household.
Entire sea containers can be used to heat apartment buildings. Twice/year they need to be charged at a source of industrial heat.
Bulk price K2CO3: $1150/ton

[deepresource] – Heat Battery Based on Salt and Water – TU-Eindhoven
[tue.nl] – How the Eindhoven heat battery can quickly make millions of homes gas-free

Stargate Hydrogen Alkaline Electrolyser 80% Efficiency

[h2-view.com] – Stargate Hydrogen unveils ‘Stellar 100’ alkaline stack with 80% efficiency

True Cost of Offshore Wind Energy

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In the quest for clean energy, offshore wind stands out – not just for its towering turbines which are already as tall as the Eiffel tower and set to grow further, but offshore wind also stands out for its surprising economics. Despite being about twice as expensive as its onshore counterpart, offshore wind is riding a wave of rapid global expansion. What drives this surge in investment towards seemingly pricier energy? In this video we’ll navigate the depths of offshore wind. We’ll uncover the innovations making these titanic turbines possible, explore why their energy is more prized, and dive into the tumultuous waters of 2023 that nearly capsized the industry. Can offshore wind chart a course towards a more sustainable horizon? Let’s set sail to find out.

Bookmarks:
00:00 Intro
00:54 How do turbines need to be changed to suit offshore environment?
01:24 Different types of support structure for offshore environment
03:39 Size
04:58 Corrosion
05:29 Reliability
06:05 Advantages & Cost Offshore Wind
07:13 Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of Offshore Wind
08:09 Offshore Wind in Denmark
09:27 Non-financial benefits of Offshore Wind
10:39 Value of Offshore Wind – Complementary Generation Profiles
11:21 Matching Generation with Demand
11:43 Offshore Wind in New York
12:08 Offshore Wind in Western Australia
12:51 Offshore Wind Crisis

Note: this is US data, in Europe the picture for the cost of offshore wind is, em, rosier.

[lazard.com] – 2023 Levelized Cost Of Energy+

Thermal Storage in Sand

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How a Sand Battery Could Revolutionize Home Energy Storage. Sand. It’s coarse, it’s rough, and it can make for a great sand battery. And as weird as that might sound, it’s just one example of the many earthy materials currently used for thermal energy storage (or TES). A while back, we covered the debut of the world’s first commercial sand battery, which is big enough to supply power for about 10,000 people. Now, sand-based energy storage has reached a new frontier: individual homes. Companies like Batsand are currently offering heat batteries that bring hot and fresh sand directly to your door. Seems you can get just about anything delivered these days.

But what’s stopped us from experimenting with residential TES before? How will heat storage impact our lives in our homes? And where exactly are homeowners supposed to put this stuff?

[wikipedia.org] – Thermal energy storage

50 Years Global Steel Production

Battolyser Eemshaven Operational

Battolyser: a battery that stores electricity and switches to hydrogen production, if the battery is fully charged.

[source] Battolyser Eemshaven

[agro-chemie.nl] – RWE plaatst eerste Battolyser in Eemshaven
[deepresource] – Our Battolyser posts
[nl.wikipedia.org] – Battolyser

Seasonal Storage of H2 in NH3

Liquid ammonia is much easier to store and transport than liquid hydrogen.

Round-trip efficiency H2 –> NH3 –> H2:

Very pure H2 (vehicle fuel cell usage): 11-19%
Stationary fuel cells: 25-39%

Direct NH3 combustion in turbine: 35-40%

Energy density 1 liter ammonia: 4.32 kWh (three times less than gasoline)

These figures seem low, but keep in mind that in deserts like the Sahara or Saudi-Arabia, electricity can be generated for 1 cent/kWh, making these efficiency numbers very workable. NH3 is a prime candidate for seasonal storage of renewable electricity.

[wikipedia.org] – Ammonia
[wikipedia.org] – Haber-Bosch process
[ammoniaenergy.org] – Round-trip Efficiency of Ammonia as a Renewable Energy Transportation Media

China Opens 30 MW Wind Turbine Test Facility

While Sany has no immediate plans for a 30MW turbine, the new facility underscores China’s dominance in pushing the boundaries of wind turbine size. Chinese manufacturers are boldly pursuing both onshore and offshore turbines significantly larger than those currently planned by their Western counterparts.

[rechargenews.com] – China test for 30MW wind turbines as green power ‘arms race’ goes on
[interestingengineering.com] – China breaks new ground in wind power with new 30 MW turbines
[windmillstech.com] – China Sany Renewable Energy Unveils Groundbreaking Test Facility for Giant 30MW Wind Turbine Blades

MgH2 Hydrogen Storage Potential

[wikipedia.org] – Magnesium hydride
[sciencedirect.com] – Recent progress in thermodynamic and kinetics modification of magnesium hydride hydrogen storage materials
[sciencedirect.com] – Enhancing hydrogen storage performance of MgH2 through the addition of BaMnO3 synthesized via solid-state method