Scientists at Solliance (Eindhoven, The Netherlands), in collaboration with MiaSole Hi-Tech Corp., fabricated a flexible solar cell with a record breaking power conversion efficiency of 21.5%. The solar cell combines two thin-film solar cell technologies into a 4 terminal tandem solar cell stack: a top flexible semi-transparent perovskite solar cell with a bottom flexible copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) cell.
Whether used for power supply or in electric cars, current battery systems are based on a series of interconnected individual cells, which has certain disadvantages in terms of efficiency and manufacturing. Bipolar battery setups, in contrast, comprise compact stacks of individual cells. A new type of flexible and extremely thin bipolar plate allows batteries to be manufactured cost effectively. At the Hannover Messe from 1 to 5 April 2019, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT will be presenting the development of this technology.
From left to right: Frederik Klöckner (technology manager, KEX Knowledge Exchange AG), Dr Daniel Lenssen (director business development, Papierfabrik Louisenthal GmbH), Gabriele Nau (senior market manager consumer goods & electronics, Lohmann Group), Dr C
Companies are regularly faced with the challenge of understanding and evaluating the influence of new technologies and trends on their business and of initiating corresponding innovation processes. In order to successfully implement innovations, expertise in different and new fields of technology is necessary. Existing networks are mostly not sufficient for this – there is a dearth of novel ideas. The methodology of KEX Knowledge Exchange AG (Aachen, Germany) breaks this down: In consortium projects new companies from different industries come together to jointly tap the potential of technological hypes.
