Solar Energy
Solar power heats materials over 1,000 degrees Celsius

Solar power heats materials over 1,000 degrees Celsius
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) May 16, 2024
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a method to generate heat exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius using solar power. This innovation could replace fossil fuels in energy-intensive industries like steel and cement production. The study, published in the journal Device on May 15, utilizes synthetic quartz to capture solar energy, demonstrating the potential for clean energy in these industries.
“To tackle climate change, we need to decarbonize energy in general,” said Emiliano Casati of ETH Zurich. “People tend to only think about electricity as energy, but in fact, about half of the energy is used in the form of heat.”
The production of glass, steel, cement, and ceramics requires high temperatures, traditionally achieved by burning fossil fuels. These industries account for about 25% of global energy consumption. Researchers have explored using solar receivers to concentrate and build heat, but transferring solar energy efficiently above 1,000 degrees Celsius has been challenging.
Casati’s team enhanced solar receivers using quartz, which traps sunlight through the thermal-trap effect. They created a device with a synthetic quartz rod and an opaque silicon disk to absorb energy. When exposed to intense sunlight, the device’s absorber plate reached 1,050 degrees Celsius, while the quartz rod’s other end remained at 600 degrees Celsius.
“Previous research has only managed to demonstrate the thermal-trap effect up to 170 degrees Celsius,” Casati said. “Our research showed that solar thermal trapping works not just at low temperatures, but well above 1,000 degrees Celsius. This is crucial to show its potential for real-world industrial applications.”
Using a heat transfer model, the team simulated the quartz’s efficiency under various conditions. The model showed that thermal trapping achieves target temperatures at lower concentrations with similar performance or higher efficiency at equal concentrations. For example, a state-of-the-art receiver has an efficiency of 40% at 1,200 degrees Celsius with a concentration of 500 suns. A receiver shielded with 300 mm of quartz achieves 70% efficiency at the same temperature and concentration. The unshielded receiver requires at least 1,000 suns for comparable performance.
Casati’s team is optimizing the thermal-trapping effect and exploring new applications. They have tested other materials, such as different fluids and gases, to reach even higher temperatures. The ability of these semitransparent materials to absorb light or radiation is not limited to solar radiation.
“Energy issue is a cornerstone to the survival of our society,” Casati said. “Solar energy is readily available, and the technology is already here. To really motivate industry adoption, we need to demonstrate the economic viability and advantages of this technology at scale.”
Research Report:Solar thermal trapping at 1000C and above
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Solar Energy
A single molecule elevates solar module output and stability

A single molecule elevates solar module output and stability
by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Apr 24, 2025
A new molecule developed through international collaboration has been shown to significantly improve both the performance and durability of perovskite solar cells, according to a recent study published in *Science*. The discovery centers on a synthetic ionic salt named CPMAC, which originates from buckminsterfullerene (C60) and has been shown to outperform traditional C60 in solar applications.
Researchers from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) played a key role in the development of CPMAC. While C60 has long been used in perovskite solar cells due to its favorable electronic properties, it suffers from stability issues caused by weak van der Waals interactions at the interface with the perovskite layer. CPMAC was engineered to address these shortcomings.
“For over a decade, C60 has been an integral component in the development of perovskite solar cells. However, weak interactions at the perovskite/C60 interface lead to mechanical degradation that compromises long-term solar cell stability. To address this limitation, we designed a C60-derived ionic salt, CPMAC, to significantly enhance the stability of the perovskite solar cells,” explained Professor Osman Bakr, Executive Faculty of the KAUST Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies (CREST).
Unlike C60, CPMAC forms ionic bonds with the perovskite material, strengthening the electron transfer layer and thereby enhancing both structural stability and energy output. Cells incorporating CPMAC demonstrated a 0.6% improvement in power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared to those using C60.
Though the gain in efficiency appears modest, the impact scales up dramatically in real-world energy production. “When we deal with the scale of a typical power station, the additional electricity generated even from a fraction of a percentage point is quite significant,” said Hongwei Zhu, a research scientist at KAUST.
Beyond efficiency gains, CPMAC also enhanced device longevity. Under accelerated aging tests involving high heat and humidity over 2,000 hours, solar cells containing CPMAC retained a significantly higher portion of their efficiency. Specifically, their degradation was one third that observed in cells using conventional C60.
Further performance evaluation involved assembling the cells into four-cell modules, offering a closer approximation to commercial-scale solar panels. These tests reinforced the molecule’s advantage in both durability and output.
The key to CPMAC’s success lies in its capacity to reduce defects within the electron transfer layer, thanks to the formation of robust ionic bonds. This approach circumvents the limitations posed by van der Waals forces typical of unmodified C60 structures.
Research Report:C60-based ionic salt electron shuttle for high-performance inverted perovskite solar modules
Related Links
KAUST Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies
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Solar Energy
Indonesia says China’s Huayou to replace LGES in EV battery project

Indonesia says China’s Huayou to replace LGES in EV battery project
by AFP Staff Writers
Jakarta (AFP) April 23, 2025
China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt is replacing South Korea’s LG Energy Solution as a strategic investor in a multibillion-dollar project to build an electric vehicle battery joint venture in Indonesia, officials said on Wednesday.
The South Korean company, which was part of a consortium that signed a 142 trillion rupiah ($8.4 billion) “Grand Project” in 2020, announced its withdrawal from the project this week, citing factors including market conditions and the investment environment.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said LG Energy Solution’s decision would not significantly affect the project, which aims to establish a local electric vehicle battery value chain in Indonesia.
“Changes only occur at the investor level, where LG no longer continue its involvement… and has been replaced by a strategic partner from China, namely Huayou,” Bahlil said in a statement.
“Nothing has changed from the initial goal, namely making Indonesia as the center of the world’s electric vehicle industry.”
Indonesia, home to the world’s largest nickel reserve, has been seeking to position itself as a key player in the global electric vehicle supply chain by leveraging its vast reserve of the critical mineral to attract investments.
The government decided not to move forward with the South Korean company in the project due to the long negotiation process with the firm to realise its investment, Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani said.
Rosan cited Huayou’s familiarity with Indonesia as one of the reasons why the government chose the company to succeed LG Energy Solution.
“Huayou had invested in Indonesia,” Rosan said.
“They have sources to develop the industry going forward.”
LG Energy Solution said in a statement on Tuesday that it will continue to explore “various avenues of collaboration” with the Indonesian government, including in its battery joint venture.
HLI Green Power, a joint venture between LG Energy Solution and Hyundai Motor Group, operates Indonesia’s first electric vehicle battery plant, which was launched in 2024 with a production capacity of up to 10 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of cells annually.
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Solar Energy
Politecnico di Milano explores global potential of agrivoltaics for land use harmony

Politecnico di Milano explores global potential of agrivoltaics for land use harmony
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) Apr 23, 2025
A research team from the Politecnico di Milano has presented new insights into how agrivoltaic systems could resolve growing tensions over land use between agricultural production and solar energy development. Led by Maddalena Curioni, Nikolas Galli, Giampaolo Manzolini, and Maria Cristina Rulli, the study demonstrates that integrating photovoltaic panels with crop cultivation can significantly mitigate land-use conflict while maintaining food output.
Published in the journal Earth’s Future, the study highlights that between 13% and 16% of existing ground-mounted solar installations have displaced former farmland, underscoring the competition for arable land. In contrast, the researchers propose that deploying agrivoltaic systems on between 22% and 35% of non-irrigated agricultural land could enable dual use without substantially affecting crop yields.
Using a spatial agro-hydrological model, the researchers simulated how 22 crop types respond to varying degrees of solar shading from photovoltaic panels. Their simulations covered a broad range of climates and geographies, generating a global suitability map for agrivoltaic deployment. The results underscore the feasibility of this approach in many regions, especially those with compatible crops and moderate solar intensity.
“Agrivoltaics cannot be applied everywhere, but according to our results, it would be possible to combine cultivation and energy production in many areas of the world without significant reductions in yield,” said Nikolas Galli, researcher at the Glob3Science Lab and co-author of the study.
Giampaolo Manzolini, professor in the Department of Energy, noted additional benefits: “Using the land for both cultivation and photovoltaic systems increases overall output per occupied surface area while reducing production costs. In addition, installing crops underneath the photovoltaic panels reduces the panel operating temperature and increases their efficiency.”
“This technology could help reduce land competition while improving the sustainability of agricultural and energy systems,” added Maria Cristina Rulli, who coordinated the research.
The team emphasizes that their findings could inform strategic policy decisions and investment strategies aimed at maximizing land productivity while supporting both food security and renewable energy goals.
Research Report:Global Land-Water Competition and Synergy Between Solar Energy and Agriculture
Related Links
Politecnico di Milano
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