Alliance Building Integrated Photovoltaics: Björn Rau joins Management Board
Semi transparent PV-elements in the train station in Perpignan, France. © CC 3.0/Issolsa
The General Meeting of Alliance for Builiding Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) has unanimously elected physicist and photovoltaic expert Dr. Björn Rau, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, to the BIPV Management Board.
Dr. Björn Rau is Deputy Director of PVcomB at the HZB and has been involved in Alliance BIPV since mid-2016. He already heads the research group of Alliance BIPV and accepted the nomination to stand for election to the Board at the recent General Meeting. In his nomination speech, he emphasised the variety of research expertise found within the circle of members: “Not everyone is aware yet of what each of us is working on. We have an opportunity to expand the transfer of knowledge.” By means of an active exchange, he would like above all to promote practical cooperation between the members and build bridges between the various players in the BIPV sector.
The general meeting elected Rau as well as six other candidates as new Board Members.
More information: Allianz BIPV e.V. was founded as a registered association in April 2016. Its goal is to lead integrated photovoltaics in buildings from being a niche application into broad employment. Integrated solar systems should become a normal component of buildings. Renowned manufacturers, research institutions, architects, planners, and consultants are involved in the Alliance BIPV.
www.allianz-bipv.org
red.
https://www.helmholtz-berlin.de/pubbin/news_seite?nid=14837;sprache=en
- Copy link
-
Green hydrogen: A cage structured material transforms into a performant catalyst
Clathrates are characterised by a complex cage structure that provides space for guest ions too. Now, for the first time, a team has investigated the suitability of clathrates as catalysts for electrolytic hydrogen production with impressive results: the clathrate sample was even more efficient and robust than currently used nickel-based catalysts. They also found a reason for this enhanced performance. Measurements at BESSY II showed that the clathrates undergo structural changes during the catalytic reaction: the three-dimensional cage structure decays into ultra-thin nanosheets that allow maximum contact with active catalytic centres. The study has been published in the journal ‘Angewandte Chemie’.
-
An elegant method for the detection of single spins using photovoltage
Diamonds with certain optically active defects can be used as highly sensitive sensors or qubits for quantum computers, where the quantum information is stored in the electron spin state of these colour centres. However, the spin states have to be read out optically, which is often experimentally complex. Now, a team at HZB has developed an elegant method using a photo voltage to detect the individual and local spin states of these defects. This could lead to a much more compact design of quantum sensors.
-
Solar cells on moon glass for a future base on the moon
Future settlements on the moon will need energy, which could be supplied by photovoltaics. However, launching material into space is expensive – transporting one kilogram to the moon costs one million euros. But there are also resources on the moon that can be used. A research team led by Dr. Felix Lang of the University of Potsdam and Dr. Stefan Linke of the Technical University of Berlin have now produced the required glass from ‘moon dust’ (regolith) and coated it with perovskite. This could save up to 99 percent of the weight needed to produce PV modules on the moon. The team tested the radiation tolerance of the solar cells at the proton accelerator of the HZB.