Reviews & Analysis

The efficiency and stability of perovskite photovoltaic modules lag far behind those of small-area devices. By carefully engineering the composition of the perovskite layer to suppress defect formation, researchers now demonstrate mini-modules that are nearly as efficient as small-area cells with 1,000-hour stability under operation.

The promising performance of low-platinum-loading oxygen reduction reaction catalysts in preliminary electrochemical tests is rarely translated into similarly impressive performance in real fuel cells. In this Review, Li and colleagues explore the underlying reasons for this issue and outline strategies to overcome it.

Research has studied what makes people adopt electric vehicles since before they were commercially available. Now, a new study examines the next important issue for the future of electrification of personal transportation: what makes electric vehicle owners ditch them.

The performance of electrocatalysts depends on material properties that may differ spatially even within a single particle. Now, a combination of operando microscopy techniques is used to correlate morphology and metal oxidation state with local activity of an oxygen evolution catalyst, which may help to guide future catalyst design.

Long-duration energy storage technologies can be a solution to the intermittency problem of wind and solar power but estimating technology costs remains a challenge. New research identifies cost targets for long-duration storage technologies to make them competitive against different firm low-carbon generation technologies.

Electrochromic windows can reduce buildings’ energy demand and improve occupants’ comfort, yet they struggle to fully meet market needs. Now, researchers demonstrate that polymer additives improve light and solar heat modulation of reflective electrochromic windows, with potential for durable, large-scale and low-cost manufacturing.

Wind energy’s contribution to primary energy supply has increased in the past decade, while technology costs have decreased faster than predicted. New work finds that recent expert estimates of wind technology costs by 2050 are around half what they were in 2015, implying a bigger role for wind energy in low-carbon development pathways.

Liquid-electrolyte-fed electrolysers are promising for conversion of carbon dioxide into fuels and chemicals, but suffer stability issues due to precipitate formation at the cathode. New research reports the prevention of salt formation at porous electrodes, bringing the technology one step closer to industrial commercialization.

Innovative energy business models, such as peer-to-peer trading or energy as a service, are attractive to different groups of customers. Disengaged consumers with low trust in the energy market could face further disadvantages, while already active consumers could reap even greater benefits, which risks widening existing socio-economic inequalities.

The current mainstream photovoltaic technology used in industry has a power conversion efficiency above 23% in mass production but major further improvements are challenging. Researchers now demonstrate a 26% efficiency by implementing passivating contacts on double-side contacted solar cells.

The development of metallic anodes for next-generation high-energy batteries is largely hindered by dendritic growth issues. Now, an interface between metals and substrates is engineered to facilitate their strong chemical bonding, leading to uniform metal deposition and high battery cycling reversibility.

Flow batteries based on, for example, polysulfide suffer severe performance deterioration due to active species crossover in membranes. Now, a charge-reinforced ion-selective membrane is designed to support long-term cycling of polysulfide redox flow batteries by blocking the crossover.

Fuel cells are increasingly being considered for powertrains of heavy-duty transportation. Cullen et al. survey the technical challenges of fuel cells at both the system and materials level for transportation application and outline the roadmap for future development.

Alkali metal electrodes paired with solid electrolyte separators show great promise in improving the energy density, safety and cost of batteries. Now, a deeper understanding of the effect of metal mechanical properties on a key failure mode creates opportunities for improved cycling performance.

Low-temperature operation of lithium batteries is notoriously challenging. However, tailoring the electrolyte structure may provide a pathway toward uniform lithium deposition and reversible operation of lithium metal anodes at low temperatures.

Widespread adoption of thermal storage systems is limited by their complex transient response, which is dependent on material properties, module geometry and thermal load. Now, an approach to evaluate energy and power density adapted from electrochemical storage reveals design trade-offs in thermal storage modules.

With increasing global communications, we have experienced increasing misinformation. New research shows that mere exposure to misinformation about smart meters is related to perceptions of related risks. Increased knowledge about smart meters can reduce the impact of some misinformation but it does not work for all types.

Oxygen redox in Li-rich oxide cathodes is of both fundamental and practical interest in Li-ion battery development. Bruce and team examine the current understanding of oxygen-redox processes, especially those concerning O₂ formation, and discuss strategies that can harness oxygen redox with suppressed side effects.

Efforts to replace traditional energy sources with modern ones in developing countries have met with limited success. A new study sheds light on some of the contextual factors that inhibit this shift as well as opportunities for nudging poor households in the desired direction.

Metal oxide photoanodes are promising for solar-driven water oxidation, but a greater understanding of surfaces is required to minimize efficiency losses. New research shows that controlling terminal compositions of otherwise identical facets of complex oxides has a profound impact on photoelectrochemical function.