Durian has been popularly labeled as “the king of fruits” in Southeast Asia because of its combination of flavorful pulp and pungent smell. Opinions about its smell are sharply divided between “very aromatic” from those who love it and “very putrid” from those who hate it. For scientists doing research in energy storage, any kinds of fruit that have the potential to become materials for batteries or capacitors are “good” regardless of taste or smell. Recently, a research team at the University of Sydney in Australia has created electrode materials out of durian and jackfruit. These materials, in turn, could be used in building high-performance supercapacitors that can rapidly charge smartphones and tablets. ...  more

South Korean scientists have developed a magical looking thin film solar panel with slight fluorescent colors that not only possesses a remarkable appearance, but is also produced with materials that are friendly to the environment, and the solar panel is able to achieve a conversion efficiency of 18% alongside its flexible and bendable advantages. ...  more

Singapore may be able to receive the cross-sea solar electricity from Australia after 2027, as the latter has decided to accelerate the approval of an “ASEAN Solar Power Program” that costs AUD$22 billion. The solar-generated electricity is expected to be transmitted through a high voltage direct current submarine cable that measures at 3,700km. With the help of this program, Australia will be able to not only conduct energy diplomacy, but also expedite the recovery in its economy subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic.   ...  more

The safeguard duty imposed by India on solar cells and modules from China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia is now expired, and the Government of India has decided to adhere to the advice of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) and extend the duty for another year, after taking into account the impact of imports on the domestic production capacity of solar power in India. ...  more

As the government of Taiwan raises the share of renewables in the island’s energy mix, the momentum of development has also picked up in the related application segments such as energy storage, power dispatch, and smart grid. ...  more