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The operational stability of perovskite solar cells is often tested in the laboratory environment but its correlation to real-world operation is still unclear. New research shows that the outdoor ageing behaviour of the devices can be modelled with temperature-dependent degradation rates from laboratory stability tests that apply both heat and light stressors.

Bipolar membranes are emerging as an enabling component in numerous energy-relevant electrochemical devices, but a greater understanding of how they operate in complex electrolytes is needed. Research now reveals that ionic species in mixed-ion electrolytes can block the heart of the membrane, the bipolar junction, hampering its performance.

Payments awarded for renewables are sometimes labelled as subsidies, suggesting support for uneconomic activity. This Perspective argues that the primary role of contracts for difference is risk management by creating a market for electricity supply at stable long-term prices.

An interlayer of aluminium oxide with fixed charges is shown to boost perovskite solar cell performance. The open-circuit voltage is increased by 60 meV, and there is no significant efficiency drop after 2,000 hours under one sun illumination at 85 °C.

Bipolar membranes are increasingly being applied in a variety of electrochemical devices, yet understanding of how they operate in complex electrolyte environments is still limited. Here the authors outline a mechanistic model to explain the behaviour of bipolar membranes in forward bias polarization in mixed electrolytes.

The mechanical reliability of perovskite solar cells is a key hurdle that needs to be addressed to commercialize the technology. Dai and Padture discuss the driving stress, mechanical properties and mechanical failures relevant to these devices and how they should be characterized.

Recent liquid electrolyte advancements have achieved dendrite-free Li plating, but Li corrosion remains an issue. Here the authors propose an electrolyte solution to minimize Li corrosion, enabling high-energy-density Li-metal batteries.

Nickel-rich layered cathode materials deliver high energy density but suffer from rapid capacity fading owing to various side reactions at the cathode–electrolyte interface. A proposed near-surface modification of nickel-rich cathode materials increases their cycling stability, enabling the realization of high-energy-density and durability requirements for practical application.

A high-quality tunnelling-recombination layer composed of a boron- and phosphorus-doped polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) stack is obtained by suppressing dopant interdiffusion. Strong adsorption of the hole-transport layer on the poly-Si substrate enables efficient charge-carrier transport and extraction, enabling the realization of a perovskite/tunnel oxide passivating contact tandem solar cell with 29.2% efficiency.

Ni-rich layered cathodes offer a high energy density but experience rapid capacity fading due to interfacial side reactions. This study proposes near-surface modifications for these Ni-rich cathodes to fulfil practical battery application requirements.

Wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells are limited by losses in open-circuit voltage. Wang et al. show that diammonium halide salts promote a homogeneous distribution of halides in the perovskite, improving the performance of single- and triple-junction solar cells.

The diverse structures of energy system models result in disparities in computed energy and climate outcomes. Through a systematic quantification of five diagnostic indicators, new research offers a comprehensive ‘energy model fingerprint’ that will enable better contextualization and comparison of models in climate mitigation studies.

As the climate gets more extreme, buildings need to dramatically reduce energy use for heating and cooling. A new model reproduces the relationship between local climate and hourly building energy use, allowing us to reliably quantify the impact of modified indoor or outdoor climatic conditions such as thermostat adjustment or climate change.

The electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction can produce carbon-based fuels; however, the design of more efficient catalysts has proved challenging. A tandem electrocatalyst comprising SnS₂ nanosheets and Sn single atoms bound to three oxygen atoms on a carbon support is shown to exhibit high catalytic performance for CO₂ reduction to ethanol, including high selectivity.

The long-term operational stability of perovskite photovoltaics is critical to their successful real-world deployment. New research shows that ammonium cations with a high acid-dissociation constant can inhibit degradation reactions and impart excellent long-term stability in solar cells operating at high temperatures.

Electrochemical methods are emerging as potential ways to electrify the production of ammonia (NH₃). Now, researchers have discovered a copper–tin electrocatalyst that can efficiently and selectively achieve high production rates of ammonia from nitric oxide (NO) feedstocks, marking a key step forward in decarbonizing ammonia synthesis.

Silicon solar cells based on tunnel oxide passivating contact have industrial potential yet they are less investigated for tandem applications. Now Zheng et al. show a 28.67% certified efficiency for a perovskite/silicon tandem cell using a boron- and phosphorus-doped polycrystalline silicon connecting layer.