Nature Energy, Published online: 24 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02116-4

The interconnected recombination layer is key to advance perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. Cao et al. show that titanium oxynitride reconciles the requirements for recombination layers, improving the efficiency and stability for tandem solar cells and modules.

Nature Energy, Published online: 23 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02115-5

Solid oxide-ion conductors are essential for high-temperature electrochemical technologies, yet few materials maintain sufficient ion mobility at lower temperatures, where degradation is reduced and a broader range of materials can be used for auxiliary components. Here the authors introduce Aurivillius-type thin-film conductors that form periodic fast ion channels and achieve promising conductivity at 350 °C.

Nature Energy, Published online: 21 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41560-026-02110-w

Identifying future winning energy technologies is increasingly important as governments design green industrial policy. By evaluating technology characteristics, policymakers can strategically pick winning technologies that deliver both global cost-competitiveness and domestic economic payoffs.