A US-Taiwanese research group has created a new spin coating method which they claim can be applied in the mass production of mini perovskite panels. The scientists used sulfolane as an additive in the perovskite precursor to convert the perovskite phase via a new reaction route. They demonstrated a mini-module with a power conversion efficiency of 16.06% and an active area of 36.6 cm2.

Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor began building its new wafer manufacturing facility in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. Shanghai Electric is setting up a hydrogen research center with the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Scientists in the United States have analyzed how semitransparent organic solar cells placed on the roof of a greenhouse may impact crop production. They assessed, in particular, how solar power generation may affect lettuce crops and found that the plants not only grow unhindered but also that the solar cells reduce overheating in the greenhouse.

The device will go into mass production in the second half of this year. It features an efficiency of 99.01% and is claimed to be the most powerful string inverter ever launched on the market to date.

Hydrogen transportation and submarine power lines have been compared by an international research team to find out which may be the cheapest option to connect for energy exchange regions separated by the sea. According to their findings, the hydrogen shipping alternative does not present very good prospects of applicability in the future, unless some disruptive technological breakthroughs are made. What makes compressed and liquified hydrogen ships still attractive, however, is that they can export energy almost anywhere, and that electrolysis and liquefaction plants are relatively easy to expand compared to marine cables.

The South African Department of Energy has launched yesterday the fifth round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP). It seeks to procure 1 GW of PV and 1.6 GW of wind power.

German tracker manufacturer Ideematec has adapted its Horizon L:TEC tracker for a series of agrivoltaic projects totaling 100 MW that will be developed in France by Spanish developer Amda Energía. The new tracker is claimed to be able to operate synergistically with the agricultural equipment.

Researchers in Spain have compiled a list of key performance indicators intended at evaluating not only the quality of a heat pump or a PV generator; but also the quality of their integration. pv magazine spoke to research co-author Celena Lorenzo about the potential and challenges of this combination. According to her, heat pumps powered by PV alone are efficient enough for both cooling and heating.

The new panel was conceived for applications in the rooftop segment. It features an efficiency of up to 20.5% and a power rating of 360/455 W. The Slovenian module manufacturer used 166×166 mm wafers for the new product, as it claims they currently provide the best power and size ratio.

The Eastern European country is expected to add around 2 GW per year over the next five years, according to Polish research institute Instytut Energetyki Odnawialnej. By the end of 2025, its cumulative installed PV capacity should reach 14.93 GW.