Scientists in the Netherlands have demonstrated an interdigitated back contact copper-indium-gallium-selenide solar cell with a sub-micron thickness of 673nm. The device has an aluminum oxide and magnesium fluoride-based anti-reflective coating.

The government said developers have one more month to apply for the subsidy. It also delayed the project-completion deadline from Dec. 31, 2020, to June 30, 2021. From next year, rooftop PV will likely be supported by unspecified tax breaks.

The new measure mainly applies to wind power and other renewable energy sources, as most of the country’s solar capacity was deployed after 2014, when the energy reforms were implemented.

European scientists have developed mini modules with an active area of 14 cm² and a 3.68% efficiency rating. The panels also have a self-adjusting feature that can help to mitigate the amount of light when they are exposed to full sunlight, or to the temperatures of buildings with large windows and/or glass facades.

The Italian cabinet has accepted a request from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities to cancel approvals granted by the Lazio regional government for two large-scale PV projects. Lazio’s Tuscia area is a potential solar hub for the Italian energy system.

The pilotless, high-speed solar boat, now under development by Russian scientists, purportedly has unlimited power reserves. It could be used for marine patrols, search and rescue operations, and cargo delivery, they said.

Researchers in Malaysia have developed a new, cheaper method to assess PV cooling techniques. Designers and manufacturers of PV cooling systems could follow the parameters of the new approach to evaluate the performance and bankability of their own devices, the scientists claimed.

The country reached 1.95 GW of installed PV capacity at the end of May, after installing around 653 MW of new projects in the first five months of this year. If the current growth trend continues over the next few months, Poland could become a gigawatt market in terms of annual additions for the first time this year.

Researchers in Kenya say the geomagnetic field could reduce solar panel conversion efficiency 0.21% between the equator and a 50-degree latitude. Their analysis showed the complex magnetic field can determine increases in module fill factor and falls in maximum power.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a new approach to improve the electrical properties of monolayer graphene grown by CVD that could be used in the production of more efficient and stable ultra-light organic cells. They used parylene to develop transparent graphene electrodes through a roll‐to‐roll transfer technique.