A new white paper by testing equipment specialist Wavelabs outlines key challenges that the solar industry will face when it comes to testing and characterizing perovskite-silicon tandem cells in manufacturing environments.

Scientists have completed a one-year trial of a model that calculates solar irradiation forecasts up to 24 hours in advance. Singapore’s Energy Market Authority now plans to adopt solar irradiance forecasting, as the model has an average error rate below 10% for one-hour forecasts.

Longi has launched a series of modules featuring an all-new hybrid passivated back contact cell technology, with which it claims a maximum module efficiency of 22.8% in mass production. It will initially offer the modules in 54, 60, 66 and 72 cell formats, targeting rooftop and distributed generation applications.

US scientists recently put different bifacial solar cells and modules through a series of tests at elevated temperature, humidity, voltage and mechanical stress levels. The tests revealed a range of light-induced and potential-induced degradation mechanisms that modules will likely suffer in the field.

A new study of the environmental impacts of renewable energy finds significant opportunities for solar to reduce its impacts in various categories, including human health, resource depletion, and environmental damage. The study notes in particular that more work is needed to establish a comprehensive reuse and recycling network for end-of-life PV products.

Plans for Europe’s largest-ever PV cell and module factory are taking shape, with equipment orders placed and a projected start date in mid-2024. Enel Green Power has received €118 million ($116.36 million) in funding from the EU Innovation Fund to support the project, out of a total €600 million investment. The EU is hoping it will catalyze further investment in similar projects, and start a high-tech comeback for European solar manufacturing.

Australian scientists have demonstrated a flexible perovskite solar cell using roll-to-roll compatible “printing” type processes, which could potentially be applied in large-scale manufacturing. Of particular note is the development of a viable roll-to-roll process to deposit the electrode layer, which has thus far been a major challenge. Cells fabricated by the group achieved a maximum efficiency of 16.7%.

Scientists in China have studied the formation of contacts in tunnel-oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells, and the role of high-temperature annealing processes on the quality and performance of cells. Their findings could open up pathways for scientists looking to squeeze even more efficiency out this rapidly growing cell technology.

Scientists have found that perovskite solar cells and perovskite-silicon tandems might be vulnerable to potential-induced degradation. They exposed tandem cell devices to PID stress and found that they lost as much as 50% of their initial performance after just one day.

Scientists in Switzerland put together a detailed analysis of the projected costs of designing and operating a 100 MW perovskite solar cell production line in various locations, taking in labor and energy costs as well as all materials and processing. The found that perovskite PV could be cost-competitive with other technologies even at much smaller scale, but noted that this still depends on the tech proving its long-term stability, and impressive achievements in research being successfully transferred to commercial production.