Researchers at University of Toledo produced antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) thin film solar cells with 7.69% power conversion efficiency after determining optimal hydrothermal deposition, post annealing, and light soaking conditions. Stability tests showed more than 95% of initial efficiency after ten months.

The new FS5 v2 Spectrofluorometer is available as a benchtop system for fluorescence spectroscopy.

Researchers in Netherlands and Belgium have created a numerical model to simulate the moisture ingress in PV modules. Their research work showed that climate in which a PV module is installed has a much higher impact on the moisture ingress than the choice of materials for the encapsulant of the backsheet.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency said a project team testing new optical wireless energy receiver technology was able to transfer 800 W of power to a receiver 8.6 km away in a 30 second transmission. It claims is a distance and power record amongst optical power beaming demonstration results.

Japan’s Sekisui Solar Film and the Netherlands’ TNO have signed a letter of intent to explore collaborations related to flexible perovskite solar PV. Talks will be initiated on a potential perovskite module factory in Brabant and the exchange of relevant information.

German automation specialist Acp systems developed an advanced robotics solution integrating image processing to handle a range of wafer sizes and tolerances within a vapor deposition process for a manufacturer of space solar cell technologies. The requirements included a compact design, precsion within 0.1 mm and automated wafer handling quality control.

The latest report from the technical compliance and quality assurance company added several new producers but also noted several plant closures acorss the region. It said the current nameplate capacity for the region stands at 21 GW for modules, 3.2 GW for cells, and 1.5 GW for ingots.

Japan-based startup PXP Corporation and JGC Japan Corporation, a unit of JGC Corporation, are collaborating on a 1 kW one-year project to trial lightweight chalcopyrite panels in Yokohama City.

Swedish thin film solar specialist Midsummer announced the order of a SEK 143.5 million ($14.8 million) turnkey line with a capacity for 15 MW from an undisclosed Swedish industrial and defense group.

Germany’s Singulus Technologies will provide three of its physical vapor deposition (PVD) vacuum sputtering systems to Poland-based module manufacturer Roltec at a new plant that will produce copper, indium, gallium, and selenium (CIGS) cells on glass substrates.