PV-assisted heat pump prototype with dual condenser reaches 7.59 coefficient of performance
Researchers in Spain have developed a dual-condenser air-to-water heat pump that shifts domestic hot water production to daylight hours, maximizing PV self-consumption. The prototype boosted solar energy use from 9.9% to 55.5% and achieved a peak coefficient of performance of 7.59 under PV-assisted operation.
Silver prices resume upward trend
Silver prices have resumed their climb, reaching $95 per ounce this morning. Silver analyst Philip Newman tells pv magazine that escalating tensions in the Middle East are expected to continue driving investment demand for safe-haven assets such as gold and silver.
Indian researchers build transparent perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell with 30.2% efficiency
The transparent four-terminal perovskite solar cell employs an ion-modulated spiro-MeOTAD hole transport layer, which passivates interfacial defects, enhances carrier dynamics, and allows for a tunable work function in wide-bandgap perovskites. When integrated into mechanically stacked 4T tandems with an n-TOPCon cell, the device achieved an overall efficiency of 28.4–30.2%, along with improved open-circuit voltage and fill factor.
Premier Energies unveils India’s first zero-busbar TOPCon solar cell
Premier Energies Ltd today unveiled India’s first zero-busbar (0BB) TOPCon solar cell at Intersolar India. The 0BB design marks a structural shift from traditional 10BB and 16BB architectures, replacing thick silver busbars with a dense matrix of ultra-fine silver lines to collect current.
FOB China TOPCon solar cell prices hold steady as market awaits post-holiday reassessment
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Polysilicon prices slide amid low operating rates
The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMIA) says polysilicon production has fallen to 32% of capacity, sustaining oversupply, while wafer prices weaken as post–Chinese New Year demand fails to recover.
Chinese Academy of Sciences achieves world record efficiency of 15.45% for kesterite solar cell
The cell was fabricated using a new interfacial phase equilibrium strategy that suppressed uncontrollable metal ion migration. The device achieved an exceptionally high open-circuit voltage of over 600 mV at a bandgap of 1.10 eV.
Chinese scientists build ‘ultra-stable’ polymer solar cell with 19.1% efficiency
The polymer solar cell is able to retain 97% of its performance after 2,000 hours in air. By blending small-molecule acceptors into polymeric matrices, the research team improved molecular packing, enhancing both stability and charge transport for “ultra-stable” flexible devices.
Australian startup scaling up printed solar technology
Kardinia Energy has secured AUD 2.15 million from the Australian government’s Industry Growth Program to scale up its flexible, low-cost printed solar technology from university proof-of-concept to pilot manufacturing.
Tongwei plans to acquire polysilicon competitor Qinghai Lihao
Shanghai-listed polysilicon producer Tongwei says it intends to acquire 100% of Qinghai Lihao through a share-and-cash transaction, as consolidation in China’s polysilicon sector increasingly shifts toward mergers and acquisitions.
