Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Under the terms of the agreement, Aiko will be licensed to Maxeon’s back-contact solar cell and module patents outside the U.S., while both companies drop all ongoing legal actions.

Hoshine, Risen Energy, Jolywood, and Irico have all issued forecasts for net losses in 2025, as rising raw material costs and weak industrial silicon prices squeeze margins across the solar manufacturing sector.

Researchers in the Netherlands developed a model to identify tolerable degradation rates of the top cell in perovskite-silicon tandem modules. Simulations showed that an increase in tandem module efficiency from 28.0% to 32.9% could raise the tolerable degradation rate by approximately 50%.

An international study finds that successful agrivoltaic projects require farm-specific, holistic co-design that integrates PV layout with agricultural mechanization from the earliest planning stages. Without proper alignment between machinery, crops, and PV systems, agrivoltaics risk major land loss, lower field efficiency, and higher operating costs, undermining farm profitability.

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.

Copec, Luxmeter Energy, and Ventisqueros have commissioned a system at the Quintupeu salmon farming center in Hornopirén, a remote area of southern Chile. The installation features a 48 kW photovoltaic plant paired with a 109 kWh battery storage system, enabling the facility to reduce its reliance on diesel generators in this off-grid aquaculture operation.

Swiss startup Sun-Ways is testing removable solar panels installed on an operational railway line through a pilot project with French railway operator SNCF in Switzerland.

Xilia Group has introduced composite frames for solar modules made from glass fiber–reinforced polyurethane. The company says the frames reduce weight, resist corrosion, and eliminate the need for grounding.

The company’s new ASTRO N7 Pro PV modules achieve 2% higher cumulative energy yield over the project lifecycle compared to conventional previous-generation modules, according to Astronergy Head of Global Product Management Baohua He.

IRENA’s latest report finds that energy use and material intensity across the solar PV manufacturing supply chain will decline through 2030. The analysis also shows Vietnam remains more cost-competitive than India due to lower electricity prices, while high energy and labour costs keep Australia and Germany less competitive.