Hongyuan rolls out 40 µm ‘engineering-ready’ ultra-thin silicon wafers
Hongyuan Green Energy says it has produced a first batch of 40 µm monocrystalline silicon wafers that support full-size and half-cut formats, with slicing completed using the company’s in-house wafering equipment.
Fraunhofer ISE developing world’s first medium-voltage solar plants
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) is developing the world’s first medium-voltage PV plants in Germany to cut material use, reduce costs, and simplify grid integration. They will test 1,500 V and 3 kV string configurations to create cost-effective, voltage-resistant components for large-scale solar.
Analysts warn of possible, sudden silver price fall
pv magazine has spoken with silver analysts from Bloomberg and StoneX about the vertiginous growth of silver prices in recent weeks. They both agree that when prices rise too fast, investors’ behavior may change quickly. Meanwhile, the price of the precious metal has reached another all-time high today at $110 per ounce.
Jackery releases 2 kW solar gazebo
Jackery continues to expand its product range beyond storage with a new 2 kW solar gazebo designed for creating outdoor space, starting with US availability in 2026.
TU Delft unveils liquid solar module encapsulation tech
TU Delft researchers have developed a liquid-based solar module encapsulation that performs on par with conventional EVA panels while offering improved recyclability and circularity. The approach is compatible with silicon and tandem perovskite/silicon cells and could support thermal management and integration into photovoltaic-thermal modules.
China PV module prices expected to hit $0.12/W in H2
China’s PV module prices are expected to hover around $0.12/W in the second half of 2026 as the removal of export VAT rebates, front-loaded demand, and persistent oversupply keep market sentiment volatile.
Test tracking algorithms for vehicle-integrated photovoltaics
Researchers in Spain developed a new model incorporating dynamic shading conditions in Madrid to evaluate the yield and test control algorithms for vehicle-integrated PV (VIPV) systems.
Silver price hits all time high of $108.17 an ounce
A more than 15% increase in silver prices over the past week is adding cost pressure to the solar supply chain, as silver paste costs currently represent around 30% of total PV module costs.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Longi, Tongwei announce losses for fiscal 2025
Longi, and Tongwei have predicted steep losses for fully fiscal year 2025, as persistent oversupply and falling solar module prices continue to pressure margins across China’s PV manufacturing sector.
Self-assembling molecule for organic solar cells
A research team from Osaka Metropolitan University have developed a donor-acceptor-donor molecule that can spontaneously self-assemble into nanoscale structures and offer a more stable route to built-in p/n heterojunctions in organic solar cells.
