Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

China-based Halead is offering a reflective material for ground-mounted bifacial PV projects, which it claims can increase the annual power production of a solar plant by over 9%. Germany’s TÜV SÜD certified the performance of the solution.

Sono Motors has equipped its first bus with its PV retrofit solution, featuring 16 semi-flexible rooftop solar modules to feed 1.4 kW of output into the vehicle’s battery system.

A research group in the United States has developed a process to recover lead in its metallic form so that it can be reused in the PV industry. The process relies on a leaching solution based on a combination of acetic acid (CH3COOH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which the researchers said leaches the lead ‘in a matter of minutes.’

Scientists in Korea have built a light-emitting diode (LED) facade that can be used in combination with building-integrated PV, with minimal power loss caused by shading. The grid-type LED display can be used as a media façade in buildings making PV power generation more aesthetically appealing.

Brookfield’s bold ambitions for Australia have reached a new level, with the global asset manager signing an agreement with India-based Reliance Industries to explore the production of solar panels, long-duration battery storage, and other renewable energy equipment.

Fracsun says it will team up with App Orchid to develop a soiling-loss database and simulation tool.

Sineng Electric says it will build a new factory in China’s Jiangsu province, while Huasun says it has commissioned 3 GW of bifacial heterojunction cell production capacity in Anhui province.

Massimo Albino Russo, head of business development for Enerqos Energy Solutions, recently spoke with pv magazine Italy about its smart O&M service to detect dysfunctions in solar arrays hit by hail. The Ameresco Group subsidiary uses drones and artificial intelligence to deal with PV system damage.

Eternalsun Spire launched a solar simulator to test the performance, stability, and reliability of perovskite, tandem, thin film, and conventional PV technologies.

Australian installer UV Solar has rolled out a new frameless solar panel that manufacturer GoodWe says is 60% lighter than conventional PV modules, making it ideal for rooftops that are unable to support traditional PV and racking.