Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Following the indictment of its chairman, Gautam Adani, in the United States over bribery allegations, questions are being asked about Adani Group’s ability to raise capital. With the charges related to solar, India’s PV industry has wider concerns. Adani Group refutes the allegations and says it is as robust as ever.

Researchers in Singapore used a biomass-derived polymer to increase the efficiency of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite solar cell. The cell was also found to obtain a 90% efficiency retention after 1,100 hours, which compares to 52% for benchmark cells designed without the proposed polymer.

Radovan Kopecek, an expert on back-contacted (BC) solar cell and module technologies, spoke with pv magazine about BC manufacturing costs, efficiency and technical challenges. He believes that global BC solar module manufacturing capacity could reach 1 TW by 2030, potentially making BC products the industry’s mainstream technology. Kopecek added that 2028 will be a crucial year for its development, as most of the critical patents associated with this module tech will expire.

China General Nuclear (CGN) New Energy has awarded contracts for 10.5 GW of solar modules under its 2025 procurement framework. The winning companies, including JinkoSolar, Longi, and GCL SI, will supply high-capacity n-type bifacial and monofacial panels.

Scientists in Tunisia have investigated the impact of PV panel tilt and water quality on green hydrogen production and have found that, with a variable orientation PV panel, the hydrogen generator could reach an efficiency ranging from 32% to 62% using demineralized water and 45% to 65% with distilled water.

A European consortium is applying wind-solar hybrid and tilting wing technology as modular refits of in-service long-distance cargo vessels in an effort to reduce fuel consumption.

CDIL Semiconductors has developed India’s first indigenous solar bypass diodes. The company says its diodes are optimized for India’s extreme weather conditions, with low forward voltage drop and high thermal stability.

Extraterrestrial Power has developed a space-grade solar cell thin enough for mass production and estimates it to be 10 times cheaper than current space solar cells.

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.

Utility-scale solar is set to crank up the voltage, preparing to shift from 1.5 kV to 2 kV on the DC side. It is a move that could redefine PV system design and slash costs, but it won’t happen globally due to vastly different regulations as voltages rise, reports Tristan Rayner.