Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Researchers at University of Jaén in Spain have demonstrated a semi-transparent crystalline silicon solar photovoltaic module with rear-side optical concentrators for agrivoltaics applications.

A report from the Clean Energy Technology Observatory finds that while the EU is a technology leader in PV inverters, trackers and mounting structures, its manufacturing capacity in solar ingots, wafers, cells and modules falls far behind targets set by the Net Zero Industry Act.

German solar wafer manufacturer Nexwafe is one of eight companies receiving investment in the latest round of the European Commission’s Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) Scale Up call, an initiative addressing a market gap in deep tech funding in Europe.

The Chinese manufacturer said the tandem device was developed through a dual-buffer layer strategy that improves interfacial adhesion while preserving efficient charge extraction. The efficiency result was certified by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

South Korea has allocated KRW 33.6 billion ($22.8 million) for R&D on perovskite-silicon tandem solar technology with a goal of commercializing 28%-efficient modules by 2030, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The China-based organic photovoltaics manufacturer has launched a line of indoor PV modules suitable for integration into digital office products and electronic devices.

Researchers in the United States have developed a photonic curing technique using laser sintering to rapidly heat and cure copper pastes on temperature-sensitive solar cell substrates without causing thermal stress. The process purportedly produces dense, low-porosity copper layers with strong adhesion to indium tin oxide, achieving low bulk and contact resistivity.

Bernreuter Research says nine of the world’s ten largest polysilicon manufacturers are based in China, with Tongwei, GCL Technology, Daqo New Energy and Xinte Energy holding a combined 65 percent share of global output in 2024.

A research team in Spain has built what it claims to be the world’s most efficient perovskite solar cell using MXenes or any other type of 2D-materials. The device relies on a Mxene interlayer that suppresses non-radiative recombination and improved charge extraction at the interface between the perovskite absorber and the electron transport layer.

The Japanese technology company is offering three types of space-grade compound solar cell designs for satellites and spacecraft.