Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

China has tightened investment rules for PV manufacturing, raising the minimum capital ratio for starting projects from 20% to 30%, according to new standardized guidelines announced by the government.

Trina Solar says it has achieved a record efficiency of 26.58% for a tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell. The Chinese manufacturer says Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) has independently verified the result.

Researchers in China have created a balloon-integrated photovoltaic system that reportedly represents a feasible solution for emergency PV power generation in mid-to-high latitudes. It consists of a customized balloon, 19%-efficient thin-film cadmium telluride solar cells, an exhaust valve, control and storage modules, fixed ropes, and a cord reel, as well as an upper hemisphere and a lower arc surface.

Researchers from Germany and India have demonstrated an inkjet printing method to fabricate formamidinium tin-lead perovskite solar cells, achieving 10.26% power conversion efficiency and a 1.25 eV energy bandgap.

The research group led by Professor Martin Green has published Version 65 of the solar cell efficiency tables. There are 17 new results reported in the new version.

The Barcelona City Council is piloting two solar system prototypes designed to provide shade, generate power, and filter air.

Colombian researchers have designed an agrivoltaic system integrating hydroponic growing towers. The modular array, consisting of stackable 20 cm rings, creates a structure up to 2.5 meters tall, optimized for cultivating approximately 80 plants per square meter.

Researchers in China have fabricated a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell that utilizes an indium oxide sputtering buffer layer to protect the perovskite absorber and the electron transport layer from potential damages arising from the electrode deposition process. The new layer not only ensured this protection but also showed strong optical and electrical properties.

The Superpower Institute, an Australian nonprofit think tank, says the nation’s clean energy export revenue could reach AUD 700 billion ($457 billion) based on current output levels, with potential growth pushing the figure to AUD 1 trillion by 2060.

Scientists in Malysia have tested a system that combines a PV panel and thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and have found it offers potential for “moderate” nighttime power generation. It is suitable for small household applications such as LED lights, laptops, phone chargers, and wireless routers.