Australian polysilicon project shifts focus to silica feedstock
Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners’ plan to build a “state-of-the-art” polysilicon manufacturing plant in Australia has taken a step forward, with Australian Silica Quartz starting a drilling program at a planned mine site that could provide feedstock for the proposed facility.
German startup offers self-adhesive film for glare-free PV modules
Germany-based Phytonics has developed a self-adhesive film with microstructures to reduce glare on PV modules. It is available in sheets and rolls for new and existing PV systems.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: ZNShine Solar plans Hong Kong listing
ZNShine Solar says it has applied to list H-shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX). The company runs three factories in China with a total capacity of about 10 GW.
Germany’s balcony PV installations hit 200 MW in H1
Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) says 220,000 balcony PV systems were installed in the country in the first half of the year, reaching 200 MW.
First Solar probes potential infringement of TOPCon patents
First Solar says it is evaluating potential infringement of its patents for its tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) tech, secured through the acquisition of TetraSun in 2013. The US thin-film solar module manufacturer has not named the companies involved or given a timeline for the investigation.
Organic solar cell based on PEDOT:PSS hole transport layer achieves 17.1% efficiency
A team of researchers in Germany has fabricated a non-fullerene acceptor-based organic photovoltaic cell featuring a bilayer solution-processed hole transporting layer. It recorded a power conversion efficiency of 17.1% and maintained 93% of its initial efficiency after 1,800 hours under continuous solar cell operation at 60 C.
Water-source heat pump integrating cooled photovoltaic panels, thermal storage
Researchers in Italy have designed a water-source heat pump system intended for generating cooling, heating and domestic hot water in social housing stock built during the 1970s–1990s. The novel concept integrates photovoltaic-thermal energy with thermal storage and promises a seasonal coefficient of performance of 5.
Norway has potential to deploy 31 GW of solar in buildings
A research group has examined the potential for PV on building walls and rooftops across Norway. It says that up to 36% of the feasible solar energy, or approximately 31 GW, could be integrated into the national power system to match generation and consumption patterns.
First Solar opens US research facility
First Solar has commissioned the Jim Nolan Center for Solar Innovation in Lake Township, Ohio. It includes a high-tech pilot manufacturing line to produce full-sized prototypes of thin-film and tandem PV modules.
Weak demand continues to exert downward pressure on solar module prices
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.
