Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Scientists in Poland have sought for the first time to improve PV cell yield with a new type of concentrator based on dyes. The device utilizes a tinted and luminescent acrylic glass known as polymethyl methacrylate, which reportedly increases power generation by 1.21%.

Researchers have designed a new tracking system that utilizes an arithmetic optimization-based PID controller. The proposed tracker uses two different sensor types – a UV sensor and a micro-electromechanical solar (MEMS) sensor. The first one calculates the intensity of UV radiation received from the sun, and the second one forecasts the sun’s path across the sky.

The Shanghai-based solar development company has filed two complaints with the Munich and Hamburg local divisions of the Unified Patent Court.

Researchers from University of Texas have used computational methods to study the formation of polarons in halide perovskites. The findings revealed topological vortices in polaron quasiparticles.

An international research team has developed a closed-loop PV cooling system that can reportedly offer 24-hour continuous operation. The system is claimed to be particularly suitable for hot and arid regions and to improve the lifespan of solar panels by up to 8.2%.

Researchers have developed a quantum particle swarm optimization algorithm for maximum power point tracking that reportedly generates 3.33% more power in higher temperature tests and 0.89% more power in partial shading tests compared to conventional swarm optimization algorithms.

U.S.-based PeroNova is specialized in metal halide perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells made with its novel stability-enhancing interfacial treatment. It is targeting a range of applications including space and rooftop markets.

Cadmium telluride solar cells are commonly based on non-ohmic back contacts that affect the device open-circuit voltage. Researchers in the United Kingdom sought to address this issue by adding a nickel oxide back buffer layer, which formed an ohmic back contact and increased open-circuit voltage levels.

Researchers at James Cook University have developed a process to synthesize graphene from tangerine peel oil, which they then used to recover silver from waste PV material. To demonstrate the quality of the recovered silver and the synthesized graphene, they made a dopamine sensor that reportedly outperformed reference devices.

The China-based solar manufacturer and Oman’s renewable investment entity Bakarat Investment have agreed to jointly establish a 10 GW solar module factory in the country with an investment of around $200 million.