Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

As Europe’s first generations of integrated PV systems age, researchers and industry actors are only beginning to explore the long-term realities of maintenance, compatibility and repair.

Stray voltage is unwanted electrical potential differences in barns that can cause small shocks to livestock, especially dairy cows, through damp floors, metal equipment, and water systems, leading to stress and reduced productivity, and in some cases even to death. While PV systems are sometimes blamed, experts told pv magazine that the real causes are faulty or poorly designed grounding and electrical infrastructure, and that proper equipotential bonding is key to prevention. With attentive design, these risks to animal health can be avoided.

The new modules feature bifaciality of 85%, an efficiency of up to 24.8%, annual degradation of 0.35%, and a 30-year performance warranty,

The company’s new facility, located in the Salalah Free Zone in southern Oman, is currently manufacturing PERC technology, with plans to transition to TOPCon before the end of the year.

The scientists identified that UV exposure in PERC and TOPCon solar cells increases interface defects and makes them more recombination-active, driving ultraviolet-induced degradation. They found strong degradation on PERC front and rear surfaces and TOPCon front surfaces, while the TOPCon rear remains stable due to poly-Si UV absorption.

Driven by multi-billion-dollar investments from the likes of Tesla and Corning, U.S. solar manufacturing capital expenditure is forecast to skyrocket 150% year-on-year to $7 billion in 2027, marking a massive breakout year as silicon-based technology eclipses thin-film spending and cements a domestic supply chain.

China is advancing the Sun Chasing project to develop space-based solar power systems that collect energy in orbit and beam it wirelessly to Earth or spacecraft for continuous power supply. Early tests demonstrated over 100 m wireless power transmission and efficient microwave beaming to moving targets, with up to 1,180 W delivered and promising system efficiencies.

Norwegian classification society DNV has published two new guidelines covering the structural design of floats for floating solar systems and their mooring and station keeping systems.

The plant will serve global markets, especially GCC countries and the United States, combining Sahaj Solar’s manufacturing expertise with Clarion Investments’ logistics capabilities.

Researchers at NTU Singapore have developed ultra-thin perovskite solar cells about 50 times thinner than conventional designs using a vacuum-based thermal evaporation process. The devices can be semi-transparent and energy-generating under diffuse light, making them promising for integration into building windows and facades.