Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Researchers in Norway investigated the melting behavior of silicon kerf agglomerates under different atmospheres and temperatures to improve recycling for solar-grade silicon. They found that vacuum melting enhances deoxidation and produces a homogeneous, oxide-free melt, while agglomerate size has little effect on melting behavior.

Glare from a nearby solar park forced temporary runway closures at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, prompting Dutch authorities to order the removal of about 78,000 PV modules and apply anti-reflective film to others. The solar park operator, however, decided to replace all the panels. The largest portion of the removed, near-new modules have since been acquired by BM Energy and are expected to be redeployed in projects where glare is not a concern.

With the new line becoming operational, the company’s total solar module manufacturing capacity has increased to 10.3 GW.

Market pressure in the solar and storage sectors often favors low-cost solutions, but long-term success depends on balancing price, quality, and reliability for assets designed to operate for decades. Numerous examples, from low-grade silicon modules to residential hydrogen and redox flow storage, show how technically ambitious products can fail when costs, complexity, or durability are misjudged.

China’s commerce ministry has raised a complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding India’s solar subsidies, claiming they give the country’s domestic industry an unfair advantage and harm Chinese interests.

Italian energy group Eni and solar manufacturer FuturaSun have launched SunXT, a new startup focused on developing and producing perovskite-silicon tandem solar modules, building on FuturaSun’s research expertise.

A team at Fraunhofer ISE has created new imaging methods to measure losses in individual sub-cells of multi-junction solar cells based on perovskite-silicon and perovskite-perovskite-silicon combinations.

Awendio Solaris says it plans to invest about CAD 1 billion ($726.7 million) in a vertically integrated solar cell and module manufacturing facility and research center in Montreal, Quebec, targeting the Canadian and US markets.

China’s largest polysilicon producers have launched initial steps toward consolidation to curb overcapacity, but OPIS analyst Summer Zhang tells pv magazine that unresolved funding, capacity cuts and governance issues mean prices are likely to see only modest support in the near term without sustained capital injections and stronger downstream demand.

The German specialty glass and materials manufacturer announced a new cerium-doped solar cover glass that is compatible with a range of space solar cell technologies, including III-V and silicon-based concepts. It was developed for use in multiple satellite orbits.