TÜV Rheinland certifies organic PV product based on IEC 61215 standard
German certification body TÜV Rheinland has announced the certification of the first organic photovoltaic (OPV) product – an organic PV foil from Germany’s Heliatek – based on the IEC 61215 standard.
New water circulation tech promises lower PERC solar cell manufacturing costs
A German team developed models to illustrate water-saving potential in PERC silicon solar cell manufacturing based on a circular approach and commercially available technology. In the case of a 5 GW fab, water savings of up to 79% and wastewater discharge reductions up to 84% could be achieved, a “significant” improvement compared to a reference scenario.
New metallization tech for HJT solar cells minimizes silver use, increases efficiency
German research institute Fraunhofer ISE has unveiled a new metallization process for heterojunction solar cells that reportedly increases power conversion efficiencies by over 0.1% while reducing silver consumption. A device built with the new technique achieved an efficiency of 23.2%.
Hybrid system combining CPV, ionic thermocells achieves 49.63% energy efficiency
Conceived by scientists in China, the device consists of a Fresnel lens, a PV cell, and liquid ionic thermocells (iTECs) with electrolyte flow. In can reportedly outperform CPV systems built with thermoelectric generators, both in terms of costs and efficiency.
Huasun claims 26.5% efficiency for heterojunction solar cell
Chinese manufacturer Huasun says it has achieved an efficiency of more than 26% for both G12R and G12 heterojunction (HJT) solar cells.
Tin halide perovskite solar cell based on new precursor additive achieves 12.22% efficiency
An international research team has developed a new type of perovskite solar cell by using 4-phenyl thiosemicarbazide (4PTSC) as a precursor additive. The device showed an improved open-circuit voltage and “exceptional” long-term stability.
Winaico launches new series of n-type TOPCon solar modules
Taiwanese manufacturer Winaico says its new 430 W glass-glass tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules have a power conversion efficiency of 22.02%.
Novel PV-driven desalination tech achieves lower levelized cost of water
Scientists led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a new PV-powered desalination system based on the time-variant electrodialysis reversal (EDR) technology. The proposed system reportedly achieves lower levelized cost of water than conventional solar-powered desalination techs.
Fraunhofer ISE develops 23.4%-efficient PERC solar cells with limited silver amount
A team from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems has reduced silver consumption in the fabrication of PERC solar cells by screen-printing ultra-fine metallization lines measuring just 14 μm. The resulting solar cell offered remarkable efficiency levels, which were confirmed by Fraunhofer ISE CalLab.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Arctech to build 3 GW factory in Saudi Arabia
Arctech says it plans to open a 3 GW tracker factory in Saudi Arabia. The tracker manufacturer says the facility in Jeddah will be designed to reach up to 10 GW of capacity.
