Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Jupiter International Ltd has commissioned a 1 GW mono passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) solar cell manufacturing facility in India, increasing its total installed capacity to nearly 2 GW from 959 MW.

Researchers in Spain surveyed 238 wine tourists in the Murcia region and found broad support for trellis-integrated agrivoltaics in vineyards, with 94% backing solar integration and most respondents seeing no landscape conflict.

German researchers found that agrivoltaics costs far exceed agricultural benefits, raising doubts about subsidies and highlighting the need for more cost-competitive system designs.

The Silver Institute has said the amount of silver used for manufacturing is set to fall this year, driven by developments in the solar sector. The institute also says the silver market will remain in deficit for the sixth consecutive year. Philip Newman, Managing Director of independent research consultancy Metals Focus, told pv magazine the fact prices have recovered quite well after the end-January correction demonstrates the underlying strength of investor interest in silver.

Australian researchers developed a low-cost reflective coating for semi-transparent solar roof tiles that lowers surface temperatures by up to 20 C and boosts power output by up to 11.7%. Simulations across five global cities showed energy savings of up to 5.85%, highlighting the coating’s strong potential for improving both building cooling efficiency and solar performance in BIPV systems.

The Portuguese company said its new Drone AgroPV Cleaning Agent is scheduled for release in June. It has a safe formulation for crops and soil.

Norwegian fire safety specialist Bridgehill has developed a fire-resistant roofing membrane designed for use beneath rooftop PV systems. The company says the product is intended to limit heat transfer and flame spread in commercial and industrial installations subject to strict fire safety and insurance requirements.

Carbon dioxide removal is most likely needed for rebalancing the climate to comply with the 1.5 C target set in the Paris Agreement, as data suggest this level has already been breached on an annual basis. Beneath natural climate solutions and land use change, technological and bio-technical solutions are most promising. Solar PV may play a key role in minimizing area demand and supporting cost optimization even in unexpected places such as Iceland.

Fraunhofer CSP researchers in Germany are developing printing and color technologies to make conventional silicon PV panels less visible when installed on building façades, roofs, and balconies.

Won Kwang S&T has developed a mobile, on-site solar module recycling system for utility-scale PV plants. The SolreBorn unit can reportedly process up to 2.5 tonnes of modules per day and improve the economics of solar panel recycling through on-site dismantling and material recovery.