Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

New research from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) predicts cumulative polysilicon demand of 46-87 Mt will be required to achieve 63.4 TW of PV installed by 2050.

Scientists in Korea built an organic solar cell that is reportedly able to prevent aggregation in photoactive layers. The device could be used for applications in buildings, vehicles, and the Internet of Things.

A long-time customer of First Solar, Intersect Power is expected to be one of the largest buyers and operators of First Solar technology by 2027.

A Chinese-German research group developed the cell with an ink of graphene oxide (GO) mixed with Nafion that can be spin-coated on an n-type silicon wafer to form a high-quality passivating contact scheme. The GO:Nafion layer simultaneously creates a p–n junction with silicon and passivates the surface defects at the GO:silicon interface.

Solar manufacturer Maxeon Solar Technologies has teamed with Adelaide-headquartered solar panel collection and recycling company Reclaim PV Recycling to recover and recycle SunPower branded solar panels in Australia.

Perhaps in anticipation of California’s coming ban on small combustion engines, battery-powered electric lawn mowers have begun to appear in the market. At least one model is equipped with built-in solar power.

Researchers in Malaysia have defined a new parameter to evaluate solar module cooling techniques based on their lifespan effectiveness. They warned that the proposed methodology should be utilized only with standard test conditions, a temperature of 25 C, and a reference PV system without the cooling system.

US scientists used spalled germanium instead of gallium arsenide, as the former reportedly reduces several issues associated with GaAs spalling. The cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of 1.019 V, a short-circuit current density of 28.49 mA cm−2, and a fill factor of 80.45%.

A novel electrochemical robotic arm is under development at the University of Arizona to identify perovskite defects during manufacturing rather than after to improve durability.

The US module provider said the panels produced at the facility will be 100 percent compliant with the U.S. Commerce Department’s Withhold and Release Order on Hoshine silicon.