ISC Konstanz claims 24.12% certified efficiency for tunnel back contact solar cell
The result was confirmed by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH). The cell also achieved an open-circuit voltage of 709.5 mV, a short circuit density of 11,355 mA, and a fill factor of 82.04%.
New research identifies advantages of thermoplastic polyolefin encapsulants in dual-glass solar modules
Austrian researchers performed tests on thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) encapsulant as an alternative to conventional ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer and polyolefin elastomers (POE) to assess its use in glass-glass modules. They report that all of the TPO specimens outperformed EVA and POE, especially TPO-3.5 encasulants.
Carbon electrode-based perovskite solar cell achieves 20.8% efficiency via new lamination tech
A research team in Australia has used a lamination technique known as cold isostatic pressing (CIP) to build a perovksite solar cell based on a flexible bilayer electrode made of carbon and silver that can reportedly compete with gold-carbon eletrode based counterparts in terms of efficiency and stability.
Solar cell prices hold steady in quiet market
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
US solar module manufacturing capacity grows by 11 GW in Q1
Total US solar module production capacity increased by more than 11 GW in the first quarter of 2024, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Q2 2024 report.
French agency warns against unchecked reuse of secondhand solar modules
Soren, the French environmental agency, has warned that uninstalled panels are often resold or exported through loosely regulated reuse channels, especially to developing countries.
Longi denies rumors about factory closures in Southeast Asia
Chinese manufacturer Longi says it is not shutting down its factory in Malaysia, nor it is idling its production lines in Vietnam, but it acknowledges that it is implementing production adjustments at these facilities.
French roofing specialist offers adhesive solar modules for low-load bearing roofs
France-based Iko is launching Iko Excel Solar, a lightweight PV solution for roofs that cannot withstand excessive loads. The 18.3%-efficient module weighs approximately 2.5 kg/m².
Perovskite solar cell modified with potassium trifluoromethanesulfonate achieves 23.96% efficiency
A Chinese research team has modified the absorber of a conventional perovskite solar cell with potassium trifluoromethanesulfonate (KTFS) and found that the additive improved the device performance and stability. The cell’s perovskite film reportedly showed less lead defects and lower J-V hysteresis.
Lightweighting vehicle-integrated photovoltaic modules
A European research team has investigated interconnection and encapsulation strategies to improve the damp heat and mechanical resilience of vehicle integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) modules, finding carbon-fibre reinforced plastics to be promising.
