Mooring system design for offshore floating photovoltaics
Researchers in China have compared the performance of catenary and taut mooring systems for offshore floating PV systems. They found that the taut system offers a higher degree of reliability in shallow water environments with severe tidal variations.
French PV module maker Systovi goes into liquidation
Systovi has gone into liquidation, as the commercial court in Nantes, France, has issued an order to do so, citing the solar panel manufacturer’s failure to find new investors, despite its 80 MW of panel manufacturing capacity.
Agrivoltaics for berries
Scientists in the Netherlands conducted meta-analysis on the growth of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and blackcurrants under different levels of shade generated by elevated agrivoltaic systems. They found that, although classified as shade-benefitting in previous literature, not all berries are equally profiting from the presence of the photovoltaic panels.
Bifacial panels, representing 98% of U.S. solar imports, may soon be subject to tariffs
The Biden Administration is expected to revoke tariff exemptions on bifacial solar modules following a petition led by Qcells, a company with a multi-billion-dollar investment in U.S. manufacturing.
Sunmaxx PVT opens 50 MW PV-thermal module factory in Germany
Sunmaxx PVT, a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) solar module specialist, has built an automated 50 MW module factory near Dresden, Germany.
Hail damage and toxicity risks in solar plants
US news outlets have reported resident concerns about leaked toxins from solar facilities in Texas that were damaged by a hailstorm. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has rejected the reports, which contained categorically false information.
Origami Solar readies production of steel solar module frames
The U.S. based developer of steel PV module frames said its products are an alternative to conventional aluminum frames. They passed several third party tests as the company readies production and evaluations by module manufacturers.
New vapor deposition tech could accelerate commercialization of perovskite solar cells
A U.S.-based team developed a vapor deposition technique to fabricate outperforming all-inorganic perovskite thin films in under 5 minutes in a continuous process. The adoption of the proposed approach may also result in higher perovskite solar cell power conversion efficiencies.
Four-terminal tandem organic solar cell achieves 16.94% efficiency
Researchers in Spain claim to have recorded the highest power conversion efficiency result for a four-terminal tandem organic cell to date. The device is based on an ultrathin transparent silver electrode.
Sunman launches glass-free balcony solar modules
The Chinese manufacturer said its new frameless module can be installed on a balcony through nylon cable ties, without the need for any mounting structure. The new product features a power output of 200 W and a power conversion efficiency of 16.2%.
