Solestial wins NASA contract to develop solar blanket wings for spacecraft
Solestial has secured a contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), valued at roughly $849,900, to develop ultra-thin PV for solar blanket wings on next-generation spacecraft.
French startup unveils off-grid solar refrigerators
French startup Koolboks has developed off-grid solar refrigerators that offer continuous refrigeration for up to four days via solar modules, ice storage, and lithium-ion batteries. The units are available for rental and include two LED lighting bulbs and USB ports to charge phones.
Israel to use solar fences to protect villages
Against the backdrop of its war with Hamas, Israel has started allowing villages to install solar fences to improve protection for residents.
Black perovksite solar cell achieves 20.25% efficiency
The Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a black perovskite solar cell that reportedly achieved the the highest efficiency ever reported for PV devices built with this perovskite material and a dopant-free hole transport layer based on the P3HT polymer. The cell was also able to retain around 93% of its original efficiency after continuous illumination for 570 h.
InfinityPV presents measurement system for roll-to-roll thin film PV manufacturing
A new imaging system for contactless defect detection in roll-to-roll printed thin film solar cell manufacturing lines is available from InfinityPV, a Danish printed electronics equipment manufacturer. The so-called ultrafast laser beam induced current mapping system is suitable for manufacturers of perovskite, organic, kesterite, copper indicum gallium diselenide (CIGS) and amorphous silicon PV foils and can be retrofitted into existing roll-to-roll lines.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Guosheng starts building 10 GW HJT cell factory
Guosheng says it will invest CNY 5.2 billion ($722 million) in a new 10 GW heterojunction (HJT) solar cell production facility.
Ascent Solar announces 17.55% efficiency for CIGS tech
Ascent Solar, a US-based manufacturer, has achieved an efficiency of 17.55% for its copper, indium, gallium and selenide (CIGS) technology. It says it plans to release a new CIGS solar module with this efficiency rating soon.
China expected to dominate solar manufacturing through 2026
A Wood Mackenzie report forecasts that China will hold more than 80% of poly, wafer, cell and module manufacturing capacity for the next three years.
SunDrive secures funds to expedite production of silver-free HJT solar cells
SunDrive Solar, a Sydney-based startup working to replace the silver in solar cells with copper, has obtained AUD 11 million ($7 million) from Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to expand its metallized cell production to a commercial scale of more than 100 MW per annum.
New research sheds light on off-grid solar costs in remote villages
An international research group has assessed the economic feasibility of exclusively powering remote villages in Pakistan with off-grid solar-plus-storage projects. They said that their proposed system configuration has a “justifiable” net present cost.
