Suniva plans 3.5 GW US solar cell factory
Six years after petitioning the US government for tariffs to make its products more competitive, US.-based Suniva has revealed plans to launch 1 GW of cell manufacturing capacity by spring 2024, followed by an additional 2.5 GW expansion.
MIT scientists develop CSP system to produce hydrogen
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientists have developed a train-like concentrated solar power (CSP) system for hydrogen production, with plans to build a prototype in the coming year. They say that this innovative system can capture up to 40% of the sun’s heat to produce environmentally friendly hydrogen fuel.
4JET unveils laser system for P1, P2, P3 scribing of perovskte, CdTe, CIGS solar modules
German equipment supplier 4JET has launched a new thin film system designed for P1, P2 and P3 laser scribing of perovskite, cadmium telluride (CdTe), and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar technologies.
U.S. startup launches scalable wave energy converter, usable with solar
Hawaii-based Wavr LLC is developing a wave energy converter that is designed to be scaled up and integrated with other renewable energy technologies. The startup plans to sell a version integrating five 40 W solar panels at $2,300.
TOPCon dominates India’s REI 2023 trade show
The Renewable Energy India (REI) Expo 2023 showcased TOPCon solar modules from almost all leading PV manufacturers in India, including Adani, Premier Energies, and Waaree.
Australian startup develops PV-hydrogen standalone power system
Boundary Power is claiming an Australian first with the unveiling of a 100% relocatable, modular standalone power system. It integrates solar with a hydrogen electrolyzer and storage system, rather than relying on traditional backup diesel generators.
Solar panel waste is not a significant problem
Solar panel waste will not be a problem because there is so little of it. However, there is a short-term problem in some places because panel deployment is growing fast and recycling is playing catch up.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: BASF, Oriental Yuhong to develop rooftop PV membranes
BASF and China’s Oriental Yuhong have developed thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) roofing membranes for rooftop solar PV applications, while GCL New Energy has sold 558 MW of operational solar capacity.
Solar power generation soars in Mexico, southwestern US
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that areas across Mexico and Southern Texas saw reduced cloud, leading to 120-130% of average September Irradiance. Meanwhile, storms and a ‘Bomb’ cyclone caused by persistent low pressure over British Columbia delivered cloudier conditions, leading to irradiance as low as 70% of long term averages.
Large-area perovskite-silicon tandem PV cell hits record efficiency of 25.1%
US scientists have achieved a breakthrough in PV cell tech by creating a 24 cm2 perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell. It positions a lithium fluoride interlayer between a hole transport layer and the perovskite absorber to reduce shunting losses.
