How to address imbalance datasets in solar panel dust detection
Researchers from South Korea improved solar panel dust detection by using SMOTE and stable diffusion (SD) augmentation, with SD boosting detection accuracy from 76.5% to 98.9% while preserving spatial realism.
Iraq slashes solar import tariffs to 5%
The Iraqi Customs Authority has cut customs duties on solar energy systems from 33% to 5% – covering PV panels, inverters, cables, and lithium batteries – to accelerate solar adoption, following financing support from the Central Bank of Iraq.
South Korea eases solar siting rules to cut permitting delays for PV projects
South Korea has passed legislative amendments to limit the ability of local authorities to impose separation distances on solar projects, removing a major permitting barrier for PV developers.
BlackRock investor led consortium buying AES in $10.7 billion cash deal
The transaction is the latest big announcement in a hot market for US power and utilities mergers and acquisitions, as companies jostle for position in anticipation of AI-driven demand spike.
SERIS builds 22.1%-efficient perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell based on double-sided polysilicon layers
SERIS researchers developed a 16-cm² perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell with a double-sided TOPCon bottom cell, enhancing passivation, reducing recombination, and increasing voltage and fill factor.
PV-assisted heat pump prototype with dual condenser reaches 7.59 coefficient of performance
Researchers in Spain have developed a dual-condenser air-to-water heat pump that shifts domestic hot water production to daylight hours, maximizing PV self-consumption. The prototype boosted solar energy use from 9.9% to 55.5% and achieved a peak coefficient of performance of 7.59 under PV-assisted operation.
Silver prices resume upward trend
Silver prices have resumed their climb, reaching $95 per ounce this morning. Silver analyst Philip Newman tells pv magazine that escalating tensions in the Middle East are expected to continue driving investment demand for safe-haven assets such as gold and silver.
Indian researchers build transparent perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell with 30.2% efficiency
The transparent four-terminal perovskite solar cell employs an ion-modulated spiro-MeOTAD hole transport layer, which passivates interfacial defects, enhances carrier dynamics, and allows for a tunable work function in wide-bandgap perovskites. When integrated into mechanically stacked 4T tandems with an n-TOPCon cell, the device achieved an overall efficiency of 28.4–30.2%, along with improved open-circuit voltage and fill factor.
Premier Energies unveils India’s first zero-busbar TOPCon solar cell
Premier Energies Ltd today unveiled India’s first zero-busbar (0BB) TOPCon solar cell at Intersolar India. The 0BB design marks a structural shift from traditional 10BB and 16BB architectures, replacing thick silver busbars with a dense matrix of ultra-fine silver lines to collect current.
FOB China TOPCon solar cell prices hold steady as market awaits post-holiday reassessment
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.
