Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Gautam Solar has introduced 630 W R-Series tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules for utility-scale PV projects, approved under India’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

The cell was fabricated with a 2.3 nm-thin layer of gallium oxide, a silver busbar aimed at improving charge collection and silicon nitride anti-reflection coating. It was encapsulated within a watertight 3D-printed box to ensure impermeability.

The annual European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (EU PVSEC) got underway today, this year in Bilbao. Conversations on the first morning focused on the need for strong policy support across multiple areas of renewable energy. While the week is sure to be filled with new ideas on the technological side, it’s clear that ensuring policies to support further growth in renewable energy is a growing challenge. Those working in the solar industry and research community need to reach a wider audience, and one that may not be as easy to convince.

A Slovak research team has developed a mathematical model for determining the optimum tilt angle of a solar system ranging from 0° to 90°. Their framework was tested on an experimental setup in Czechia and attained 93.9% accuracy in predicting the system’s energy balance.

The German manufacturer said its full-black back-contact solar panel has a power conversion efficiency of up to 23.52%.

A state-led 1.8 GW offshore PV plan in Changli, China’s Hebei province, is set to become a model for large-scale marine solar development, with completion targeted by mid-2026.

China’s two largest solar manufacturers have ended a protracted global patent battle, agreeing to cross-license core technologies in a move that could reshape the industry’s innovation landscape.

Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency, Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria and Dutch solar manufacturer Solarge BV are teaming up via a special purpose vehicle to establish and operate a 1 GW solar panel manufacturing facility.

The French research institute has added to its perovskite solar cell and module pilot line an Ecoprogetti integrated testing platform that combines a solar simulator with advanced electroluminescence (EL) analysis.

Researchers in the United States have found microscopic pinholes in perovskites are responsible for the breakdown of such solar cells when under reverse bias conditions. They say the findings should push scientists and engineers to prioritize the production of pinhole-free films to make perovskites more robust and stable.