Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Scientists in Korea examined the parameters of laser ‘scribe and break’ processes used to cut silicon cells, in search of optimizations to reduce damage caused at the cut edges. They also found that varying encapsulant thickness or even adding a supportive rail across the back of a module can help reduce performance loss caused by cell cutting damage.

Adani New Industries Ltd. (ANIL) has raised $394 million from Barclays and Deutsche Bank to support the working capital requirements of its integrated solar module manufacturing facility.

Spanish researchers have defined practical guidelines for short-term ground-based albedo measurements that reportedly entail a maximum of 1.5% yield uncertainty contribution for utility scale bifacial solar PV plants.

GCL-Si says it has commissioned a new 20 GW solar cell factory that will supply n-type TOPCon cells to its module facilities in Hefei, Anhui province, and Funing, Jiangsu province.

A research team in China combined solar power generation from kesterite thin-film generation with a nickel-cobalt bimetal oxide (NiCoO2) electrochromic window. The proposed prototype not only realizes the function integration of self-power and intelligent solar radiation adjustment, but also extends its function to energy storage.

RCT Solutions says it will provide its module production equipment for CAD 3 billion ($2.26 billion) in a 10 GW solar module factory in Manitoba, Canada. The Manitoba provincial government said in a statement that the facility will be fully integrated.

First Solar has revealed plans to open its fifth factory in the United States. The new facility is expected to add 3.5 GW of annual production capacity at a cost of $1.1 billion.

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.

German company RENA Technologies has announced the first sales of a new tool for silicon cell manufacturing. The tool is used for etching/removal of unwanted material on one side of a solar cell, and will be integrated into the gigawatt-scale production of an unnamed manufacturer in South Asia working with TOPCon technology.

Compared to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) signed by Joe Biden’s administration in the US, the EU’s approach to establishing solar manufacturing appears slow and lacking in clarity. In this blog post, I will explore the EU’s renewable energy policy, specifically its emphasis on solar manufacturing, and evaluate whether Brussels is doing enough to establish a European solar supply chain.