Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

The adoption of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) has been hindered by the complexity of fire safety standards, creating challenges for manufacturers and suppliers. However, efforts such as the IEA PVPS Task 15 report and collaborative research have shed light on the importance of comprehensive guidelines, reliable testing laboratories, and international cooperation.

Researchers in Spain assembled an experimental solar simulator for vehicle-integrated and curved solar panels. They found that the measurements of the short-circuit current of the cells followed the ideal cosine response of the curvature with differences lower than 0.5%.

A commercial real estate building housing four R&D companies in California will now offer electricity at a 10% discount to its renters.

Tongwei says it will build a new 16 GW solar cell factory in Meishan City, China’s Sichuan province.

German scientists have fabricated a carbon electrode perovskite solar cell with a hole-transporting bilayer made of organic semiconductors instead of a conventional hole transport layer. They claim this approach improves the device’s fill factor and open-circuit voltage.

In its latest monthly column for pv magazine, the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Photovoltaics (ETIP PV) presents its structures and recent activities. The next outreach activities of the ETIP PV are planned for the EU-PVSEC conference from the 18th to the 22nd of September in Lisbon, covering hot topics like digital PV or updates on levelized cost of PV electricity.

Inner Mongolia Berun Group recently inaugurated a new soda ash factory in China. pv magazine spoke about the impact of the new facility on solar glass prices with Marguerite Morrin, research director for OPIS’ Chemical Market Analytics. She said the facility will produce natural soda ash, which is cheaper than synthetic soda ash.

Alessandro Barin, CEO of FuturaSun, spoke with pv magazine at the recent Intersolar 2023 trade show about the PV module manufacturer’s plans to expand in China and its home market of Italy. He said European and Chinese manufacturers take different approaches to new factories, but the two sides will need to come together to build a sustainable global supply chain.

California-based SEG Solar says its new panels have a temperature coefficient of -0.30% per degree Celsius. They come with a 30-year power output guarantee for 87.4% of the initial yield.

Scientists in Australia have provided a comprehensive review of all strategies and technologies that can be used to increase the dispatchability of solar power with reduced use of storage. They focused their efforts, in particular, on forecasting and controlling PV power.