China solar module prices rebound
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.
Experimental photovoltaic-thermal system based on zirconium oxide nanofluid
An international research group has designed a new photovoltaic-thermal module configuration that uses zirconium oxide as a cooling agent. The system is reportedly more efficient than water-cooled counterparts in reducing its operating temperature.
Australian startup unveils new wall-mounted residential EV chargers
Evos, an Australian startup specializing in electric-vehicle charging technology, has unveiled its first home chargers. The 7 kW wall-mounted devices are designed to add driving range to EVs for every hour they are plugged in.
Australian team claims 99% recovery rate with solar recycling process
Engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have developed a new, more effective method to recycle end-of-life solar panels. The technique allows them to quickly and efficiently separate 99% of PV cell component materials.
Novel approach to build bismuth trisulfide thin-film solar cells
Researchers in Estonia applied for the first time the close-spaced sublimation (CSS) deposition technique to manufacture solar cells based on bismuth trisulfide (Sb2S3). The resulting devices showed limited power conversion efficiency so far, but the scientists claim the new process paves the way for the development of future earth-abundant inorganic PV materials.
PV is the most viable renewable energy technology for the Amazon Energy Transition
In the assessment of scenarios for a sustainable and resilient energy transition in isolated systems in the Amazon, a portion of photovoltaic generators should be installed centrally in order to guarantee a central system of high performance, availability and reliability without clearing any further forest areas, while another significant portion of the generators should be installed distributed over rooftops and in agrivoltaic projects.
Fraunhofer ISE unveils 15.8%-efficient organic solar cell
Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE has achieved a world record efficiency for organic cells at the lab level. It now aims to bring the PV technology to market maturity.
European warehouses store 40 GW of unsold solar panels
Rystad Energy says that about €7 billion ($7.8 billion) of solar panels are now being stored in Europe, but European developers continued to buy solar modules from China throughout the first half of this year.
Photovoltaic Trombe wall system to provide heating, electricity
Researchers in the Middle East have developed a new design for energy systems combining PV power generation with Trombe walls in buildings. They claim their new system configuration with reflective mirrors offers improved overall system efficiency both in terms of heating and electricity production.
Reintroducing co-extruded backsheets in PV industry? Not a lost battle
Researchers in Austria have analyzed the crack propensity of backsheets made of polypropylene (PP) and have concluded these may be potentially used in solar module manufacturing, unlike co-extruded polyamide backsheets, which caused many headaches to the PV industry in the past. Furthermore, PP backsheets are claimed to have lower stiffness and higher flexibility than their laminated counterparts.
