Photovoltaic-thermal solar panel based on water storage tank
A research group from Ireland developed a PVT system consisting of a 170 W photovoltaic panel connected to a water tank placed at the backside of the PV module itself. The PVT module is able to considerably reduce the temperature of the PV unit while producing hot water for residential use.
Melbourne switches on 2.4 MW solar carpark
The Melbourne Market Authority has switched on a 2.4 MW solar carpark at its facility in Melbourne, Australia. It is the first phase of a three-stage project that will culminate in a 10 MW rooftop system.
IBC solar cell based on ultrathin black silicon wafer achieves 16.4% efficiency
A Spanish-Finnish research team has fabricated an IBC solar cell with an ultrathin black silicon wafer with a thickness of 40 µm. The device is based on vanadium oxide and laser-processed phosphorus-doped silicon carbide stacks as hole and electron transport layers, respectively.
Akcome unveils new 730 W heterojunction solar modules
Chinese manufacturer Akcome has released a new line of heterojunction solar panels with a nominal power capacity ranging between 710 W and 730 W and a conversion efficiency of 22.80% to 23.50%.
German PV equipment securing orders from US, European markets
German engineering federation VDMA has published a new report outlining strong demand for solar production equipment from non-Asian markets, indicating a shift in the global solar industry landscape.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: TW Solar plans 20 GW module factory in Sichuan province
TW Solar announced it will invest around $1.48 billion in a new integrated solar module manufacturing facility in Chengdu City. Meanwhile, Jinkosolar began to buy new production equipment for its expansion plans from Wuxi Autowell.
Singulus claims new coating machine can improve PV cell efficiency up to 1%
Singulus says its new production equipment can apply a passivation layer to the edges of half-cell, multi-cell, and shingle cells. Its Generis PET machine is also suitable for batch or inline processing and is compatible with all crystalline solar cell technologies.
Supply-demand mismatches, higher prices to hit utility-scale solar in India
India’s annual utility-scale solar deployment is expected to slow down in 2023, following a record-breaking 14 GW of additions in 2022, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
US researchers beam solar from space
Caltech’s space solar program began in 2011 when philanthropist Donald Bren donated more than $100 million in support of the project. In the first demonstration of solar energy beamed to earth, his vision is now becoming reality.
Perovskite solar cell based on Mortise-Tenon tech achieves 24.55% efficiency
Chinese researchers have used Mortise-Tenon technology to connect the perovskite absorber with the hole transport layer in a perovskite solar cell. They say that this reduces non-radiative recombination, while improving the cell’s open-circuit voltage and fill factor.
