Borosil Renewables unit ramps up German solar glass capacity
Borosil Renewables says the solar glass capacity of its German unit, GMB Glasmanufaktur Brandenburg GmbH, has increased to 350 tons per day (tpd) from 300 tpd, following the modification of its furnace.
Chalcopyrite solar cell achieves 11.2% efficiency via silver alloying
Swedish researchers have used silver alloying to improve grain growth and crystal quality in the chalcopyrite absorber, which reportedly partly compensates for its high bandgap energy. The scientists fabricated a champion cell based on a ZTO buffer layer.
Meyer Burger unveils gray solar tiles
Swiss manufacturer Meyer Burger says that in August it hopes to begin distributing its new gray solar tiles, which are already being used in pilot projects.
US solar installers list Qcells, Enphase as top brands
A recent industry survey led by SolarReviews and the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) shows that two-thirds of all solar installers expect high electricity prices to drive demand.
PV manufacturing capacity hit 600 GW in 2022
The new edition of the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV), published this week, finds that 295 GW of PV modules was shipped in 2022, and that prices for silicon PV modules fell by 7% over the year. The report finds that price premiums for n-type modules are now marginal, and the technology grew to represent 15% of the market, and is expected to keep growing over the coming decade.
Scientists warn of heat-induced failure risks in HJT glass-backsheet PV modules
University of New South Wales researchers have identified four failure modes caused by damp heat in heterojunction solar panels with a glass-back sheet configuration. The failures could result in power losses ranging from 5% to 50%.
Epitaxially grown p-type wafers with TOPCon rear emitter solar cells
Scientists from Fraunhofer ISE have sought to utilize epitaxially grown p-type silicon wafers TOPCon rear emitter (TOPCore) solar cells with the aim of reducing production costs and carbon footprint. They claim this combination is paving the way for TOPCore devices that exceed 25% efficiency.
The world can manufacture enough solar to reach decarbonization goals
NREL researchers model viable pathways to supplying the estimated 60 TW of capacity required for decarbonization, and study the effect that disruptive solar technologies may have on deployment cost and market opportunity.
The PV scientific community’s rush to the latest efficiency record
Perovskite-silicon tandem technology expert Gianluca Coletti explains what cycles the PV industry and scientific community experience every time there are new jumps in power conversion efficiencies at cell level. According to him, we are experiencing a much faster turnover of efficiency records typical of the early stage of development of a new technology holding an incredible potential.
A closer look at Longi’s world record-breaking, 26.81%-efficient heterojunction solar cell
An international research group led by Longi Central R&D Institute has published a paper describing Longi’s heterojunction solar cell based on a full-size silicon wafer that made a sensation in November, as it beat the long-lasting efficiency record held by Japanese manufacturer Kaneka for years. The researchers attributed the cell efficiency improvement to the implementation of a p-type amorphous silicon hydrogenated layer together with a modified transparent conductive oxides contact, which they said greatly reduced the cell contact resistivity.
