US ports blocking shipments of solar components due to forced labor fears
US ports have been blocking shipments of solar components since the summer due to concerns about forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region.
Weekend read: Solar tops the bill
The US Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 sets aside $369 billion to decarbonize the economy and respond to climate change. pv magazine USA’s Anne Fischer and Ryan Kennedy report on the boost the landmark legislation is expected to provide to solar and battery deployment and manufacturing.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: TBEA set to produce 120,000 MT of polysilicon in 2022
TBEA said it expects to produce 120,000 metric tons (MT) of polysilicon this year and 250,000 MT in 2023, while Daqo has revealed plans for a $700 million share buyback program.
Sun-tracking mounting structure for agrivoltaics
Italy’s Rem Tec has developed a rotating mounting structure for agrivoltaics. It is reportedly ideal for flat surfaces with a maximum slope of 3%, and is designed to produce a dynamic, controlled shadow on the ground.
Gautam Solar unveils 450 W M10 solar module for rooftop applications
Indian manufacturer Gautam Solar has introduced 450 Wp mono PERC modules for rooftop PV installations. The modules feature 120 half-cut cells based on M10 wafers and offer a power conversion efficiency of up to 21.28%.
Novel production process for solar-grade silicon
The SisAl Pilot project produces solar-grade silicon from Spanish quartz without using coal and with zero CO2 emissions. The company behind the project claims that the process is cheaper and more sustainable.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Longi, JA Solar, Yingli share 1.05 GW of panel orders
Longi, JA Solar and Yingli have agreed to collectively supply 1.05 GW of solar panels to China Southern Power Grid, while Daqo New Energy has secured board for a planned $700 million share repurchase program.
Rooftop PV performance during heatwaves
Chinese researchers have assessed the impact of residential rooftop PV arrays on energy use and surrounding air temperatures during extreme heatwaves. They found that panels with higher conversion efficiencies achieved the best results.
Flashing solutions for perovskite tandem cells, modules
A new white paper by testing equipment specialist Wavelabs outlines key challenges that the solar industry will face when it comes to testing and characterizing perovskite-silicon tandem cells in manufacturing environments.
Transition metal oxides-based passivating contacts for 21.9%-efficient, n-type solar cell
An Australian research group has shown how passivating contacts based on transition metal oxides could replace contacts based on doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon or polycrystalline silicon in n-type solar cells in the future. They designed a cell with an open-circuit voltage of 665 mV, a short-circuit current of 40.78 mA cm−2, and a fill factor of 80.8%.
