Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Scientists in Saudi Arabia have created a PV-powered air water generator that can be used in remote areas or on lengthy vehicle journeys. It can reportedly produce a liter of water at approximately $0.04 for packing and zero for non-packing.

Chinese researchers, led by a research team from PV Technology Center of Tongwei Co., Ltd, used a sequential annealing process in the fabrication of tandem solar cells, featuring a wide bandgap perovskite top cell on a fully-textured commercial crystalline silicon heterojunction bottom cell. The resulting device had a certified power conversion efficiency of 31.4%, outperforming a 29.43%-efficient control cell.

Tindo Solar, Australia’s lone producer of PV modules, has officially released a new generation of TOPCon N-type solar panels, including an all-black version featuring an output of 475 W and conversion efficiency of 21.9%.

Wave power may emerge as a valuable renewable energy source given recent economic and technical projections indicating a substantial potential of wave energy, particularly in coastal and island regions. Wave and solar resources are complementary around the world and thus may lead to energy systems combining solar PV with wave power. Islands may benefit most from wave power added to solar PV.

Indian researchers simulated a novel pairing of a CsGeI3 lead-free halide perovskite top cell with a copper-indium-gallium-selenide bottom cell. The resulting tandem device has the potential to achieve a power conversion efficiency of 26.06%

Scientists have designed a cocoa pod splitting device that runs on five monocrystalline PV panels. They have simulated its operation and have found it can achieve a splitting efficiency of 98.92%.

Redington has partnered with Websol Energy System to launch 2 kW to 10 kW solar kits for homes and small businesses, combining high-efficiency modules with inverters and balance-of-system (BoS) components.

The upward trend of polysilicon prices continued this week, although by only 0.42%, with polysilicon producers keeping utilization rates between 46% and 80%, according to the CNMIA.

The partnership supports a full domestic energy supply chain from raw polysilicon to finished solar panels.

UNSW researchers have investigated the impact of two types of soldering fluxes on TOPCon solar modules under damp heat conditions and have found that “no-clean” soldering fluxes can cause severe corrosion of front silver-aluminum contacts. The researchers have also found that denser metallisation structures and lower aluminium content improve corrosion resistance.