Chinese PV Industry Brief: Geely opens polysilicon plant
Automaker Geely has commissioned a new polysilicon factory in northern China, while ET Solar has opened a new 5 GW wafer factory in Vietnam. Poly giant GCL Technology, meanwhile, has confirmed that its board might issue common stock for a Chinese listing.
JinkoSolar showcases 13.08%-efficient transparent TOPCon solar module for BIPV, agrivoltaics
The new solar module can be purchased with different levels of transparency, depending on the project, with light transmittance ranging between 30% and 40%. It has a power output of 245 W to 300 W and a temperature coefficient of -0.30% per C.
Hanersun launches 580 W TOPCon solar module with 22.38% efficiency
Hanersun claims that its new TOPCon solar modules are suitable for residential and commercial rooftops, as well as small-scale, ground-mounted PV plants. They have a temperature coefficient of 0.31%.
Kiwa Deutschland acquires PI Berlin
Kiwa Deutschland has acquired PI Berlin for an undisclosed sum, but the technical consultancy will retain its name and structure.
‘Extraordinary week’ capped off with PV-IPCEI launch in Brussels
The PV-IPCEI event hosted by the European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) took place on May 20 in a narrow wood-paneled room of Brussels’ Art Deco Residence Palace.
Heterojunction solar cell with 25.18% efficiency, 85.42% fill factor
Researchers in China have fabricated a heterojunction solar cell with a 244.63 cm2 Czochralski n-c-Si wafer. They used light soaking to improve the dark conductance of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon films.
Upcycling silicon waste from end-of-life solar panels into thermoelectrics
Researchers in Singapore have developed a new technique in which polycrystalline silicon is pulverized into powder and pelletized into ingots. The process relies on spark plasma sintering to dope the silicon with germanium and phosphorus.
Bifacial solar modules shine in snowy environments
Snow losses could be cut from double digits to just 2% on an annual basis by using bifacial solar modules instead of monofacial panels, according to researchers at Western University in Canada.
Photovoltaic sanitary water heater from Belgium
Belgian heating specialist Wanit has developed a solar water heater that purportedly reduces the cost of domestic hot water by 85%. The PV water heater solution includes a main dual tank and a solar connector that links the tank with a rooftop PV system and residential battery.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: China’s cumulative PV capacity tops 322 GW
In other news, Zhonghuan Semiconductor announced it will begin selling 210 mm n-type wafers and the local government in Zhejiang Province said it wants to deploy another 12.4 GW of new PV by 2024.
