Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

A Dutch team in a 4×4 electric Skoda journeyed across Africa powering part of the expedition with the solar panels they brought with them.

German developer BEC-Energie Consult has developed a mounting system that uses less material than conventional systems. It claims the new tech can reach 1.45 MW of output per hectare. It can also be used for ground-level agrivoltaic systems.

Developed by scientists in Korea, the so-called ACIGS cell is intended for applications in perovskite-CIGS tandem PV devices. Their work demonstrates correlations between element diffusion behavior and notch-point formation in ACIGS films.

Researchers at RMIT University’s School of Science, Monash University and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have harnessed artificial intelligence to accelerate the design and production of perovskite solar cells.

Scientists in Norway have assessed how BIPV façades may react to fire accidents following a typical fire test for building façades. They found that flame propagation in the wall cavity is possible, despite the very limited amounts of combustible material, and that flames may propagate on the entire façade very quickly.

Australian solar panel manufacturer Tindo Solar has announced plans to build the country’s first solar panel gigafactory as it looks to increase its manufacturing capacity to capitalize on a growing domestic market dominated by imports.

Researchers in Hungary have proposed to build photovoltaic trees with a significant distance between the solar panels. The proposed sunflower-shaped design reportedly reduces shading losses between the panels while improving cooling and heat dissipation.

Tesla has released an application programming interface (API) to enable third-party developers to interact with its home energy products.

Reports of broken module glass with no obvious cause have begun to crop up at large PV projects. Module design, glass manufacturing, and interactions in the field between modules and trackers are at play and a clear solution has yet to emerge. Early signs suggest an update to certification standards may be needed.

Switzerland-based manufacturer Meyer Burger has developed black heterojunction (HJT) solar modules for balconies, featuring 800 W microinverters, smart control units, and mounting systems.