Non-stop solar innovation despite module oversupply
It’s no secret that prices throughout the solar supply chain have been at rock bottom over the past 18 months. Alex Barrows and Molly Morgan of CRU Group explore how the market reached the imbalance that caused PV prices to crash, what this has meant for innovation, and how it might affect future technology transitions.
Impact of hydrogen on silicon solar cell degradation
German researchers have reviewed recent studies on hydrogen-related degradation in silicon solar cells. They said the work is timely, with n-type silicon dominating production and antimony-doping emerging.
China’s polysilicon rally enters fourth week, defying market fundamentals
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
‘Soft-connected’ floating PV for offshore scenarios
An international research team has tested a floating PV system with a “soft-connected” configuration under offshore conditions, using six modular pontoons linked by elastic bar elements to simulate mooring lines and connection ropes.
Passive solar module cooling tech based on atmospheric water harvesting
Researchers in India have developed a cooling technology that uses calcium chloride for atmospheric water harvesting. The system reportedly improves PV module yields by up to 18%.
A better understanding of UV degradation
Performance loss from ultraviolet (UV) light has become a concern for new PV cells, though earlier lab tests may have overstated the issue. Paul Gebhardt, photovoltaic module reliability scientist at Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), outlines a mechanism that may have distorted earlier results.
PV module fault diagnosis uses convolutional neural network
Researchers in China have created a dataset of various PV faults and normalized it to accommodate different array sizes and typologies. After testing the new approach in combination with the 1D-CNN machine learning technique under different conditions, they found an accuracy of more than 99%.
Power Roll tests perovskite solar panels outdoors
Power Roll, a UK developer of perovskite solar technology, has begun outdoor testing of its 600 mm x 400 mm flexible modules.
Vending machine trial with chalcopyrite solar
PXP Corp. and Suntory Holdings, both based in Japan, have begun to test the practicality and performance of a vending machine equipped with PXP’s lightweight, glass-free solar panels in Sagamihara, Japan.
Mito Solar launches new range of colored modules for yachts, cars
Dutch specialty module manufacturer Mito Solar now offers PV modules in a wide range of colors for yachting and mobility applications. The colors are enabled by a front-side encapsulant made of thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO).
