Intersolar Europe Day 1: Hope for Europe’s PV manufacturers
For the first time since 2019, Intersolar Europe has opened its doors. The pv magazine team is delighted to be on the ground in Munich this year to bring you the latest solar PV and energy storage developments, events, and trends from the event, as they happen. Stay tuned for our live updates over the next three days!
Ultrathin gallium-arsenide solar cell with light management architecture
Scientists led by Cambridge University fabricated an ‘ultrathin’ solar cell, just 80 nanometers thick, using gallium arsenide. The III-V cell achieved 9.08% conversion efficiency, and its developers have demonstrated in simulations that it could reach 16% with further optimization. Given its light weight and intrinsic resistance to radiation, the cell could be suitable to power satellites and other applications in space.
Indian manufacturer unveils 375-410 W half-cut modules with 20.4% efficiency
Pixon Energy has launched mono PERC half-cut-cell modules with output capacities ranging from 375 Wp to 410 Wp. The five-busbar modules can be used in all types of PV installations, including off-grid, residential, commercial and industrial, and utility-scale projects.
Building perovskite solar cells with waste toner carbon
Scientists in China have fabricated 11.78%-efficient fully printable perovskite solar cells by using an electrode made of waste toner carbon from printer cartridges. The cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of 0.88 V, a short-circuit current density of 24.64 mA cm, and a fill factor of 54.56%.
CIGS solar panels for weight-constrained rooftops
U.S. thin-film module manufacturer Sunflare is ramping up production at its factory in China. The company makes four different CIGS modules.
New ‘matrix’ layout for shingled solar cells
German equipment supplier M10 and research institute Fraunhofer ISE will unveil a new prototype stringer for shingled module layouts at the Intersolar Europe trade show later this week. Employing an offset layout for the shingles, the approach promises a relative efficiency gain of up to 6%, compared to a conventional half-cell module.
PV industry veteran warns of looming supply chain disruptions in Australia
Australia’s PV module supply landscape could experience a supply shock as legislation emerges to stamp out the use of forced labor. Chris O’Brien, VP for the APAC region at Maxeon Solar Technologies, says that measures that have left modules stranded at the U.S. border could very well occur in Australia soon.
European Commission hints at solar module carbon footprint standards
A consultation process examining whether legislation is required to ensure the eco credentials of panels and inverters is focusing on eco-design and energy labeling but has also made mention of the need for less carbon intensive manufacturing.
New discovery could make organic PV competitive with crystalline silicon
A group of international researchers has observed how non-radiative charge recombination occurs in organic PV and claims to have identified a potential solution that could bring this solar tech closer to crystalline silicon in terms of power conversion efficiency.
Silicon metal and aluminum industries hit by China power shortages
A combination of booming demand for coal-fired power and a shortage of the black stuff – exacerbated by a political row with Australia – have forced up prices to the extent fossil fuel generators are making a loss on every unit of electricity they produce. pv magazine‘s Vincent Shaw considers the potential solutions.
