Taiwan’s URE increases module capacity by 500 MW
The manufacturer accounted for around 40% of total solar module demand in Taiwan in 2020. It expects to see its domestic market share increase to 50% this year.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: New glass capacity and a 20 GW wafer order
Flat Glass has activated two new glass furnaces that will bring its total production capacity to 8,600 MT per day. JinkoSolar has secured 20 GW of orders for its 182mm-wafer-based modules.
The best materials for carrier multiplication in solar cells
Researchers in the Netherlands have sought to identify all those semiconductor materials that may make the application of carrier multiplication in photovoltaics much more than a mere suggestion. According to them, the bandgap of the materials should be between 0.6–1.0 electronvolt (eV), which would result in maximum theoretical efficiency of around 44%. 2D and bulk materials were indicated as the most promising with near-ideal carrier multiplication.
SunPower posts solid Q4 results as storage drives growth
SunPower’s distributed-generation services platform, as well as storage and digital solutions, will be key to its long-term growth, CEO Tom Werner said in an earnings call this week.
China’s cheap electricity crowds out foreign polysilicon
Imports from South Korea and the U.S. dwindled, year-on-year, ensuring Germany’s Wacker and the Malysian unit of Korean company OCI will supply the bulk of the world’s non-Chinese solar polysilicon this year.
Dualsun unveils 375 W photovoltaic-thermal panel with shingle tech
The panel features an efficiency of 20% and a thermal power of 600 W-thermal per square meter.
Viridian Solar unveils roof-integrated solar panels with power of 335/340 W
The new devices feature efficiencies ranging from 20.7-21%. The panels are said to be compatible with a wide range of slates and tiles, include special fixings for different batten thicknesses, and achieve the highest fire rating and wind resistance without modifications to the roof.
Baywa re sets up unit to manufacture mounting systems
The new Novotegra GmbH unit will bundle all activities related to the group’s PV mounting structure business.
Silfab Solar launches 21.4%-efficient back contact residential panel
The new interdigitated back-contact module comes with power outputs ranging from 370 to 380 W and is the most powerful panel produced by the company to date.
First attempt to fabricate solar cells based on antimony selenoiodide
South Korean scientists have produced a solar cell based on antimony selenoiodide, with a 4.1% efficiency, a short-circuit current density of 14.8 mA cm2, an open-circuit voltage of 473.0 mV, and a fill factor of 58.7%. They claim the cell exhibits excellent stability in humid conditions.
