Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

A German research team has created a new solar cell architecture with self-assembled, three-dimensional nanocomposite thin film. The special cell configuration purportedly improves electrical output by a factor of five.

In a recent media brief, new Enel Green Power CEO Salvatore Bernabei discussed the company’s operating results for 2020 and its future strategies across several markets. pv magazine asked him questions about new solar plans, recent auction prices and the PV module factory the Italian group operates in Catania, in southern Italy. Bernabei also made it clear that he wants to bet on green and not blue or grey hydrogen for the company’s next step into the energy transition.

Wuxi Autowell has begun construction on its 50 GW wafer factory in Guangdong province and Longi and Wuxi Shangji Automation have announced new supply deals. GCL-Poly has announced it will raise the production capacity of its factory in Jiangsu from 6,000 to 10,000 metric tons – despite the company suffering a cross-default at the weekend.

An international research team has developed a cleaning system for solar panels that combines a vibrating device with the use of hydrophilic curved rungs. The technique is claimed to be able to remove the surface contaminants through the internal flow of vibrating water droplets applied with a pipette onto the module surface and transported, under vibration, to the contaminated parts.

The Japanese brand will continue to sell third-party-made modules under its brand in its home market, as it already does overseas, but in-house PV wafer, cell and module production will halt by the end of fiscal year 2022.

Europium ions have been used by Chinese researchers to passivate both the perovskite and electron transport layer (ETL) films of a MAPbI3 perovskite solar cell. As a result, the device’s efficiency was raised by approximately 1.5%. The dual passivation approach also achieved an increase in the cell’s fill factor and open-circuit voltage.

Tests by 7X Energy show that ground cover material showed promise, but projects will likely still need to prove the long-term durability, degradation rates, and validation of installation labor and O&M.

Module maker Risen has agreed to buy 34 GW of solar glass from Flat Glass Group (FGG). Both Trina and Goodwee announced strong profit growth for 2020.

A Russian-Italian research group has developed a two-dimensional transition metal carbide, known as MXenes, to collect photocurrent in perovskite cells. The cells were built with an inverted configuration and are based on a nickel(II) oxide hole transporting layer. The scientists claim that the doping technique allowed them to increase the efficiency of the cell by more than 2%.

The 5x5cm device was developed by a Japanese research group. The thickness of the perovskite films was increased to reduce defects and pinholes and this was achieved by adding ammonium chloride to the lead iodine solution used in the formation of the films. The device was able to work for 1,600 hours at more than 80% of this efficiency.