Renewsys announces giga-scale expansion of solar encapsulant and backsheet manufacturing in India
The solar manufacturer will expand its annual encapsulant manufacturing capacity by 1.35 GW and backsheet production by 1 GW.
Copper metallization process reaches pilot production in Germany
Scientists led by staff from Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE have demonstrated a new laser printing process in pilot production, which could replace silver paste and screen printing in solar cell manufacturing. The system is said to offer much more flexibility in the layout of contact fingers on the cell surface and a wider choice of metallization materials.
Improving outdoor I-V curve measurements with PV module irradiance sensors
Japanese scientists have replaced common pyranometers with PV module irradiance sensors to measure the I-V curves of crystalline silicon PV modules. The sensors provide highly precise outdoor measurements, the researchers said.
Concentrating photovoltaic-thermal system with 91% efficiency
A global research team has developed a parabolic trough linear concentrating photovoltaic-thermal system to produce heat and electricity, for both residential and large-scale applications. The PV unit relies on Azure Space’s multi-junction solar cells, based on indium gallium phosphide (InGaP), gallium arsenide (GaAs) and germanium (Ge).
Australian startup to replace silver with copper in solar cell manufacturing
Startup SunDrive has secured US$2.2 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to help scale its low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell manufacturing process.
Futurasun doubles production capacity to 1 GW
The module manufacturer has opened its second 500 MW factory in China.
Singulus bags Japanese order for heterojuction cell equipment
The German PV equipment provider will deliver ‘Silex II’ machines to an unnamed client.
NREL scientists build all-perovskite tandem solar cell with 23.1% efficiency
The U.S. based researchers have developed a new wide-bandgap perovskite layer – called Apex Flex – which they claim is able to withstand heat, light, and operational tests, and at the same time provide a reliable and high voltage. With this material, they built tandem solar cells with 23.1% power conversion efficiency on a rigid substrate, and 21.3% on flexible plastic.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: 10 GW for Canadian Solar in Jiangsu
Canadian Solar has agreed to invest $1.5 billion in a 10 GW solar cell and module factory in eastern China. GCL New Energy, meanwhile, has revealed the terms of a plan to sell a solar project portfolio to state-owned Huaneng.
Chemical assist for stable perovskite cells at 23% efficiency
Scientists at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have developed a new ‘chemical innovation’, for the deposition of perovskite solar cells onto a substrate. The method is shown to produce cells at better than 23% efficiency, that remained stable after 500 hours testing at a raised temperature.
