Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Solaveni, a German fine chemical manufacturer, is commercializing protic ionic liquid materials that reportedly enable more stable, water-based halide perovskite inks suitable for use in scalable thin film manufacturing processes.

Solar manufacturers signed an estimated 15 GW of module sales and supply deals at SNEC 2025 PV Expo in Shanghai last week. Major contracts included JinkoSolar’s 1.75 GW order for Saudi Arabia’s SPPC project and JA Solar’s 2 GW agreement to support solar manufacturing in India.

AllShield Coatings says that its fire-resistant product can be installed under a new roof covering or applied to the roofing material of existing roofs. It weighs 2.8 kg/m2 and reportedly serves as an effective fire-resistant layer, significantly reducing the risk of fire spreading.

Austria has installed Europe’s largest photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) solar system at a stadium, using Sunmaxx modules combined with geothermal energy and brine heat pumps to provide climate-neutral electricity and heat.

Switzerland’s Energie360° and solar tech specialist Insolight have agreed to build a 1,300-panel agrivoltaic plant on a cherry farm in Leuggern, Switzerland. The facility will combine crop protection and dynamic light management.

JA Solar has set up a manufacturing partnership with South Africa’s ARTsolar to annually produce 340 MW of PV modules, supporting domestic content rules under South Africa’s procurement programs and reducing reliance on imports.

Scientists in Germany have collected dust from Qatar, Morocco and Thailand to analyze the impact on the performance of uncoated solar glass and uncoated PV mini-modules. Their analysis has shown that dust coverage could range from 4% to 60%.

Researchers in South Korea have found that the contamination by small amounts of soldering flux residues during heterojunction PV module manufacturing can induce significant long-term performance degradation. Careful control of flux application methods and incorporating drying steps are proposed as potential solutions.

Researchers from Swiss and Austrian institutions have demonstrated a novel design for a glass-free, structurally robust silicon PV module. With a weight below 6 kg/m2, the targeted application is older buildings with weak roof structure.

Ahaan Solar, part of Airox Nigen Equipments, plans to start production from the first 600 MW phase of its 2 GW solar module factory in Haryana, India, by mid-2025. The facility will use tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) technology to produce high-efficiency modules for domestic and export markets.