Solarwatt’s Vision glass-glass PV passes Australian cyclone testing
Solarwatt’s Vision glass-glass solar PV modules have pushed the technology’s resilience even further after passing cyclone testing in Darwin, Australia.
The panel in red
Italian manufacturer Sunerg has developed a solar module for BIPV applications which is said to offer a wide range of options to better match the architectural vision and the design of a building. The 275 W monocrystalline PERC panel is available in mahogany brown, reddish brown, bottle green and black-grey.
Getting the right module temperature with thermography
Researchers from Hungary have analyzed the thermal behavior of different types of PV module via thermography, and claim to have shown that theoretical models are insufficient to measure the maximum, minimum, and average temperatures of the panels. According to their analysis, glass-glass modules without frame showed the highest temperatures, while the lowest temperatures were measured for polycrystalline glass-backsheet panels with frame.
A new manufacturing process for cheaper CdTe panels
US researchers have unvelied a new manufacturing process to produce cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV panels, which they claim is 45% cheaper than current industry standards. The technique relies on the use of a high-pressure Bridgman furnace, which is a kind of industrial furnace utilized for crystal growth and directional solidification of polycrystalline ingots.
Wacker reports strong operating loss for 2019 due to polysilicon business
The German polysilicon manufacturer said results for the past financial year are in line with its expectations. However, falling sales and earnings were also reported. The company blamed low prices for polysilicon for last year’s performance.
MIT researchers put slimmer silicon back on the table
With solar grade polysilicon prices having plummeted in recent years, cutting down on consumption of the material has not been a priority. But strategies exist and significant savings can be made through deploying thinner wafers that use less silicon, insists a new paper published by MIT and NREL. And as manufacturers are increasingly hitting dead ends on other routes to cost reduction, this option could be back on the table for many.
A new technique to get the right angular-tilt
UK scientists are proposing a new approach to calculating the optimum angular-tilt of PV panels for a planar surface at a particular site. In their view, the new technique may unlock innovative yield optimization methods for the installation of PV systems.
Raising the efficiency of polycrystalline cells with new luminescent EVA film
Chinese researchers have developed a pure EVA film, which they claim can enhance the conversion efficiency of conventional crystalline solar cells by around 0.50%. The film is able to convert UV light into strong visible light.
How much can you wash a wearable PV device?
UK researchers claim to have proved the viability of wearable photovoltaic devices as an integrated part of regular clothing. A solar-powered fabric textile was created by embedding micro-crystalline silicon solar cells within the fibers of a textile through thin copper wires. The scientists claim that the device can maintain its performance even after 15 domestic machine cycles, 25 hand wash cycles, and 6000 abrasion cycles.
A new approach to performance simulation of heterojunction III-V solar cells
Scientists from Italy are proposing a new theoretical approach based on the combination of the scattering matrix method (SMM) with the Hovel method. The new model is said to describe with improved accuracy the propagation of electromagnetic waves in solar cells based on indium gallium phosphide (InGaP), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) and germanium (Ge), taking into account the interference effects. In their view, with proper antireflective coating III-V solar cells can reach efficiencies of more than 50%.
