Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Researchers claim the cell they have developed is able to retain 90% of its efficiency after 1,000 hours under extreme light and heat conditions.

The notion of a circular economy is gaining traction, both in and out of the solar and storage industries. Recently, the European Commission wrote, “The circular economy is now an irreversible global trend,” and there are many initiatives taking place around the world to build a more circular society. As part of our new UP campaign, pv magazine spoke with material solutions provider DSM Advanced Solar to see what it is doing in this area.

After close to a decade of dramatic module cost declines, a new era of subsidy-free, utility-scale PV projects in dawning in Europe. But rather than ever-cheaper commodity modules, Radu Roman expects that technological innovation, particularly at the module level, will boost performance and continue solar’s subsidy-free expansion. Roman is Jinko Solar’s product and business development manager for Europe and will be a panelist at the Future PV Roundtable in Munich on Wednesday, May 16.

In 2017, JinkoSolar was the first Chinese company, and the second solar company, to achieve cradle to cradle certification – a pioneering initiative aimed at designing products in an environmentally and socially positive way. pv magazine spoke to Radu Roman, Product & Business Development Manager – Europe at JinkoSolar about the process, why it is so important to the company, and what’s in store for the future.

The Hi-MO 4 offers power ratings up to 430 watts, with module efficiencies as high as 19.2%, as the latest high-powered module to hit the floor at Intersolar Europe.

This year, pv magazine is setting a new editorial agenda. Via our program, UP, we will be diving deep into the topic of what it means to be truly sustainable, looking at what is already being done, and discussing areas for improvement. Over the coming weeks, months, and years, we will share our findings across our various digital platforms, in our print magazines, and via our roundtable events and webinars. Are you UP for it?

Tests by U.S.-based PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) show that monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon PV modules produced by India’s Vikram Solar met and exceeded international quality and performance benchmarks.

In the run-up to pv magazine’s quality roundtable at Intersolar Europe, we look at a case where a production error resulted in cold solder joints in 5% of the solar modules across a 50 MW project portfolio. We consider how to come to an agreement with a manufacturer to replace modules in such a situation and how such a solution compares with a production audit before installation.