Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Researchers in Saudi Arabia have developed a hydrogel composite that absorbs moisture in solar modules overnight and facilitates evaporative cooling throughout daylight hours. The system has undergone lab tests and outdoor experiments on two continents.

Chinese solar cell maker Drinda and Turkey’s Schmid Pekintas Energy have revealed plans to jointly develop a 5 GW n-type solar cell facility to bypass EU trade barriers.

JinkoSolar led global PV module shipments in 2024, followed by JA Solar, Longi, Canadian Solar and Trina Solar, according to Wood Mackenzie. The research firm notes a growing shift toward full vertical integration among top manufacturers.

Chinese scientists hit 24.6% efficiency with a two-terminal perovskite-CIGS tandem cell by adding D-homoserine lactone hydrochloride (D-HLH) to the perovskite precursor, marking one of the highest reported performances for the technology.

Scientists in India have designed a new soiling chamber that is capable of emulating the soiling conditions of a given geographical location in a shorter time frame, hosting larger panels compared to conventional setups. The new chamber can be used to estimate soiling losses and cleaning costs for potential solar power plant sites, to improve existing soiling models, to investigate how factors like tilt angle affect soiling, and to evaluate the effectiveness and durability of anti-soiling coatings.

Scientists in China have introduced developments to the RIME optimization method, which takes inspiration from the developmental course of hoarfrost in nature. They have compared it to other MPPT algorithms and found it to be faster and to improve power output.

Brazil’s solar imports fell 33% to $722 million in the first four months of 2025 amid project delays and oversupply, as new trade routes began cutting costs and freight times to the country’s North and Northeast regions.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

Saatvik Solar has broken ground on a 4.8 GW solar cell and 4 GW module manufacturing plant in eastern India, with module production set to begin by the end of fiscal 2026 and cell output by fiscal 2027.

Netherlands based PV module testing equipment supplier Eternal Sun today announced that it has acquired German company Wavelabs, which also supplies flash testing equipment to the solar industry. The acquisition creates a new company, Wavelabs Eternal Sun Gmbh, headquartered in Leipzig, Germany and operating as a 100% subsidiary of Eternal Sun Group. The new owner plans to continue operating the two companies under their respective brand names, with Eternal Sun focused on testing PV modules and Wavelabs on cells.