Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

New research from Finland shows that the best season for rooftop PV generation in the Arctic is spring, and that the best tilt angle for rooftop systems is 28 degrees. It also showed that vertical PV installations perform better in winter.

Bila Solar – a Singapore-based developer of glassless, frameless PV modules – has announced plans to invest about $35 million to renovate a factory in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Dryad Networks has developed an AI-powered sensor to detect wildfires and notify first responders.

Ongoing innovation in PV cell technology will have major impacts as solar is deployed at a “multi-terawatt scale” over the next two decades, according to a global team of scientists.

BayWa re has agreed to acquire Ribeiro Solar, a Brazilian PV distributor headquartered in Curitiba, Paraná. The company also operates distribution centers in Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and Pernambuco.

Scientists in Pakistan developed a new cleaning system that reportedly not only reduces power losses caused by soiling but is also able to increase PV module performance by reducing its temperature. It could be applied to both residential and commercial PV systems.

Developed by scientists in Malaysia, the new PVT system is based on a nanoparticle-enhanced phase change material (Nano-PCM) and twisted absorber tubes. The system consists of a 30 W photovoltaic module, absorber tubes attached to the back of the panel via enhanced silicone glue bond, and a PCM container surrounding the tubes.

Researchers in Morocco have created a new energy management system that allows the combination of rooftop PV with gravity storage. The proposed system is reportedly able to perform smart energy distribution within a household while also lowering electricity costs.

Austria’s Ökofen has developed a residential heat pump that identifies cost-effective and eco-friendly electricity in real time, in order to optimize heat production. It is now seeking a patent for its proprietary control technology.

Jim Tyler, CEO of solar tech specialist Erthos, says that reducing the cost of solar electricity will be needed to unlock the next chapter of the energy transition: a green hydrogen economy.