Technology and R&D

Experts set to speak at the NetZero Milan Expo-Summit 2025 on May 15 have told pv magazine that tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) will remain the dominant cell technology in the near term due to ongoing advancements, despite rising competition from back-contact and heterojunction technologies.

Scientists in India have built a solar-powered thermic solar geyser prototype based on a nichrome wire heating rod and a flexible pipe heat exchanger with aluminum fins. The system is designed to generate domestic how water and can reportedly achieve a levelized cost of energy of $0.051 per kWh.

The Japanese manufacturer said its new heat pump system features a coefficient of up to 5.42 and a seasonal energy efficiency ratio of up to 33.2

Scientists have analyzed whether planting turf and clover beneath solar panels can increase soil organic carbon, after measuring the results from a commercial plant in Japan. They tested more than 20 areas in the power plant and found that soil organic carbon increased.

New research from the University of New South Wales have found that the Special Injected Metallization (JSIM) technique developed by Chinese manufacturer Jolywood can considerably increase TOPCon solar cell efficiency. The scientists described precisely how laser-assisted firing enhances cell performance, reportedly filling critical gaps in industrial TOPCon cell optimization.

A team of Japan-based scientists have set a new power conversion efficiency record for all-organic solar cells, more than doubling the previous record. They say the cell was developed with rganic electrodes with high conductivity that required no acid doping or high-temperature heating, which avoids damage to the plastic substrates.

India’s Credence Solar has unveiled the Hyper Nova N TOPCon module series available in power outputs from 580 W to 600 W with front-side power conversion efficiency of 22.45% to 23.25%, respectively.

Researchers at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Spain evaluated 12 PV devices from 11 suppliers for indoor use, identifying several systems capable of powering remote sensor nodes with a 10 cm² surface area and advancing to testing under natural indoor light.

Researchers in Iran developed a passive solar module cooling method using silicon carbide porous ceramic. When combined with phase change materials, the technique reportedly boosts panel performance by up to 7.4%.

Scientists in Sudan have called for the inclusion of PV module cleaning operations in green building standards to address a key maintenance gap in renewable energy systems. It would target improved system performance in environments where dust and soiling pose persistent challenges.