Magazine Archive 2024

Moritz Rolf, vice president for Europe at Sungrow

The year 2024 has already brought major progress with perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells and research organizations are now looking to scale lab results to full-sized devices and mass production methods. A particular challenge is measuring the different characteristics and efficiency of these devices, as Michael Meixner, chief technology officer at German measurement equipment supplier halm, told pv magazine.

Tongwei’s new manufacturing facility exhibits multiple improvements in production efficiency and quality control, as the manufacturer highlights recent technological advances in its heterojunction (HJT) product lines.

Manufacturing equipment from German supplier Robert Bürkle GmbH is in high demand from solar module producers in Europe and India and the company’s Ypsator laminator line is especially popular. Daniel Klaus, who heads up the Bürkle PV and glass R&D team, told pv magazine about the company’s recently completed installation in France, a solution for building-integrated PV (BIPV), and what it is working on for the emerging vehicle-integrated PV market.

Though it already hosts several of the world’s largest solar installations, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s solar industry is still young, with limited local infrastructure and expertise. Project developers are learning quickly that building PV in harsh desert environments requires a careful eye on quality. New testing laboratories are looking to meet demand.

In addition to establishing a registered entity in Germany, Runergy has set up expert teams with local knowledge in countries such as France, Italy, Greece, Spain, and Poland, solidifying its position in Europe.

Introducing a new technology to the PV marketplace brings many challenges. Oxford PV did so while supply chains were disrupted because of the pandemic, which complicated things further. That hurdle has been overcome and shipments of perovskite tandem modules are set to commence as soon as September 2024, says Chris Case, the company’s long-serving chief technical officer.

As low prices present new challenges to industry players, Suntech argues that manufacturers should not lose sight of the need for high-quality products with long-term durability. Customers also need to prioritize quality and durability over price alone.

The Swiss Army knife qualities of lithium-ion batteries have helped scale the technology. Now their ubiquitous nature means they are ideally placed to help electricity system operators balance the grid, argues Gerard Reid, co-founder and partner of Alexa Capital.