PV innovations helping to push the French market forward
Philippe Malbranche, Directeur Général of the French solar research institute INES, explains why his organization is hosting a workshop on innovations from France. The varying innovations take part in the whole PV value chain, from oxygen measuring in the wafering process, to developing solar plants with integrated storage for French oversea territories.
Hanwha Q Cells sets 19.5% efficiency record for standard 301W multicrystalline module
Verified by Fraunhofer ISE CalLab, the rating of 19.5% efficiency for a standard module of 1,670 x 1,000 mm2 sets a new world record for multicrystalline panels; Hanwha achieved the result using its Q.ANTUM cells with four busbars.
EUPVSEC opens with rallying call to Europe's solar industry
This morning EUPVSEC kicked off at the International Conference Center in Munich. Some 6,500 authors and co-authors from 88 countries had submitted their abstracts for presentation at the week-long event. This year for the first time EUPVSEC is colocated with Intersolar.
Overheating and incompatible plug connectors
Black sheep I: In a Bavarian solar farm, experts discovered overheated junction boxes after commissioning and, later, overheated plug connectors as well.
The pv magazine weekly news digest
In a week shaped by three pivotal reports that each forecast a bright future for solar, there was still a reminder of the industry’s unforgiving landscape for companies that fail to move with the times, and markets.
Energy storage market to grow to USD250 billion by 2040
This is the forecast in Bloomberg New Energy Finances New Energy Outlook 2016 report, which expects to see the price for energy storage systems significantly drop, as batteries will help to wean power dependency away from large-scale fossil fuel plants.
EPFL achieves 19.6% perovskite efficiency using vacuum coating
Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has used vacuum coating to deposit and grow a perovskite semiconductor layer, resulting in a 19.6% efficient cell. Researchers have applied a mild vacuum for 20 seconds to achieve the result, which is a low-temperature process.
North American solar investors concerned about H2 oversupply
Deutsche Bank released some market analysis, addressing the concerns of North American solar investors, who fear a potential PV oversupply is on the horizon, changes to net metering policies, and rising Chinese competition.
Solar boat attempting to cross the Atlantic
The Solar Voyager, built by two friends in their spare time, is an autonomous boat that is attempting to be the very first to cross any ocean using solely solar power, as it travels slowly across the Atlantic Ocean.
Russian company to buy PV production equipment from Meyer Burger
Russia’s largest integrated solar company, Hevel LLC, has placed an order for CHF 22 million (USD22.5 million) of production equipment that covers the entire PV value chain from Meyer Burger.
