Articles written by Mark Hutchins

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Research & Development
Solar perovskite tandems and potential-induced degradation Scientists have found that perovskite solar cells and perovskite-silicon tandems might be vulnerable to potential-induced degradation. They exposed tandem cell devices to PID stress and found that they lost as much as 50% of their initial performance after just one day.
Mark Hutchins
Sep 08, 2022
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Interconnection evolution After a difficult couple of years, things are finally looking brighter for European PV equipment suppliers in 2022, with new projects on the horizon and plenty of space for innovation in the market. Germany’s M10 Solar Equipment is introducing a brand new, flexible approach to cell interconnection that promises big energy yield gains compared to typical half-cut cell multi-busbar modules. And the company is already seeing plenty of interest from producers developing products ranging from conventional modules to building-integrated PV and beyond, as M10 Solar Equipment CEO Philipp Zahn and Business Development Manager Michael Kröffges recently told pv magazine.
Mark Hutchins
Sep 05, 2022
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The stage is set for India At the end of September, the Renewable Energy India (REI) Expo is returning to the India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, for its 15th edition. It comes at an exciting time for energy in India, as the country begins to ramp up its own domestic solar manufacturing, and looks for a leading role in the development of both green hydrogen and electric vehicles. Ahead of the event, pv magazine caught up with Rajneesh Khattar, senior group director – energy portfolio, at Informa Markets, the show organizer, for a look at India’s changing energy landscape.
Mark Hutchins
Sep 05, 2022
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Research & Development
The economics of perovskite solar manufacturing Scientists in Switzerland put together a detailed analysis of the projected costs of designing and operating a 100 MW perovskite solar cell production line in various locations, taking in labor and energy costs as well as all materials and processing. The found that perovskite PV could be cost-competitive with other technologies even at much smaller scale, but noted that this still depends on the tech proving its long-term stability, and impressive achievements in research being successfully transferred to commercial production.
Mark Hutchins
Sep 02, 2022
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Research & Development
Putting polyvinylidene-fluoride backsheets to the test US scientists tested PV modules built with backsheets and polyvinylidene-fluoride (PVDF) layers, to replicate the degradation the material has suffered in the field of accelerated testing. By exposing the modules to multiple stresses, they were able to cause degradation in the backsheet materials. Though this did not closely match what has been seen in the field, such testing can be useful in identifying potential weaknesses.
Mark Hutchins
Sep 01, 2022
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Research & Development
Controlling the crystals for a 17.96% efficient perovskite solar cell Scientists in Taiwan demonstrated a new way to produce high-purity lead-iodide, as a precursor material for a perovskite solar cell. By using temperature to better control the orientation of crystals, the group was able to show much higher efficiencies when the precursor was used to fabricate a perovskite layer and subsequently a working solar cell.
Mark Hutchins
Aug 22, 2022
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Research & Development
Evolar claims 25-year stability for perovskite cells Evolar, a Swedish manufacturing startup, has put its perovskite cell technology through industry-standard accelerated reliability testing. It said its results show that the cells would likely remain stable for more than 25 years in the field.
Mark Hutchins
Aug 18, 2022
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Research & Development
Healing defects with ammonia for a 23.21% efficient perovskite solar cell Scientists in China demonstrated a process to “heal” defects in a perovskite film by using an ammonia treatment after the film is formed through a solvent process. Small solar cells made using these films achieved maximum efficiency of 23.21%, while a mini-module with a 14-square-centimeter active surface area reached 20.61%.
Mark Hutchins
Aug 16, 2022
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Markets & Policy
Monitoring degradation for 13 module types In a study that began in 2016, US scientists purchased 834 PV modules, representing seven manufacturers and 13 module types, and installed them in various climate conditions to observe their performance over time. The results show that, while plenty of opportunities still exist to extend module lifetimes and reduce performance loss in the field, reductions in the manufacturing cost of PV have not come with an increase in their degradation rate.
Mark Hutchins
Aug 15, 2022
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