Author

Valerie Thompson

Valerie Thompson is a technology journalist based in Zurich, with over 20 years of experience. She rejoined pv magazine in 2023 to cover upstream PV news and trends, as well as supporting the events team with content.

[email protected]

Articles written by Valerie Thompson

Research & Development

Guidelines to assess three-terminal, four-terminal tandem solar cell performance Researchers in the U.S. have developed a set of guidelines and protocols to assess the performance of three-terminal (3-T) and four-terminal (4-T) tandem solar cells, including those with subcells made of III–V, CdTe, perovskites or silicon materials.

Valerie Thompson

Mar 06, 2026

A new wave of floating solar innovators Offshore floating PV (FPV) is still in its infancy, but an increasing number of inland and nearshore solar installations show there is opportunity to be found on water. From the Netherlands and North Sea to the warm shores of the Mediterranean, Valerie Thompson reports on the innovators in FPV.

Valerie Thompson

Mar 02, 2026

Research & Development

Honeycomb-shaped micro-structures enhance thin film silicon solar cells TU Delft researchers developed a novel hexagonal microtextured glass that enhances light scattering up to 50%, improving optical performance in thin-film silicon solar cells. The technology shows promise for multijunction, flexible, and low-power solar applications.

Valerie Thompson

Feb 23, 2026

Applications & Installations

Sunoyster offers lightweight 440 W glass-covered TOPCon PV panel Germany-based solar tracker developer Sunoyster Systems has developed a 440 W lightweight solar panel with a tempered glass cover for low-load commercial and industrial roofs.

Valerie Thompson

Feb 20, 2026

Markets & Policy

Centrotherm launches new high-volume TOPCon PECVD tool The Germany-based PV thermal process equipment and technology provider has launched c.Plasma Q Max to process up to 10,000 wafers per hour in high-volume TOPCon solar cell manufacturing lines.

Valerie Thompson

Feb 18, 2026

Research & Development

Brightspot Automation launches large-area PV photoluminescence testing tool The U.S.-based metrology equipment manufacturer has launched a non-contact photoluminescent imaging system to reveal defects and other non-uniformities in silicon, thin film, and III-V multijunction PV devices.

Valerie Thompson

Feb 17, 2026

Research & Development

SALD launches large area sheet-to-sheet tool for perovskite solar pilot lines The Dutch spatial atomic layer deposition equipment manufacturer has launched a new sheet-to-sheet tool for pilot production of large area perovskite solar devices on glass substrates.

Valerie Thompson

Feb 12, 2026

Applications & Installations

Retrofit coloring solution makes conventional solar panels less visible Fraunhofer CSP researchers in Germany are developing printing and color technologies to make conventional silicon PV panels less visible when installed on building façades, roofs, and balconies.

Valerie Thompson

Feb 10, 2026

Research & Development

Global cadmium telluride solar module manufacturing capacity could reach 100 GW by 2030 In a perspective paper in Joule, a group of U.S. researchers described technology and supply chain efforts required to reach worldwide annual cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar PV capacity of 100 GW by 2030.

Valerie Thompson

Feb 10, 2026

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