Test production starts at SolarEdge’s 2 GWh Korean battery cell fab
The inverter and battery manufacturer says its new Sella 2 factory will produce cells for its residential solar-plus-battery products as well as for other applications.
Tuning out the defects for more powerful perovskite solar cells
Scientists in the UK and Japan used the latest imaging techniques to observe the inner workings of a perovskite solar cell at the scale of a few nanometers. Their findings suggest that a single defect is responsible for both limiting initial performance and causing degradation of the cell. By altering chemical compositions and process parameters, the appearance of this defect can be quickly reduced, and the group is confident that its finding could quickly be applied in large-scale processing as well.
India added 3 GW of solar in first quarter
India’s cumulative installed solar capacity stood at 52 GW at the end of March.
Chinese province seeks proposals for 11.5 GW of offshore PV
The authorities in China’s Shandong province have identified 10 offshore sites close to the coastline where 11.5 GW of solar projects could be constructed. Binzhou, Dongying, Weifang, Yantai, Weihai, and Qingdao are some of the preferred areas.
Canadian Solar plans to ramp up production capacity
Having warned of in-house solar wafer and cell capacity as recently as the third quarter of 2021, the company has announced it will be adding even more production lines this year.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Geely opens polysilicon plant
Automaker Geely has commissioned a new polysilicon factory in northern China, while ET Solar has opened a new 5 GW wafer factory in Vietnam. Poly giant GCL Technology, meanwhile, has confirmed that its board might issue common stock for a Chinese listing.
The Hydrogen Stream: Renault presents electric-hydrogen hybrid car with range of up to 800 km
In other news, Shinshu University researchers developed a graphene-wrapped molecular-sieving membrane that is reportedly 100 times more efficient than that of conventional polymer separation membranes. Topsoe aalso nnounced the construction of the “world’s largest electrolyzer production facility,” and Toho Gas said it would produce blue hydrogen in Japan for local consumption.
China dominates transport fuel-cell patents
The World Intellectual Property Organization says China accounted for 69% of the patents filed for transport-related fuel-cell tech in 2020, with road transport significantly dominating applications.
JinkoSolar showcases 13.08%-efficient transparent TOPCon solar module for BIPV, agrivoltaics
The new solar module can be purchased with different levels of transparency, depending on the project, with light transmittance ranging between 30% and 40%. It has a power output of 245 W to 300 W and a temperature coefficient of -0.30% per C.
Hanersun launches 580 W TOPCon solar module with 22.38% efficiency
Hanersun claims that its new TOPCon solar modules are suitable for residential and commercial rooftops, as well as small-scale, ground-mounted PV plants. They have a temperature coefficient of 0.31%.
