China

Q-Sun Solar says it plans to invest CNY 6.2 billion ($865.6 million) to build 10 GW of solar cell capacity and 12 GW of PV panel capacity.

Scientists in China and Canada have developed an additive that forms covalent bonds with the organic materials in a perovskite solar cell, leading to fewer defects and greatly reduced degradation. Cells treated with the additive maintained 98.6% of their initial performance after 1,000 hours in testing. Xlynx Materials, a company spun out of the University of Victoria in Canada, is making the material available for further commercial trials.

The world installed 239 GW of new solar capacity in 2022, according to SolarPower Europe. The rooftop PV segment accounted for 49.5% of additions – the highest share in the past three years. The rooftop sectors in Brazil, Italy, and Spain grew by 193%, 127%, and 105%, respectively.

Renac Power’s new all-in-one energy storage system for commercial and industrial (C&I) applications features a 110.6 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery system with a 50 kW inverter.

A Chinese research team has fabricated an all-perovskite solar cell with a 3D/3D double-layer perovskite heterostructure that reportedly ensures improved charge extraction. The device achieved an open-circuit voltage of 2.112 V, a short-circuit current of 6.5 mA cm-2, and a remarkable fill factor of 81.9%.

Sunways’ new three-phase hybrid inverters have efficiency ratings of up to 98.2% and European efficiency ratings of 97.4%. They are available in seven versions, with power outputs ranging from 15 kW to 33 kW.

The China Photovoltaic Industry Association reports robust production growth among Chinese solar manufacturers, while the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association confirms an ongoing decline in polysilicon and cell prices. Canadian Solar, meanwhile, has commenced share trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Zonergy has developed a 2.5 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery system featuring an inverter with an output ranging from 8 kW to 15 kW. It says four to 16 modules can be combined for between 10 kWh and 40 kWh of energy storage capacity.

At this year’s SNEC exhibition in Shanghai pv magazine caught up with Lisa Zhang, Vice President of Marketing at Growatt. At their SNEC booth, Growatt showcased its new 100 kW hybrid inverter WIT 50-100K-HU/AU, developed for commercial and industrial applications.

Japan has announced plans to invest $150 billion in hydrogen over the next decade, while Malaysia has revealed that it will invest in solar and hydrogen under a new energy roadmap. Separately, Kansai Electric Power and Canada’s ATCO have agreed to collaborate on a feasibility study for green hydrogen supplies.