Europe

Swedish researchers have used silver alloying to improve grain growth and crystal quality in the chalcopyrite absorber, which reportedly partly compensates for its high bandgap energy. The scientists fabricated a champion cell based on a ZTO buffer layer.

Swiss manufacturer Meyer Burger says that in August it hopes to begin distributing its new gray solar tiles, which are already being used in pilot projects.

The new edition of the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV), published this week, finds that 295 GW of PV modules was shipped in 2022, and that prices for silicon PV modules fell by 7% over the year. The report finds that price premiums for n-type modules are now marginal, and the technology grew to represent 15% of the market, and is expected to keep growing over the coming decade.

The authorities on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria have decided to resume work on a 200 MW pumped hydro project after they determined that cavities and canals in a water reservoir are not archeologically significant.

Scientists from Fraunhofer ISE have sought to utilize epitaxially grown p-type silicon wafers TOPCon rear emitter (TOPCore) solar cells with the aim of reducing production costs and carbon footprint. They claim this combination is paving the way for TOPCore devices that exceed 25% efficiency.

The Italian cabinet has approved 13 agrivoltaic projects in the southern regions of Apulia and Basilicata.

In the first week of May, the photovoltaic systems installed in Germany made the largest contribution to net electricity generation. They fed a total of 1,744.46 GWh of solar power into the grid and thus had a share of 23.6%.

Perovskite-silicon tandem technology expert Gianluca Coletti explains what cycles the PV industry and scientific community experience every time there are new jumps in power conversion efficiencies at cell level. According to him, we are experiencing a much faster turnover of efficiency records typical of the early stage of development of a new technology holding an incredible potential.

Researchers associated with the European Commission have developed a new methodology to calculate the carbon footprint of PV modules for use in the context of the European Union’s ecodesign regulations.

Two Norwegian companies are designing floating concentrating photovoltaic thermal technology that can produce both electricity and heat. It is intended for use in carbon capture projects and to be supported by an industrial heat pump system.