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.
NexWafe, Talon PV sign 7 GW solar wafer supply agreement
Under the terms of the deal, Germany’s NexWafe will supply its ultrathin solar wafers to Talon PV’s planned 4.8 GW TOPCon solar cell manufacturing plant in Texas. Initial qualification work will take place at a pilot production line at Fraunhofer ISE’s Photovoltaic Technology Evaluation Center.
Intertek acquires German PV inspection specialist AePVI
Intertek CEA has acquired German PV inspection specialist Aerial PV Inspection GmbH (AePVI) to expand high-speed drone and ground-based quality assurance for utility-scale solar assets across Europe.
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.
Fraunhofer ISE achieves 34.2% efficiency with III-V germanium PV module
Fraunhofer scientists have announced two efficiency records for III-V tandem modules. The team says its 34.2% efficiency III-V germanium PV module is the most efficient solar module in the world, while its 31.3% efficiency III-V silicon PV module is a record in its class.
Silver-saving efforts ramping up in solar industry, says Heraeus
Rising silver prices are putting pressure on solar manufacturers, prompting greater focus on copper and other alternatives to reduce costs. Heraeus says it expects silver demand from photovoltaics to decline this year despite stable global installations.
Germany awards 2.32 GW in large-scale PV tender
Germany’s latest tender for large-scale PV project concluded with an average final price of €0.0500 ($0.0593)/kWh. The procurement exercise was largely oversubscribed.
Fraunhofer ISE, PTB report just 0.15% uncertainty in PV module yield measurements
An interlaboratory comparison between the CalLab PV Modules of Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt finds the two organizations deviate by less than 0.15% when measuring the performance of photovoltaic modules. The Fraunhofer team says this is one of the most important indications as to whether their analysis is on the right track.
Varta unveils residential battery with AI-driven energy management
The Germany battery manufacturer is expanding its portfolio with a modularly scalable LFP storage solution featuring a new energy management system. The new product comes with the company’s proprietary “Varta.iq” software, which is designed to detect consumption anomalies, integrate dynamic electricity tariffs, and enable bidirectional charging.
Scientists say land-preservation costs should be factored into agrivoltaics’ LCOE calculations
German researchers found that agrivoltaics costs far exceed agricultural benefits, raising doubts about subsidies and highlighting the need for more cost-competitive system designs.
