US solar tariffs and the shadow of larger trade measures
Intensified trade measures against China via higher tariffs on imported solar and battery cells are a significant policy step, but the impact is clouded by global manufacturing shifts, price decreases and looming US Department of Commerce trade complaints.
China’s solar dominance set to continue amid price slide
With solar module oversupply triggering a price freefall in 2023 and no recovery in sight, market consolidation, inventory pile-up, technology shifts, and challenges to reshoring PV manufacturing are set to affect all levels of the solar supply chain.
US startup debuts wall-mountable residential heat pump
US-based Quilt has unveiled a residential heat pump with a coefficient of performance (COP) of up to 4 and noise levels of 27 dBA to 47 dBA. The startup recently raised $33 million (€30 million) from a group of investors.
Cadmium-doped perovskite solar cell achieves 22.7% efficiency
A Chinese-Canadian research group has utilized for the first time a cadmium iodide doping technique to stabilize the blade coating process in the manufacturing of solar cells based on formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) perovskite. The academics built a cell showing a considerable increase in efficiency compared to an identical device without cadmium doping.
3D printed clamps for front-surface PV mounting on wood racking
A research team proposed a new PV mounting solution relying on two types of spacers and two types of clamps that can be printed with common printing materials. The cost of the different solutions presented varies from CAD1.50 ($1.10) to CAD3.83.
Faulty installations often to blame for battery fires
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and German battery analysis specialist Twaice have jointly evaluated 26 battery fires between 2018 and 2023. They say that the diversity of components plays a critical role in igniting fires.
US government doubles tariff rates on PV cell imports from China to 50%
The administration of US President Joe Biden has raised tariff rates on PV cell imports from China from 25% to 50%. It has also increased the tariff rates for semiconductors, electric vehicles, and EV batteries from China, among other goods.
US government proposes 10 ‘national interest’ transmission corridors
Eight of the 10 transmission corridors proposed by the US Department of Energy (DoE) could facilitate transmission between grid regions. One would expand transmission within the Mid-Atlantic’s PJM grid region, and one would expand transmission in the Northern Plains.
Improving perovskite solar cell performance with phenethyl ammonium chloride
An international research team developed a perovskite solar cell performance-boosting treatment based on phenethyl ammonium chloride (PEACl) that is also claimed to reduce the number of process steps. With this technique, the group built a champion device with a 20.9% efficiency.
The Hydrogen Stream: Asahi Kasei to test alkaline water electrolyzer
Japan’s Asahi Kasei is testing a new alkaline water electrolyzer, while China has started developing its first 100 kg vehicle-mounted liquid hydrogen system.
