South Korea

Hanwha Qcells has closed its 3.5 GW solar factory in South Korea as part of plans to optimize its PV module production capabilities amid a stagnant domestic solar market.

The new product utlizes propane refrigerant with a lower global warming potential and has a seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) of over 5. According to the manufacturer, it can achieve a flow temperature of 75 C and 100% heating output at outside temperatures of -15 C.

As the European Union launches the first pilot auction this week, it also announces it will double down in spring, while also supporting a collaboration with Brazil for the construction of a production facility to be used in Croatia.

Scientists from South Korea have designed new photovoltaic modules with both rectangular and triangular shapes and solar cells connected in parallel, which they said have higher partial-shading tolerance compared with cells connected in strings. The panels are reportedly less sensitive to partial-shading geometries than shingled modules.

Plug Power has issued a warning about its 2023 financial performance due to supply challenges in North America, while Air Products says it is cementing its collaboration with Chengzhi in China.

South Korea researchers have developed a cell by merging green algae with carbon nanofibers, in order to generate 9.5 W per cell and achieve a peak efficiency of 0.9%. They claim this is enough to power a micro-generation system for hydrogen production.

LG has formed a partnership with the University of Alaska Anchorage to conduct lab research and perform real-world testing of heat pump technologies, with a particular focus on Alaska’s extreme temperatures.

Andries Wantenaar, a solar analyst at Rethink Energy, explains why he sees a bright future for perovskite PV cells, with technological advancements and major R&D investment paving the way for revolutionary change.

South Korea’s Rural Development Administration has created an energy system for greenhouses that combines photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) panels with a ground-source heat pump. It is said to compensate, via the PVT panels, the typical shortcomings of geothermal energy and to be able to reduce heating and cooling costs in greenhouses by up to 78%.

Qcells has acquired full ownership of intellectual property rights for LECO technology with the recent acquisition of Cell Engineering. The technology is known to enhance the efficiency of PERC and TOPCon solar cells.