2022 review in trends: Applications (Part I)
It has been another bumper year when it comes to innovative projects and applications in the solar and energy storage sector. But within that larger trend of innovation are a number of other trends to keep an eye out for.
Airbus taps Australian researchers to develop high-efficiency solar cells for space
Researchers from the University of New South Wales have been chosen to work with Airbus Defence and Space on a strategic research program to fast-track the development of high-efficiency solar cells for space applications.
Global solar capacity additions hit 268 GW in 2022, says BNEF
BloombergNEF Analyst Jenny Chase says the world installed 268 GW of new solar capacity in 2022, with annual installations expected to hit 315 GW in 2023. In a recent interview with pv magazine, Chase pointed to a large backlog of delivered PV modules in Europe that still have yet to be installed.
Sunbond unveils 550 W mono PERC modules
India’s Sunbond Energy has developed new mono PERC modules built with 144 half-cut M10 cells and 10 busbars. They are available in power outputs ranging from 520 W to 550 W, with efficiencies of 19.83% and 21.23%.
Longi claims world’s highest efficiency for p-type, indium-free HJT solar cells
Longi said it has achieved a 26.56% efficiency rating for a gallium-doped, p-type heterojunction (HJT) solar cell and a 26.09% efficiency rating for an indium-free HJT cell, both based on M6 wafers. Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research in Hamelin (ISFH) has confirmed the results.
BIPV shading estimation methods key for uptake, says IEA-PVPS
A recently published report from the IEA-PVPS on building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) digitalization found many BIPV professionals are unsure of a suitable method for estimating shading in BIPV projects.
New process increases efficiency of CIGS bifacial thin-film solar cells
Researchers from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have developed a new low-temperature production process for bifacial thin-film solar cells based on copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS). It resulted in record yields of 19.8% for front lighting and 10.9% for rear lighting.
The Hydrogen Stream: Hydrogen production set for Tasmania
As Australia’s hydrogen project pipeline doubles in 12 months, Iberdrola announces investment in a green hydrogen and green methanol production plant in Tasmania. Meanwhile, projects in Scandinavia target the shipping industry.
Integrating TOPCon: PV markets and systems
The new year will see n-type solar cell technologies, and tunnel-oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) in particular, build on a successful year in 2022 and continue to grow their share in the global PV module market. In this pv magazine Webinar, we’ll hear exactly how this growth is expected to shape up in 2023 and the following years from a top market analyst. And then we’ll take a closer look at the technology behind TOPCon with module maker Trina Solar, who will take us through the workings of its latest Vertex N module series, and the process of integrating these modules into a PV system to ensure all their potential advantages are best realized in the field.
Researchers achieved world record 32.5% efficiency for a perovskite tandem solar cell
A group of researchers from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has achieved a new world efficiency record for a silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell, with a certified efficiency of 32.5%.
