IBC

The EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) has updated the core technologoy of the Photovoltaic Geographical Information System with the aim of reflecting the dominance of crystalline silicon solar technologies over thin-film counterparts in the global energy market.

Indian PV manufacturers are looking beyond tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar. Back-contact (BC) devices are an enticing prospect but many feel the technology is not mature enough. Uma Gupta considers the cost, yield, and reliability challenges that BC solar has to overcome.

La Croisière Verte is the name of a 13,500 km expedition from the north to south of Africa in a fleet of four Citroën AMI vehicles, each carrying 5,600 W of lightweight PV panels in foldable packs.

Sticky Solar Power is taking orders for industrial-scale versions of its novel room-temperature cell interconnection system, which is reportedly well-suited for back-contact (xBC), perovskite, and heterojunction cell technologies.

A new generation of flexible, lightweight modules is entering the market. With back contact technology offering its own form of design flexibility and robustness, the new products could crack a hard-to-address market segment.

Clean Energy Associates (CEA) has calculated the price premium that solar developers will swallow in return for the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) savings offered by the latest generation of high-efficiency PV panels.

US scientists have tested a range of modern cell designs under strong ultraviolet light and have found that many of them, including p-type PERC and n-type heterojunction cells, are more susceptible to degradation than older back surface field designs. They noted that the rear side of bifacial cells may be particularly vulnerable.

Czech specialist module manufacturer Fill Factory has signed up to take €500,000 worth of Valoe’s inter-digitated back contact cells under a one-year supply contract.

Researchers in France have tried to predict the competitiveness of tandem PV modules against commercial crystalline products in 2030. Crystalline products will be 22-24% efficient in a decade, according to the researchers, possibly 25% if interdigitated back-contact heterojunction versions become mainstream. To compete, tandem devices will need to offer similar life spans and degradation rates, plus efficiencies of 30%.

The EU-funded Nextbase project aims to manufacture heterojunction, interdigitated back-contact solar modules for less than €0.275/W. Solar panels featuring the Nextbase cell tech are expected to have a conversion efficiency of 23.2%, according to the European Commission.