longi

China’s Longi Green Energy has set a new world record for crystalline silicon solar module efficiency with its independently developed hybrid passivated back contact (HPBC) 2.0 module, achieving a conversion efficiency of 25.4%, according to a certification report from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE).

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.

European industry association PV Cycle estimates a 10 MW solar site will eventually produce 700 tons of waste material. It is becoming increasingly clear that PV modules need end-of-life protocols – for the technology and material processing, and the regulatory environment.

Shifting requirements for supply chain traceability and carbon footprint disclosure, along with solar oversupply and unsustainably low module prices, have made 2024 a challenging year for PV manufacturers. Despite these obstacles, the industry remains committed to its crucial role in the global energy transition. pv magazine recently spoke with Haimeng Zhang, chief strategy and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) officer at Longi Green Energy, about how the sector is preparing to meet these challenges.

Intended for applications in utility scale PV projects, the new Hi-MO 9 module is available in eight versions with power output ranging from 625 W to 660 W and power conversion efficiency spanning from 23.1% to 24.4%.

The Chinese manufacturer said its new Hi-MO X6 Scientist series has a temperature coefficient of -0.28%/C and a power output ranging from 620 W to 630 W. They rely on the company’s proprietary hybrid passivated back contact (HPBC) cell technology.

Longi and Ferroglobe have signed a long-term agreement for supplies of quartzite and metallurgical grade silicon (MGS). The deal has been in effect since the start of the year.

The production of PV ingots and wafers remains the most highly concentrated of all the production stages in the silicon solar supply chain. Yet efforts to re-establish production in Europe and the United States are not for the faint-hearted.

Reports of broken module glass with no obvious cause have begun to crop up at large PV projects. Module design, glass manufacturing, and interactions in the field between modules and trackers are at play and a clear solution has yet to emerge. Early signs suggest an update to certification standards may be needed.

Longi has reduced its wafer prices by 29%, while Sungrow Hydrogen has supplied electrolyzers for an integrated hydrogen mining complex in Hubei province.