Manufacturing

Chemists from Russia’s RUDN University have developed a series of compounds based on methylammonium iodide and iodine which they say could be used to make perovskite solar devices without toxic solvents. That would enable perovskite cells to be manufactured without chemical by-products.

US researchers have unvelied a new manufacturing process to produce cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV panels, which they claim is 45% cheaper than current industry standards. The technique relies on the use of a high-pressure Bridgman furnace, which is a kind of industrial furnace utilized for crystal growth and directional solidification of polycrystalline ingots.

Following a dip in the last fiscal year, the value of cell exports saw a massive surge to an estimated INR13.3 billion from April to November. Exports to the U.S. tripled during the eight-month period as shipments to Turkey and Belgium rebounded to become the next two biggest export markets.

The Dutch PV manufacturer plans to start production this year after a last-minute rescue package arrived as the company’s equipment was being auctioned off.

A study has considered the best mathematical models for predicting solar module performance under varying conditions.

The Chinese government will extend duties on U.S. and South Korean polysilicon for another five years from today despite committing to buy $200 billion more American goods and services in the trade deal signed on Wednesday. Poly manufacturer REC Silicon says it expects polysilicon to form part of that trade agreement.

A study from Finland’s Lappeenranta University of Technology has predicted solar and other renewables can provide a global energy jobs revolution – just as four European operations revealed recent struggles.

The country’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) has provided new market share figures for the domestic PV sector that contradict recent media claims that Chinese manufacturers have been aggressively ramping up their local presence at the expense of Korean module makers. The government has also confirmed plans to prioritize PV projects made with low-carbon, high-efficiency modules.

An Indian research team has analyzed around 300 scientific studies about PV panel waste containing carcinogenic metals. The researchers said solar module recycling is not economically profitable and policy support is necessary to avoid panels being dumped in landfill.

A group of scientists is proposing a new metric – the value of efficiency – to calculate the maximum allowable cost to increase a cell’s efficiency and improve the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The researchers expect that more regional diversification may be seen at the global level in the years to come, with the proposed metric offering higher values in North America, Central and Northern Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.