Bosch to open heat pump factory in Poland
Bosch has announced plans to build its first heat pump factory in Dobromierz, Poland. The German heating manufacturer will invest €225 million ($247.3 million) in the new facility, which is expected to start operations in early 2026.
Novel technique to recover 100% of silver from CIGS solar cells
Swedish researchers have developed a method to recycle valuable metals from flexible thin film copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) solar cells under mild leaching conditions. They showed that 100% of silver and 85% of indium can be recovered after 24 hours of leaching at room temperature using two moles of nitric acid.
LevelTen’s European solar PPA index fell to €73.2/MWh in Q1
US energy consultancy LevelTen Energy said in a recent report on solar and wind power purchase agreements in Europe that the prices of wind and solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) in the European markets increased by 56% year-on-year to reach €88.88 ($97.40)/MWh in the first quarter of this year.
Austria accepts 100,000 applications in solar rebate scheme
Around 90,000 of the accepted applications in the latest round of Austria’s rebate scheme came from homeowners, and approximately 30,000 include the installation of battery storage.
GCL System Integration unveils 585 W TOPCon solar panel with 22.6% efficiency
The Chinese manufacturer is offering six versions of its new TOPCon modules, with power outputs between 560 W and 585 W. The power conversion efficiency ranges from 21.7% to 22.6%.
Brazil hits 20 GW of distributed solar capacity
Brazil’s distributed-generation solar capacity has hit 20.186 GW, with more than 10.204 GW of residential rooftop installations.
PV-powered robotic lawn mower from New Zealand
Researchers from Massey University in New Zealand have developed a robotic lawn mower with three 50 W solar panels and a 20 Ah lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) battery. Two of the PV panels can be retracted and stacked inside the robot. They slide out when it needs to recharge its batteries.
US government commits $250 million to domestic heat pump production
The US authorities will offer new funds under the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to build a clean energy economy, create new manufacturing jobs, and help families to save money on their energy bills.
Initial attempt to build thin-film solar cells from molybdenum disulfide
A team at Colorado State University has proposed making thin-film solar cells from naturally abundant molybdenum disulfide. It has conducted a series of experiments to show that extremely thin films of molybdenum disulfide have unprecedented charge carrier properties.
Polysilicon prices fall 1.33% to six-week low of $37.218/kg
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
