Ultra-lightweight CIGS solar module for high altitude airship applications
The 25 W solar panel has been designed to operate at air mass zero (AM0), which is the standard spectrum outside the Earth’s atmosphere. According to the PV manufacturer, the module has a weight of just 82 grams, while a small 300 W array comprised of these panels would weigh in at around 1 kg.
Uzbekistan wants to tender another 900 MW of PV
The Uzbek Ministry of Energy plans to hold two more solar tenders for a series of PV plants spread across the Kashkadarya and Fergana, Bukhara, Khorezm, and Namangan regions. It also revealed that there are 1.29 GW worth of projects under construction in the country.
US customs enforcement is jeopardizing 2.1 GW of solar projects
Solar product detentions at U.S. ports of entry all stem from a June 24 “Withhold Release Order” issued by Customs and Border Protection.
Novel PV module recycling tech from South Korea
Developed by the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), the “non-destructive” technology is claimed to enable the recovery of 100% of a module’s glass and to allow the reuse of silicon for producing new solar cells with an efficiency of 20.05%.
Combining big floating solar with hydropower
Scientists in Bangladesh have evaluated how a 50 MW floating PV plant could be integrated with the 230 MW Karnafuli Hydroelectric Power Station, located at the Kaptai Dam on the Karnaphuli River. They found that the two energy sources can be perfectly optimized and that PV can compensate for the reservoir’s shortage of water storage during the winter season while hydropower can compensate for the poor yields of the floating array during the monsoon season.
US solar group urges government to act on claims of Southeast Asian dumping
The American Solar Manufacturers Against Chinese Circumvention has filed three petitions urging the U.S. Department of Commerce to investigate allegations of “unfairly traded imports” from three countries in Southeast Asia.
Perovskite-silicon tandems could rapidly scale solar
Halide perovskites combined with conventional silicon could help solar break the 26% efficiency barrier – disrupting the technology without disrupting business systems.
Australian researchers develop bifacial solar cell with 96.3% bifacial factor
Australian National University researchers claim to have set a world record for bifacial solar cell efficiency that they say could boost the energy output of solar farms by 30%.
Ikea becomes wind and solar power provider in Sweden
The furniture giant will sell power from wind and solar facilities to final customers through the Strömma offer.
Tracing the roots of fill factor degradation in perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells
Scientists in Saudi Arabia have conducted one of the longest tests on the stability of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. According to their findings, the most affected parameter under the hot and humid climate of the region is the device fill factor, which dropped from 80% to 50% in just six months.
