photovoltaics

Australian energy major AGL is pushing ahead with plans to transform its Loy Yang power station site into a clean energy industrial hub in the Australian state of Victoria. It has signed a deal with Solar Recovery Corp. (SRC) to explore the feasibility of establishing a PV panel recycling facility at the site.

German chemicals producer Evonik claims that its wetting and defoaming solutions improve the speed and quality of wafer cutting, despite the industry’s shift toward harder, more brittle materials.

A Norwegian research team assessed the snow deposits on photovoltaic panels and the consequent energy losses via the PVsyst software and utilized the so-called Marion’s algorithm (MA) for evaluating the sliding coefficient. It found the coatings may effectively reduce energy losses caused by snow and ice but said the commercial feasibility of these materials should be further investigated.

Germany has achieved a significant milestone, with more than 3 million PV systems now in operation, according to new data from German PV association BSW-Solar. It said the country’s rooftop PV market is experiencing robust demand and the 4 million mark could be surpassed as early as next year.

Sonnen has introduced a new software solution to seamlessly integrate heat pumps into private household energy supplies and enhance grid stability. The company’s initial partner is heat pump manufacturer NIBE, but additional partners are expected to join in the future.

Maxeon said it has achieved a 24.7% efficiency rating for a full-scale Maxeon 7 solar panel using its IBC technology. The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) confirmed the result.

Tokuyama said the new factory should meet increasing demand for polysilicon. OCI already operates a polysilicon manufacturing facility in Malaysia.

Dutch solar manufacturer Solarge has unveiled two versions of its lightweight mono-PERC solar panels for rooftop applications. The module have power outputs between 470 W and 520 W and efficiencies ranging from 17.4% to 19.2%.

The country has added 15 GW of new PV capacity since January 2022. In 2023 alone, it deployed 4.4 GW of new solar power, of which 3.15 GW comes from distributed generation and 1,24 GW from utility scale PV.

Mitsubishi Electric has launched a demonstration experiment to assess the efficiency of heat pumps in demand-response control on the Aran Islands in Ireland and San Pietro Island in Italy. As part of the European Union’s REACT project, solar, wind, and storage solutions will also be implemented to enhance the energy self-sufficiency of isolated islands.