PV modules

Accelerated testing by French certification body Certisolis finds wide performance divergence and design vulnerabilities in tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar modules that current international standards do not capture.

An Oxford researcher has found that transparent conducting electrodes can reduce perovskite–silicon tandem solar cell efficiency by over 2%, with losses linked to electrical resistance, optical effects, and geometric trade-offs. Using a unified optical–electrical model, the scientist showed how careful optimization of TCE stacks, coatings, and cell design is critical to closing the gap toward the 37%–38% efficiency frontier.

France-based startup Carbon plans to partner with Chinese manufacturer Longi and adopt back-contact (BC) solar technology as it revises its roadmap for a gigawatt-scale solar module factory.

France’s certification body says it has withdrawn eligibility for a lower solar VAT rate from four Chinese-made modules after finding traceability errors that altered their carbon footprint calculations.

UNSW and Jolywood studied the thermal stability of laser-assisted fired TOPCon solar cells during module fabrication and high-temperature stress, identifying hydrogen-related defect dynamics as the key factor behind degradation and recovery. They found lamination causes temporary efficiency losses that self-recover under light exposure, while optimized LAF can restore degraded contacts, providing practical guidance for reliable module manufacturing and testing.

China Power Construction Corp. (PowerChina) has launched a 31 GW solar module tender for 2026 projects, split across n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon), heterojunction (HJT) and back-contact (BC) technologies as part of a wider 97 GW renewables and grid equipment program.

The italian government says it is fast-tracking utility-scale solar, approving about 710 MW of mainly agrivoltaic projects in Puglia while moving to curb regional limits on where PV plants can be built, sharpening tensions over land use and energy policy.

Gokin has launched back-contact solar modules ranging from 480 W to 780 W for residential, C&I and utility-scale projects. The series supports 1,500 V systems and reaches efficiencies of up to 24.8%.

The Chinese energy and oil company said the cell can be used as a top device in perovksite-silicon tandem configurations. The result was confirmed by the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT).

The French government says PV swept its latest technology-neutral auction, with 36 projects totaling 507.7 MW awarded in the fourth round as prices fell and agrivoltaics gained ground.