SolarStratos reaches 8,224 m height
Swiss pilot Raphaël Domjan flew the SolarStratos solar-powered aircraft to 8,224 meters on Aug. 10, setting a personal record but falling short of the 9,235-meter world mark held by Solar Impulse.
Seasonally optimized PV panel tilt can boost yield by up to 9% in India
A new study investigates the seasonal optimization of PV module tilt angles to optimize the energy efficiency of solar PV plants in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The results reveal that dynamic tilt adjustments can significantly boost annual solar yield across diverse climatic zones.
Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell relying on silica nanospheres achieves 33.15% efficiency
Researchers in China have improved interface engineering in perovskite-silicon solar cells by using industrially textured silicon. The result is a highly efficienct tandem device that also showed remarkable stability.
Expansion of PV for self-consumption reduces grid load
Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Engineering and Image Evaluation – Applied System Technology (IOSB-AST) says Germany’s grid load is falling as more PV output is consumed on-site, but notes rising electrification in other sectors could reverse the trend.
Winaico enters back-contact segment with 480 W solar module
The Taiwanese manufacturer has announced its WST-480BDX54-B2 Ultra Black Glass-Glass for the European market. It features an efficiency of 23.5%.
Indoor perovskite solar cell built with triple passivation strategy achieves 37.6% efficiency
An international research team has constructed an indoor perovksite PV device by using a triple passivation treatment to reduce crystal defects in the perovskite film. The cell achieved remarkable efficiency and was also able to retain 92% of its initial performance after 3,200 h.
New research shows cast mono wafers are still far from commercial maturity
A Chinese research team has investigated impurity and defect levels in solar cells based on mono cast wafers and have found that around 30% of the devices present an “excessive” reduction in power conversion efficiency. The scientists concluded that cast monocrystalline silicon will unlikely capture a meaningful market share in the near future.
JinkoSolar presents 475 W TOPCon dual-glass solar panel with 23.77% efficiency
The Chinese manufacturer said its new IEC 61215-certified rooftop PV module relies on a 30 mm aluminum frame and dual-glass construction that reportedly help it withstand extreme snow loads and wind pressure.
Abandoned US nuclear site to host 16,000 MT polysilicon plant
Highland Materials will build a 16,000 metric ton (MT) solar-grade polysilicon plant on a former US nuclear project site, under a long-term lease with Pivotal Manufacturing.
Carrier launches new heat pump for residential, light commercial use
Carrier, a US-based heating solutions provider, has introduced a new heat pump system featuring a cooling seasonal energy efficiency rating (SEER2) of up to 29.7 and a heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF2) of up to 12.2.
