Chinese PV Industry Brief: Haitai, TCL Zhonghuan advance PV factory plans
TCL Zhonghuan has raised funds to build a polysilicon and cell factory, while Haitai Solar has changed the location of its 10 GW TOPCon factory from Yancheng, Jiangsu province, to Chuzhou, Anhui province.
India’s Swelect unveils 595 W mono PERC solar panels
Swelect, an Indian manufacturer, has launched a new line of mono PERC solar panels, with power outputs ranging from 575 W to 595 W and efficiency ratings of up to 21.17%.
Suniva plans 3.5 GW US solar cell factory
Six years after petitioning the US government for tariffs to make its products more competitive, US.-based Suniva has revealed plans to launch 1 GW of cell manufacturing capacity by spring 2024, followed by an additional 2.5 GW expansion.
4JET unveils laser system for P1, P2, P3 scribing of perovskte, CdTe, CIGS solar modules
German equipment supplier 4JET has launched a new thin film system designed for P1, P2 and P3 laser scribing of perovskite, cadmium telluride (CdTe), and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar technologies.
Solar panel waste is not a significant problem
Solar panel waste will not be a problem because there is so little of it. However, there is a short-term problem in some places because panel deployment is growing fast and recycling is playing catch up.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: BASF, Oriental Yuhong to develop rooftop PV membranes
BASF and China’s Oriental Yuhong have developed thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) roofing membranes for rooftop solar PV applications, while GCL New Energy has sold 558 MW of operational solar capacity.
Using agrivoltaics on 1% of EU farmland could lead to 944 GW installed capacity, JRC says
If 157,621 hectares of utilized agricultural area in the European Union incorporated agrivoltaics, it could produce up to 944 GW installed capacity, a new study published by the Joint Research Centre found. Despite the optimism, certain challenges – such as no clear definition and dedicated standards – stand in the way of the technology’s success.
New hail test to assess impact of large, high-velocity ice balls on solar panels
A research group in Switzerland has enhanced the hail test stand to measure the impact of ice balls with larger diameters and higher speed on solar panels. The new testing approach will reportedly enable solar panel makers to assess their products with adequate safety margins.
Solar sector corporate financing up 55% so far this year, Mercom says
Despite inflationary challenges and elevated interest rates, financing in the solar industry has remained robust with corporate financing sitting at $28.9 billion – a 55% hike from last year’s $18.7 billion, a new report by Mercom Capital Group states.
Solar wafer prices hit record lows
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.
