A survival guide for solar SMEs
As solar manufacturing moves toward technological convergence, and rampant production capacity expansion continues, standing out from the crowd is just one of the strategies small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will have to use to survive, according to InfoLink’s Amy Fang.
Novel thin-film anti-soiling coating increases solar module yield by over 3%
A group of scientists in the United States saw ‘encouraging’ results after testing the commercialization of novel coating materials in field tests, with the coating only increasing a panel’s total cost by 1.4%.
Perovskite quantum dot solar cells on the path to achieve 30% efficiency
Researchers in Iran have identified new ways to design perovskite quantum dot solar cells via a series of simulations. They investigated, in particular, how the perovskite absorbers can be gauged in order to enhance their electro-optical properties.
European warehouses now storing more than 80 GW of unsold solar panels
New figures provided to pv magazine by Rystad Energy reveal that the amount of unsold panels in European warehouses may have more then doubled between mid-July and the end of August, and that it may reach 100 GW by the end of the year. Analyst Marius Mordal Bakke explained that PERC modules bought and stored by a European distributor for $0.23/W in March are now facing an average spot price of $0.16/W today, which could very likely be $0.15/W next month.
Mauritius seeks consultants for 30 MW floating solar plant
The Mauritian government’s Central Electricity Board (CEB) is inviting consultancy firms to pitch their bids on conducting a feasibility study into developing a 30 MW floating solar PV farm at Tamarind Falls Reservoir in the archipelago’s southwest.
Researchers build 20-μm-thin monocrystalline solar cell with 21.1% efficiency
The scientists built the device by depositing multiple metal nanofilms on both sides using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of 684 mV, a short-circuit current density of 38.2 mA/cm2 and a fill factor of 80.8%.
European research group creates injection molding plastic solar cells
A French-Spanish research team developed organic photovoltaic modules embedded into plastic parts through high throughput injection molding. The researchers injected thermoplastic polyurethane in the modules and found it enhances their mechanical stability while keeping a high flexibility.
Swedish startup to use green hydrogen plasma in pilot reactor for solar grade silicon
Encouraged by lab results and a feasibility study, Swedish startup, Green14, in collaboration with Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) plans to build a pilot-scale reactor to make solar grade silicon with a hydrogen plasma process. The company sees the pilot as a step towards using a more sustainable method to produce solar grade silicon for the PV industry at its own gigawatt-scale plant.
SolarPower Europe to support European PV without trade barriers
SolarPower Europe’s board members have issued a joint statement calling for three measures to safeguard the European solar industry, as they claim that tariffs and trade barriers are not viable solutions.
Novel perovskite/CIGS tandem PV cell design promises 38.39% efficiency
A research team in Bangladesh has simulated a perovskite-CIGS PV device that can reportedly achieve a remarkable tandem cell voltage of 2.48 V. The proposed method is also applicable for tandem cells composed of other materials.
