Solar cell prices plunge to all-time low
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.
New attempt to build solar cells based on gallium-arsenide-nitrogen-bismuth
A Finnish-German research group has developed a 6 × 6 mm low bandgap GaAsNBi solar cell with an active area of 0.25 cm2. The device has an energy bandgap of 0.86 eV and is reportedly suitable for applications in multi-junction solar cells.
Mozambique switches on 19 MW/7 MWh solar-plus-storage plant
Globeleq says that commercial operations have started for what is said to be Mozambique’s first combined utility-scale solar and energy storage plant, in the district of Cuamba.
PV equipment sales are up with high share of exports, says VDMA
German engineering association the VDMA reports strong PV equipment exports in the second quarter, representing 92.5% of sales. Overall, PV equipment sales were up by 50% compared to the first quarter of the year and up slightly compared to the same period last year, but incoming orders for PV equipment were down by 14%.
New US solar manufacturers likely to choose TOPCon
At the recent pv magazine RoundtablesUS 2023 event, four experts weighed in on PV module choices now and into the future, with TOPCon in the spotlight, but perovskite and tandem HJT on the not-too-distant horizon.
Drone imaging tech enhances solar performance
Drone-mounted imaging of solar farm performance at the rate of one panel per second reduces the cost of current ground-based sampling methods by up to 20 times. A new strategic Australia-Singapore partnership is helping to ensure the output of PV assets is always at peak.
First Solar delivers on earnings, margins, falls short on revenue
US-based thin-film PV manufacturer First Solar says it has raised its expectations for 2023 as its order backlog continues to grow.
Masked engineer highlights strangest mistakes in solar deployment
A Brazilian engineer on Instagram, always wearing a mask, has become a sensation in the Brazilian solar industry, attracting 12 sponsors with a mission to educate companies and consumers about common errors to avoid in rooftop PV installations.
New survey shows ‘massive’ increase in PV module microcracks
A new study from Clean Energy Associates (CEA) shows that 83% of sites tested as part of a global survey had line cracks, 78% had a soldering anomaly and 76% had complex cracks. The survey involved visual inspections combined with electroluminescence testing across 148 sites in 16 countries.
Scottish lobby group praises plan to install 4-6 GW of solar by 2030
Scottish Renewables, a major renewable energy lobby group, says it welcomes the Scottish government’s commitment to increase the nation’s total installed PV capacity by 4 GW to 6 GW by 2030.
