Belgian startup offers custom CIGS solar foils
Enfoil is developing a CIGS thin film custom manufacturing business, targeting building-integrated PV applications, such as powering sensors or track & trace sub-systems in trucks. The company is a spinoff of Hasselt University and imec, the Belgian research institute.
Using shunts to spot PV module degradation
Scientists in Ireland investigated the effect of shunt resistance on a PV cell’s electrical performance. The group says its finding could potentially lead to the development of models for early detection of various forms of cell degradation, allowing for intervention to repair or replace components before major power losses occur.
Meyer Burger builds 2 GW solar cell factory in US
Meyer Burger plans to start a 2 GW cell factory in Colorado in the fourth quarter of this year.
Single-junction III-V solar cell based on spalled GaAs substrate achieves 26.9% efficiency
NREL researchers used acoustically spalled gallium arsenide substrate that reportedly reduces electrical shunting, resulting in potentially lower manufacturing costs. The cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of 1.061 V, a short-circuit current density of 29.9 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 84.9%.
Revkor, H2 Gemini unveil plan to build 20 GW HJT perovskite cell, module factory in U.S.
The two companies are targeting to reach an annual production capacity of 20 GW by the end of 2025. Manufacturing activities are scheduled to begin in the second quarter of next year.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: January-June solar installations hit 78.42 GW
China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) says the nation installed 78.42 GW of solar in the first six months of this year, bringing it to nearly 470 GW of cumulative installed PV capacity by the end of June.
Imec presents inverted perovskite solar cell with 24.3% efficiency
The researchers of the Belgian research institute used a dual-layer treatment for the perovskite absorber, which they said improved the cell efficiency and stability. The device achieved an open-circuit voltage of 1.17 V, short-circuit density of 24.5 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 84.6%.
Australian team claims 99% recovery rate with solar recycling process
Engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have developed a new, more effective method to recycle end-of-life solar panels. The technique allows them to quickly and efficiently separate 99% of PV cell component materials.
Novel approach to build bismuth trisulfide thin-film solar cells
Researchers in Estonia applied for the first time the close-spaced sublimation (CSS) deposition technique to manufacture solar cells based on bismuth trisulfide (Sb2S3). The resulting devices showed limited power conversion efficiency so far, but the scientists claim the new process paves the way for the development of future earth-abundant inorganic PV materials.
Fraunhofer ISE unveils 15.8%-efficient organic solar cell
Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE has achieved a world record efficiency for organic cells at the lab level. It now aims to bring the PV technology to market maturity.
