US authorities warn of hidden radios in PV-powered highway infrastructure
The US Federal Highway Administration (FHA) has warned that cellular radios have been found in unspecified foreign-made inverters and batteries used in PV highway infrastructure, according to Reuters. pv magazine speaks with cybersecurity expert Uri Sadot about the risks.
European consortium achieves 21.6% efficiency in flexible perovskite solar cell
Half way through its three-year research program, the Pearl consortium of European research institutes has surpassed 21% efficiency on its flexible perovskite solar cells featuring bendable substrates and has demonstrated scalable roll-to-roll processes.
PV industry could account for 40% of global silver demand by 2030
New research from Europe shows that the global PV industry may require up to 14,000 tonnes of silver per year in 2030, with global supply being only 34,000 tonnes. The scientists said more efforts should be made to reduce silver content in TOPCon and heterojunction solar cells.
Solar, wave-powered uncrewed vehicle for marine monitoring
UK-based Autonaut offers wave-propelled and solar PV-powered drones capable of data collection at sea for several months at a time.
Analysis of 6,276 connectors for rooftop PV systems
Sandia National Labs researchers have created a new dataset on the rates and types of rooftop PV connector failures. Their analysis has shown that tight wire bending radius, extra dirty connectors, and loose nuts are the most common failure causes in 6,276 connectors deployed between 2014 and 2017 across seven U.S. regions.
Investigating solar glass quality for recycling in new glass products
A team of Japanese scientists explored how typical PV panel component materials affect the ability to re-use end-of-life PV cover glass. Specifically, they measured contamination by materials, such as aluminum, silicon, carbon, and copper, and their effects in melted PV panel glass cullet.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Top solar module makers report H1 losses
Longi, JinkoSolar, JA Solar and Trina Solar have reported net losses for the first half of 2025, as revenue fell despite strong shipments of high-efficiency modules and storage systems.
KAUST, Franuhofer ISE announce 33.1%-efficient fully texturized perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell
The fully textured tandem cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of 2.01 V and an “extended” outdoor stability in the Red Sea coast, according to the researchers.
All back-contact perovskite solar cell designs at a glance
Scientists from Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United States have investigated existing back-contact perovskite solar cell architectures and have proposed a strategy to help reach commercial production.
New hail test aims to more accurately measure solar panel resilience
A new test curve for determining solar panels’ breaking point from hail uses a broader spectrum of impact energies and testing products.
