Chinese PV Industry Brief: Tongwei and Longi hold wafer and cell prices
Plus, panel maker Risen began construction of a 15 GW cell and module factory in Yiwu, in the central Zhejiang province of eastern China.
CdTe facade solar panel with 18.2% efficiency
New cadmium telluride solar panels are now available for applications on tall buildings in urban environments. Their efficiency ranges from 15.3% to 18.2%, with 110 W to 450 W of power output.
Jinko posts $47m, second-quarter profit
The Chinese solar manufacturer shipped 4.46 GW of modules for turnover of $1.2 billion from April to June and expects to move 20 GW of panels this year.
Air-bridge thermophotovoltaic cell with 30% efficiency, 99% reflectance
U.S. scientists have developed a thermophovoltaic cell that could be paired with inexpensive thermal storage to provide power on demand. The indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) TPV cell absorbs most of the in-band radiation to generate electricity, while serving as a nearly perfect mirror.
Half-cut, bifacial, 20.5%-efficient PERC modules from Vietnam
Chinese solar manufacturer Dehui is planning mass production of 12-busbar bifacial panels based on 182mm wafers from next year.
Perovskite solar cell based on metal-organic framework with 22.02% efficiency
Scientists in Hong Kong have developed a cell they say retains more than 90% of its initial efficiency under accelerated testing conditions. The device is based on two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks.
Probabilistic model indicates PV module warranty reliability
U.S.-Spanish researchers have proposed a new way to assess the reliability of PV modules and their warranties. It is impossible to fulfill a 25-year warranty if the threshold of returned modules exceeds 5% and the annual degradation rate is over 0.73%.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: 1 GW of distributed solar came online in August
More than 1 GW of subsidized small solar arrays were installed in China last month alone and manufacturer Suntech has announced the start of operations at its 500 MW Indonesian cell and module fab.
New molecular precursor for kesterite solar cells
Scientists in India have developed a new molecular precursor for applications in kesterite solar cells. They used the precursor to build a superstrate type solar cell with an efficiency that is purportedly among the highest ever recorded. They relied on a low-temperature process to manufacture the device.
New world record for large-area organic PV module efficiency
Scientists in Germany have achieved 12.6% efficiency with a 26 sq cm organic panel and 11.7% for a 204 sq cm device. The feats were achieved with a new module layout and a slower, high-resolution, short-pulse laser structuring process.
