Solar corporate funding up 54% YoY in H1
Mercom Capital Group’s latest report shows that almost 25.5 GW of solar projects were acquired in the first half of this year, totaling $18.5 billion.
High voltage mini solar panel converts laser light into electricity
US scientists developed a monocrystalline solar panel relying on “minicells” based on polysilicon on silicon oxide passivating contacts. The module works with laser light and can reportedly achieve a photoconversion efficiency of over 40% and an open-circuit voltage of 7 V.
NREL develops perovskite solar cells with 93% bifaciality
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has made highly bifacial perovskite cells with a front-side efficiency of 23%.
Brazil announces 2 GW solar plan for social housing program
Brazil has announced a new 2 GW solar strategy. It plans to build 2 million new social housing units by 2026 and will deploy two PV modules in each home, providing 1 kW of power per dwelling.
MCPV to build 3 GW solar cell, module factory in Netherlands
MCPV has revealed plans to build a 3 GW solar cell and module factory in the Netherlands, with an initial capacity of 300 MW and an expected increase to 3 GW by 2026. The factory will produce solar panels using an unspecified heterojunction cell technology, with an efficiency of up to 26.5%.
Fire hits industrial building, PV system in Switzerland
A fire hit an industrial building and its PV system in Switzerland earlier this month, but the cause of the blaze remains unclear.
France recycled 3,800 tons of solar modules in 2022
French eco-organization Soren, which collects and recycles end-of-life solar panels, has published its 2022 annual report. Last year, more than 10 million solar panels were put on the market in France, up 25% from 2021.
Hybridizing PV, sand storage, solar thermal energy for steam generation
A Finnish-Swedish consortium has designed a hybrid system that uses photovoltaics and solar thermal energy separately to provide steam to industrial facilities. The PV unit is coupled to a sand-based thermal storage system and reportedly contributes to lower the levelized cost of energy of the entire system.
2D/3D perovksite solar cell with record-breaking efficiency of 25.32%
A Chinese-Swiss research group has fabricated a 2D-3D perovskite solar cell with a world-record power conversion efficiency. The cell uses a 2D perovskite layer at the interface between the perovskite and the hole transport layer, which the researchers said can improve charge-carrier transport/extraction while suppressing ion migration.
European solar manufacturers secure EU financial support
Norsun and Midsummer have both secured financing to support their capacity expansion plans. Norway’s Norsun plans to raise its polysilicon capacity to 3 GW and Midsummer wants to build a 200 MW module facility in Sweden.
