Midsummer ships CIGS production line to Russia
The production equipment was bought by Russian nanotechnology specialist Rusnano. The line will be used to produce BIPV modules at a factory in the Republic of Mordovia.
Nice Solar Energy files for insolvency under self-administration
The CIGS thin-film specialist employs 160 people in Germany. Business operations will continue with no disruption for the time being.
Brazil’s PV module demand reached almost 5 GW in 2020
According to a recent report from Brazilian consultancy Greener, the country imported 4.76 GW last year. Domestic PV module makers had a 3.8% market share with around 190 MW in shipped modules. The analyst also revealed that prices for distributed generation PV systems rose by 20% in 2020.
India eyes 10 GW of ingot-to-module manufacturing capacity within two years
Under a production-linked incentive scheme, the government will reward manufacturers for building vertically integrated PV production lines. The scheme aims to attract 10 GW of production capacity by April 2023.
Mobile laboratory for PV module testing
MBJ Solutions and TÜV Rheinland have jointly developed PV TravelLab, which is purportedly the world’s first portable laboratory for PV module tests. It can be used to assess solar panels at any location in the world.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Increasing wafer prices and new glass and polysilicon orders
Zhonghuan and Longi raised the prices of their wafers before the Chinese New Year holiday. Longi also secured more polysilicon and glass through two different orders, with OCI Group and Flat Glass, respectively.
Mini organic solar module for indoor low-power applications
Under typical indoor illumination of around 500 lux, from light sources such as LED or fluorescent light, the device’s power conversion efficiency is just below 15%. The largest device has an open-circuit voltage of 3.8 V, a short-circuit current of 146 μA, and an output power of 418 μW. The product can also be used in conjunction with capacitors to replace batteries or to prolong their lifetime in low-power applications.
New model to predict PV module cleaning cycles and resulting profits
A group of scientists in Bangladesh has developed a model to determine the optimal cleaning schedule for a PV installation at any location in the globe, requiring only the average insolation and soiling rate for a given site to make the calculation. The study also draws new conclusions regarding the influence of sandstorms and rain on soiling, and aims to be among the first studies to paint a global picture of soiling trends by region.
Enercoop signs more solar PPAs in France
French renewables specialist Enercoop has secured an annual solar power supply of 25 GWh over a 30-year period through three new deals.
Assessing the impact of large-wafer modules
Energy consultancy DNV GL has published new results comparing the performance of modules based on 166mm, 182mm and 210mm silicon cells. The assessment compares Trina Solar’s Vertex modules, which use the largest cell dimension, with unnamed competitors utilizing the other two sizes. Results from system simulations show a clear advantage for the two larger sizes, with 210mm edging ahead in terms of levelized cost of electricity.
