Extreme weather causing US solar insurance premiums to explode
Catastrophic weather events in Texas and California have led to steep increases in insurance premium costs, according to a new analysis by Norton Rose Fulbright.
Solar module passive cooling with lapping fins
Malaysian researchers have proposed a new passive technology for solar module cooling based on fin heat sinks. The tech ensures lower PV system payback times and reduces operating module temperatures by up to 26 C.
Focus on stability as tandem cells approach 30% efficiency
The Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin set a world record for perovskite-silicon tandem cell efficiency last year at 29.15%. The group has delved further into the cell materials, looking to better understand mechanisms behind the impressive efficiencies achieved so far. Their latest work shows that with the current cell design, long term stability at efficiencies up to 32.4% should be possible.
Kazakhstan’s solar auctions conclude with lowest price of $0.035/kWh
The Kazakh authorities allocated 55 MW of PV capacity in two different procurement exercises. Two projects, totaling 40 MW, were secured by Russian module manufacturer Hevel Solar.
First Solar’s PV module tech completes 25 years of testing at NREL
“Determining how many years a solar panel will last can take, well, years.”
Spain to hold 3 GW renewables auction on January 26
Through the procurement exercise, the Spanish government wants to allocate 1 GW of PV, 1 GW of wind and another gigawatt of renewable energy capacity with storage.
Maxeon brings its AC module with power of up to 415 W to Europe
Authorized Sunpower distributors and installers in Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and the Netherlands are now offering the Maxeon 5 AC module for rooftop projects. An Enphase microinverter is already integrated into the product.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Another 50 GW solar module factory in sight
Meanwhile, the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) has confirmed that newly installed PV capacity for this year should be around 40 GW.
Global research team sets up database for emerging PV tech
An international research team has set up a new database with crucial data on emerging technologies for perovskite, organic, and dye-sensitized solar cells. The platform also includes information on the best flexible solar cells.
Semi-transparent dye-sensitized solar module with 8.7% efficiency
The mini-panel showed a short circuit current of 58.1 mA, an open circuit voltage of 3.63 V, and a fill factor of 58.26%. It has a power output is 122.9 mW and an active area of 14 cm2.
