US solar up 52% in 2023 as nation deploys 35.3 GW of capacity
BloombergNEF says US clean energy generation grew by 0.9% in 2023. Wind and hydro generation fell, while solar generation grew by 15.4%.
Cadmium telluride solar cell based on indium gallium oxide emitter achieves 17.2%
Developed by the University of Toledo, the cell achived the highest efficiency ever reported for flexible cadmium telluride solar cells to date. The device reached an open-circuit voltage of 861 mV, a short-circuit density of 27.8 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 71.7%.
France hits 20 GW milestone
France added around 3.2 GW of new PV capacity in 2023, with about 955 MW in the fourth quarter alone. The nation hit 20.0 GW of total installed PV capacity at the end of December 2023.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Canadian Solar, Aiko Solar to build new factories
Canadian Solar says its new 14 GW vertically integrated cell and module factory will require an investment of CNY 9.63 billion ($1.33 billion), while Aiko Solar says it will invest CNY 9.97 billion in a 10 GW facility.
CleanMax to develop 45.9 MW of solar, wind under PPA in India
Clean Max Enviro Energy Solutions (CleanMax) says it will build a 45.9 MW solar-wind project under a power purchase agreement (PPA) in Karnataka, India. It will consist of 36 MW of solar and 9.9 MW of wind capacity.
New design for photovoltaic-thermal panels mitigates risk of cracking
Researchers in Sweden have developed a new PVT module using an aluminum alloy structure between the thermal absorber and the photovoltac cells. This architecture reportedly reduces thermal expansion by 20%, thus increasing the chances of mitigating cracks in the PV unit.
Indonesian government abolishes net metering
The Indonesian government has ended net metering for rooftop solar installations. The Jakarta-based Institute for Essential Services Reform says this could make it harder for the country to meet its solar deployment targets, as PV installations will become more expensive for households and small businesses.
Fraunhofer ISE develops vacuum deposition process for perovksite-silicon tandem solar cells
The German research institute is investigating the use of commercially available vacuum-based evaporation equipment to manufacture perovskite thin films and contacts layers in the fabrication of perovskite-silicon tandem cells.
Trina Solar unit releases new version of Vanguard 1P solar tracker
TrinaTracker, a division of China’s Trina Solar, says its new Vanguard 1P tracker system has a maximum length of 140 meters and can be equipped with N-type modules.
Korean scientists build semi-transparent perovskite solar cell with record-breaking efficiency of 22.02%
Developed by researchers at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), the novel cell was conceived for applications in bifacial perovskite-silicon tandem PV devices. The academics claim they were able to overcome an intrinsic dopant-induced internal degradation mechanism which leads to undesired lithium-ion diffusion that would have been detrimental to the cell efficiency.
