Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells provide extra protection against reverse-bias degradation
An international research team demonstrated that monolithic perovskite-silicon tandem cells do not suffer the same degree of reverse bias degradation that is typically seen in perovskite single junction solar cells under partial shading. They explained that the tandem devices are “protected” by the silicon subcell.
US EIA says solar power will surpass hydropower by 14% in 2024
Solar capacity has rapidly grown in the United States, while manufacturing costs have fallen, prompting the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) to predict that PV will generate 14% more electricity than hydroelectric facilities in 2024.
Toyo Solar inaugurates 4 GW TOPCon solar cell factory in Vietnam
Toyo Solar, a subsidiary of Vsun Solar, commissioned a 4 GW TOPCon cell factory, completing the first phase of an 8 GW manufacturing facility in Vietnam.
Serbia’s Domi Eko commissions 150 MW TOPCon solar module factory
The factory is located in Velika Plana, central Serbia. The production equipment was provided by Italian manufacturer Ecoprogetti.
Pexapark says European developers secured 1.6 GW solar PPAs in October
Power purchase agreement (PPA) prices decreased by 1.9% on average in Europe in October, according to Pexapark. It says that 36 deals with a combined capacity of 1.6 GW were closed for the month.
France adds 2.2 GW of solar in first 9 months of 2023
France installed 2.2 GW of solar in the first nine months of 2023, bringing the nation’s cumulative installed PV capacity to 19 GW by the end of September.
EU Commission approves €5.7 billion Italian scheme for energy communities
The European Commission said last week it has greenlighted a €5.7 billion ($6.24 billion) scheme for Italy to develop renewable energy communities up to 1 MW in size.
Dutch startup unveils 600 W two-module residential rooftop PV system
Netherlands-based developer of lightweight PV systems, Rable Group, claims its new rooftop PV solution can be installed in 20 minutes without the need for special permitting or modifications to the fuse box.
Kenya seeking consultants for 40 MW floating solar tender
State-owned Kenyan Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) is accepting feasibility study applications for the development of a 40 MW floating PV array, backed by German funding.
First attempt to build back-contact micrometric III-V photovoltaic cells
An international research group has utilized through-substrate-vias to create 3D interconnections in III-V solar cells with a triple-junction architecture. The novel cell design was found to have a low shading factor of below 3% and a 6-fold increase in wafer area use compared to cells based on 2D interconnects.
