Technology

Asier Ukar, the director of PI Berlin Spain, discusses the importance of addressing the risks associated with tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) tech early on, even though it outperforms (passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) when considering standard and tangible indicators.

Scientists from the Vellore Institute of Technology in India carried out a comprehensive study into the impacts of soiling on PV modules – measuring the amount of performance loss caused by different types of dust and bird droppings, and for modules installed at various tilt angles, in the hot-dry climate of Vellore in southern India. Their findings could allow developers to better take into account and mitigate the effects of soiling during site selection and system design.

SolarEdge has released new optimizers for residential PV applications with a DC power rating of 500 W, a maximum efficiency of 99.5%, and a weighted efficiency of 98.6%. The optimizer for commercial and industrial applications offers 1.4 kW of rated DC power.

German coal miner LEAG is planning a massive clean energy hub, comprising up to 14 GW of wind and solar energy generation paired with 2 GWh to 3 GWh of battery energy storage and 2 GW of green hydrogen production. Combined, these technologies are expected to create a net-zero baseload energy system.

Canadian Solar is offering six versions of its 132-cell TOPBiHiKu7 solar modules, with power outputs ranging from 675 W to 700 W and efficiencies ranging from 21.7% to 22.5%. They have an efficiency range of 26.1% to 27.0%, with a bifacial gain of 20%.

The researchers deposited reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires over seaweed cellulose to make the anode material for the supercapacitor. The device exhibited a greater energy density of 5.21 Wh/kg, a series resistance of 2.16 ohms, and no air degradation even after 5,000 cycles.  

Maxeon Solar Technologies has filed a lawsuit against Tongwei Solar in Germany’s Dusseldorf district court for the alleged infringement of its European patent for shingled solar cell technology.

The European Solar Test Installation (ESTI) has confirmed the results of Longi’s new perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell. It is currently the second-highest efficiency record in the world for a perovskite/silicon tandem cell.

Jordanian researchers have developed a method using acrylic sheets to reflect and absorb unused solar radiation in PV power generation. The solution has the potential to decrease solar panel temperature by more than 14% and increase power yields by approximately 2%.

First Solar has announced a limited production run of the “world’s first” bifacial solar panel with a cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor. The pre-commercial Series 6 Plus Bifacial module is making its debut this week at Intersolar Europe in Munich, Germany.