Solar Manufacturing News

Vision glass glass solar technology developed by the European market leader Solarwatt has successfully passed tests for cyclone resistance in Darwin – the capital city of Australian Northern Territory.

Materials firm Arkema is lining up a bifacial-ready backsheet polymer solution for release this year, having identified the trend for bifacial panels to represent a significant opportunity for the group.

Italian manufacturer Sunerg has developed a solar module for BIPV applications which is said to offer a wide range of options to better match the architectural vision and the design of a building. The 275 kW monocrystalline PERC panel is available in mahogany brown, reddish brown, bottle green and black-grey.

A group of Hungarian scientists have compared thermal behaviour of various solar modules by means of thermography. Their research has shown that theoretical predictions are not as accurate as they were expected to be.

The US manufacturer is about to sell its solar-focused subsidiary to Netherlands’ special purpose entity. This has been preceded by one year of unsuccessful negotiations with prospective purchasers.

The Chinese listed company had to confess it was manufacturing glass photovoltaic roof tiles for Tesla. The confession was forced by major share price fluctuations.

According to medium-term forecasts, Brazil is likely to become a competitive PV panel manufacturer globally and a major player among Latin American countries.

Former Governor of New York George Pataki has welcomed the possible siting and construction of a vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) factory in the state.

Lower prices for polycrystalline silicon have turned interest from poly-Si consumption minimization. However, the latest study shows that, with account to modern technologies, slimming wafers can be crucial for cost reduction and is worth attention again.

An author from American research university has developed a new model to define the best tilt angle for photovoltaic modules at definite locations. According to the developer, the innovation can considerably improve the existing solar installation methods.

A group of scientists from China has created an EVA film claimed to improve efficiency of solar devices by about 0.5 percent. This newly developed pure film converts ultraviolet radiation into visible light.

Major polysilicon producer Wacker Chemie has reported preliminary full-year 2019 financial results, highlighting higher than previously guided asset impairment charges on its polysilicon division as ASPs (Average Selling Price) remain at record lows leading to an EBITDA loss of €55 million.

The Central Electronics Limited (CEL), a public sector enterprise, has invited bids to supply 100,000 monocrystalline solar cells.

The scientific group from NTU (England) has proven that a wearable PV device can be integrated into clothes. The innovative fabric has been based on µc-Si cells embedded into fibrous textile by means of super-thin copper wire. The newly created material is claimed to keep its efficiency after 6,000 abrasions, 25 handwashing and 15 machine washing cycles.

‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member, Trina Solar has started producing PV modules using the largest wafer size (210mm x 210mm) technically possible today with multiple other features to provide 500W-plus modules.