solar cell

European solar panel makers have combined efforts with research centers to developed improved procedures for CIGS manufacturing. The venture codenamed SUCCESS aims at production line efficiency exceeding 20 percent for modules sized 30 cm x 30 cm

Heraeus Photovoltaics, leading solar provider headquartered in Germany, has launched a huge Shanghai-based Photovoltaics Innovation Centre.

The newly created photovoltaic cell is based on p-type transparent conductive film manufactured of carbon nanotubes. The innovation is announced to provide efficiency 16 per cent over the existing amorphous cells

‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member, Risen Energy Co has continued to grow revenue in 2019, after shifting module sales and PV project development overseas after the China 531 New Deal in 2018, impacted its business.

PV wet processing specialist, RENA Technologies has received equipment orders from three leading PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) solar cell manufacturers in Asia, totalling 10GW in the last three months.

Leading PV manufacturing equipment supplier Meyer Burger Technology has received a further CHF 18 million (US$18.2 million) from partner, Oxford PV for the purchase of key equipment for a 125MW integrated production line to fabricate high-efficiency perovskite HJT tandem solar cells.

LONGi Green Energy Technology Co, the largest monocrystalline wafer producer, has approved future PV module and solar cell manufacturing plans of 10GW and 5GW, respectively.

REC Group has officially started volume production of heterojunction solar cells and modules at its manufacturing complex in Singapore that will provide 600MW of annual capacity, when fully ramped.

‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member, JA Solar has licensed a number of patents from Shin-Etsu Chemical on doping Ga in silicon crystals and using the Ga-doped p-type crystalline silicon wafers for making solar cells to mitigate the impact of Light Induced Degradation (LID).

Major PV materials supplier, Heraeus Photovoltaics has collaborated with German company, Cell Engineering to develop metallisation pastes for its ‘LECO’ (Laser Enhanced Contact Optimization) technology that can increase multiple solar cell architectures conversion efficiencies by up to 0.15%.

Fraunhofer ISE has worked with German technology companies to improve the metallization process in silicon solar cells. The result could drive down module costs quite a bit.

Specialist automation and PV module assembly solutions provider, Mondragon Assembly has struck a deal with Korean equipment supplier, STiN for its ‘continuous stringing’ intellectual property (IP).

The latest figures show the solar policy vacuum, and related dearth of demand in China earlier this year accelerated price reductions for cell makers. Although prices are expected to rebound in line with renewed thirst for solar in China, cell makers such as Tongwei are feeling the pain.

The solar industry must work together to agree on standardised larger wafer sizes, according to monocrystalline solar manufacturer LONGi Group.

Perovskite solar cell developer, Oxford PV is to become a merchant heterojunction with perovskite top cell manufacturer with orders placed with Meyer Burger that will provide an initial 250MW of cell capacity that will enter production by the end of 2020.