Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

The Saudi research institute said its new four-terminal tandem device has achieved the highest efficiency ever reported for perovskite-based 4-T and triple-junction tandem solar cells to date. The key feature of the cell is the hole transport layer of the top perovskite cell, which was engineered with self-assembled monolayers.

Belgian energy company Perpetum Energy has built a 40 MW solar carport at Pairi Daiza, a privately owned zoo and botanical garden in Hainaut, Belgium. It said the total investment reached €40 million ($43 million) investment.

Bluenergy is developing a 1.1 MW PV system on Udinese Calcio’s football stadium in Italy. The company said the project might include a 300 kW battery.

Ifrisol, a Tunisian PV module maker, is targeting the US market by producing solar panels with cells sourced from unspecified “non-Chinese” Asian manufacturers.

A German research team has developed a new technique to recover and reuse methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) from perovskite solar cells via solvent extraction. Such recycling method can reportedly save up to 61% costs in the lab and industrial manufacturing.

Using a surrogate model for finite element analysis, the scientists have designed an aluminum frame for bifacial modules that reportedly minimizes deflection and production costs, without adding too much weight. Deflection can lead to cracking or delamination of ribbons inside the module, resulting in an increase number of damaged cells.

China’s cumulative installed PV capacity reached 690 GW at the end of May, according to recent numbers released by the country’s National Energy Administration (NEA).

As part of our Intersolar 2024 interview series, pv magazine spoke with Dennis She, Senior VP of Global Sales and Marketing at Longi Solar, about the company’s transition to the back contact (BC) technology, the expected shipment volumes for 2024, and the strategy to address overcapacity and pricing issues. He also spoke about Longi’s plans in the hydrogen sector and said the company does not intend to enter the energy storage business.

Agri-Light has launched its first pilot agrivoltaic project, using a two-axis solar installation on a rail system to move solar panels horizontally above a vineyard in the Negev Desert. The results are due this summer, and the company plans to build commercial projects in Israel and Spain next year.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that summer weather and a heat dome have brought increased irradiance to both US coasts. As a result, much of the continental United States saw irradiance moderately above average, 5-10% above historical June averages, with the increase most notable along the East Coast.