Cologne PV workshop: A life in the day of a solar module
Around 150 experts headed to Cologne for the 13th TÜV-Module workshop. The focus of the event was on topics related to increasing the lifetime of solar modules and the avoidance and identification of failures in PV systems.
Professor Eicke Weber to retire from Fraunhofer ISE
After ten years heading one of the world’s leading solar energy research institutes, Eicke Weber has announced his retirement from Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE as of the end of the year. It is not known who his replacement will be.
British researchers claim tin-based PV perovskites offer cleaner, cheaper lead alternative
Group at Warwick University replaced lead with tin in perovskite-based solar cells and found similar rates of performance but at cheaper cost and with lower toxicity.
The pv magazine weekly news digest
With the fallout from the U.S. election still hot on everybody’s lips, news and speculation as to what The Donald might be planning with the solar industry was rife, but while the world’s eyes were fixed on the bizarre events taking place in Washington, the solar ‘deal of the year’ was finally approved between Tesla and SolarCity.
Oxford PV to open perovskite fab in Germany
British solar technology pioneer acquires former thin-film production site of Bosch Solar in Brandenburg an der Havel, and will equip fab with pilot-scale capacity for perovskite wafers.
Fraunhofer ISE achieves 30.2% efficiency for silicon multi-junction solar cell
Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE has collaborated with Austrian company EV Group to achieve the record-breaking efficiency for silicon-based multi-junction solar cells.
Interview: Coveme CEO talks backsheets and Indian market opportunities
Gian Paolo Fedrigo, CEO of Italian backsheet specialist Coveme, discusses the company’s R&D strategy, product innovation, and plans for the growing Indian market.
Meyer Burger announces recapitalization program, EUR67 million HJT order
Swiss PV technology provider Meyer Burger has announced a recapitalization program that will see the company issue CHF160 million in new shares to ensure the repayment of a CHF130 million bond due in 2017, adjust the conditions of a second CHF100 million bond, proposing a 2018 put option be removed, and increase a borrowing provision on its headquarters from CHF30 million to CHF60 million.
Perovskite solar cell reaches 20.3% efficiency
Scientists from Stanford University and Oxford University have been working on solar cells made with perovskite crystal stacked in tandem, and in a recent breakthrough have achieved an energy efficiency of 20.3% using the cells, which are significantly cheaper to produce than silicon cells.
Which Chinese solar manufacturers will survive module price crunch?
The stunning fall in solar module prices being witnessed in most global markets might be good news for project developers and end-market consumers, but it is going to pose major challenges to many of the big module manufacturers.
