Add a pinch of salt for cheaper solar, say scientists
British scientists have discovered that magnesium chloride (salt found in seawater) is an effective replacement for cadmium chloride used during the production of solar panels, and is both a cheaper and less toxic alternative.
Wavelabs acquires Fraunhofer CSP as customer
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute has purchased Wavelabs’ SINUS-220 solar simulator to bolster its PV testing and optimization research.
Hanergy to make Aston Martin Racing cars cool
The Chinese company is exploring wider applications of its technologies and investigating how solar can be incorporated into new areas to improve efficiency and enhance performance as part of its ambitious growth strategy.
Southern Research Institute completes solar research center
The new facility, located in Birmingham, Alabama, is intended to provide key insights into the optimal design of solar PV systems.
PV CYCLE elects international-looking board
The European take-back and recycling association has appointed Luis Torres from SunPower as its new president, with other solar luminaries joining the board.
Chinese-made panels have twice the carbon footprint of European ones, study finds
Research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory finds that solar panels made in China have a higher overall carbon footprint during manufacturing stage.
IEA publishes new reports on PV performance and reliability
The agency’s first three published reports focus on PV performance and the impact of PV module failure of both crystalline silicon and thin-film technologies.
US scientists study consumer interest in PV
Researchers at the Sandia National Laboratories say the project will help increase the United States’ share of solar energy in the electricity market from its current share of less than .05% to at least 14% by 2030.
Understanding how electrons travel in crystal
In their Nature paper, researchers from Imec and a number of U.S. universities discuss the importance of having crystals larger than 4 nm in the fullerene material of organic solar cells as a way to obtain cells with a maximal efficiency. From their research, engineers learn how to set the deposition parameters of fullerene, but also what they should look for when they select alternatives for fullerene.
Midsummer reaches new efficiency record for CIGS solar cells
The Swedish solar equipment manufacturer says the shift towards more rooftop installations make lightweight and flexible thin film solar cells ideal.
