Addressing HJT capex, opex in equipment supply
Heterojunction can be an attractive technology pathway for a number of PV producers, says Christian Knechtel CEO and CFO of Von Ardenne. However, the key to deployment could lie in manufacturing key production tools in a cheaper manner while continuously ramping up throughput.
Size matters
The latest development on the module front sees manufacturers adopting larger wafer sizes in order to reach the industry’s raised expectations for power output. Older “M2” wafers have been the standard in recent years but now appear to be on the way out. Several theories about optimal size are gaining ground, but the future direction of the standard is still far from clear.
Beyond mastery of mono, Longi looks toward ‘solar for solar’
At this year’s SNEC 2019 show in Shanghai, pv magazine had the opportunity to interview Zhong Baoshen, the chairman of Longi Group. Along with Longi Group President Zhenguo Li, Zhong is spearheading the company’s expansion on various fronts.
Southeast Asian manufacturing, bifacial technology to drive ET Solar’s resurgence
With new manufacturing facilities in Vietnam and Cambodia, a revitalized organization in the United States that is quickly racking up hundreds of megawatts in sales, and a portfolio of innovative products to serve both the on- and off-grid markets, ET Solar’s resurgence is taking shape in 2019.
Supplying an exponential rate of innovation
While solar’s competitive position in the global energy mix has never looked more promising, the manufacturing segment remains ruthlessly competitive. Since joining the industry in late 2018, Heraeus Photovoltaics President Martin Ackermann has come to believe that the silver paste provider needs to be close to its customers in order to find refuge from race-to-the-bottom pricing in the face of rapid technological change.
Perovskites hit the home stretch
Microquanta Semiconductor holds a 17.25% efficiency record for a relatively large-area perovskite module and wants to build a production facility with fresh capital from investors. pv magazine takes a look at the Chinese startup and some of the basic questions surrounding the technology.
In leaps and bounds
Policies, non-government initiatives and market forces have started driving the adoption of more rigorous quality-assurance practices in Indian PV project and module manufacturing this year.
High power, maximum dynamic efficiency, reliability come together
Building on a 90 GW track record in the wind sector and a growing installed base in the global PV market, Madrid-headquartered Gamesa Electric is bringing a new range of utility-scale power electronics devices to the U.S. market. Driving down LCOE with high performance and highly reliable products is the company’s secret sauce, says Enrique de la Cruz, solar and storage sales director at Gamesa Electric.
Lead-free PV
Should lead still be used in solar? Are there realistic alternatives? These are the questions pv magazine is seeking to answer throughout the fourth quarter of 2019, as part of our newly launched UP sustainability initiative.
PV manufacturing: The rise of India
With 11 GW of solar module production capacity, investments in technology, and a focus on skills development, India is quickly emerging as the world’s next solar PV manufacturing hub. And the country’s “100 GW by 2022” target is encouraging local manufacturers to scale up further. RenewSys – India’s first integrated manufacturer of solar PV modules, as well as key components such as encapsulants, backsheets and cells – has already made its mark throughout the world as an innovator by actively investing in European machinery for its manufacturing facilities, while remaining committed to material innovation and rigorous testing to ensure quality.
