Trump touts solar trade tariffs
While the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is reshoring solar manufacturing in the United States, raising import tariffs may slow momentum. The actions of the incoming Trump administration are tough to forecast at this point.
Solar wafer prices stabilize as supply rationalizes, regional policies shape production and trade
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
Spanish researchers find revamping modules and inverters is the most profitable strategy
A group of researchers have carried out a techno-economic analysis of three revamping strategies for an operating photovoltaic power plant in southeast Spain. They found the highest production value by installed power is obtained when both the modules and inverters are replaced.
Self-powering greenhouse based on PV, BESS, hydrogen
Scientists have designed a greenhouse system that involves a battery energy storage system, hydrogen production and storage, as well as a semi-transparent PV array. The system was optimized for maximal net present value and minimal dependency on the grid.
Fraunhofer ISE developing copper metallization for tandem perovskite-silicon solar cells
The German research institute said it is currently exploring three copper metallization methods: Screen printing, FlexTrail printing and rotary printing. The proposed technology is reportedly compatible with either TOPCon or heterojunction bottom cells.
Improving vertical bifacial PV system performance with free-space luminescent solar concentrators
New research from the Netherlands shows that using free-space luminescent solar concentrators could be used to considerably increase bifacial solar module performance in vertical residential setups. The scientists are confident that a variety of bifacial PV systems incorporating this technology can be designed and deployed in the future.
Solar manufacturing slows in bid to balance supply and demand
Smaller solar manufacturers have been shuttering production lines, but not at a pace fast enough to return profit margins to healthy territory. InfoLink’s Amy Fang considers what lies ahead for PV companies in the near term.
Fraunhofer ISE concludes perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell project
The five-year MaNiTU project, involving six Fraunhofer institutes, covered a range of investigations across the life cycle of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. It included the development of a scalable solar cell with a 31.6% power conversion efficiency.
FHE Group presents thermal battery for solar power storage
The French company says its Inelio thermal battery can store solar power in the form of heat for heating and cooling applications, as well as for producing domestic hot water, while maximizing self-consumption. It can reportedly provide a hot water temperature of up to 65 C.
Cooling PV modules with lauric acid and nanoparticles
Thai researchers developed three organic phase-change material (PCM) mixtures with nanoparticles to cool PV modules and improve efficiency. They used lauric acid blended with aluminum oxide, copper oxide, and magnesium oxide in an optimal 94:6 weight ratio, boosting module efficiency by up to 14.11%.
