Indian manufacturers request duties on PV imports
India imported $1.3 billion worth of solar cells and modules from China in fiscal 2019-20, but domestic manufacturers are now demanding a level playing field to compete against cheaper imports.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Production expansion plans for Trina, JA Solar, ZNshine
Trina Solar said this week that it plans to expand cell production output by 10 GW at its factory in Jiangsu province, while JA Solar revealed plans to ramp up wafer production by 20 GW. ZNshine Solar, meanwhile, is aiming for 10 GW of new PV module capacity.
Solar modules with glass-enameled steel backs
U.S.-based Toledo Solar has secured a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct research on lighter, steel-backed solar modules.
New PV cell architecture creates resistively bounded subcells
Solar Inventions, the winners of the first American-Made Solar Prize, plan to commercialize their newest product, which is claimed to reduce silver content and increase module power, while potentially saving manufacturers up to $1 million per year.
Fraunhofer ISE claims 25.9% efficiency for III-V tandem solar cell
The new results mark an improvement on the institute’s previous 24.3% efficiency record. The III-V tandem solar cell is directly grown on silicon.
The PV world 10 years ago – Summer Series Part IV
pv magazine editor Pilar Sánchez Molina takes a look at PV sector news from 10 years ago as part of an ongoing series. These insights bring back memories of an exciting, challenging period, while pointing to where we might be in 2030.
‘Spontaneous de-doping’ for 17.8%-efficient perovskite mini-module
U.S. scientists have found a new ‘de-doping’ process in perovskite solar cells that could cut production costs and produce better devices. They have used this to fabricate a mini-module with 17.8% efficiency.
Solar for parking machines
New Zealand researchers have proposed a way to assess the technical and economic feasibility of PV-powered parking machines. Solar might be an ideal solution, but the siting of the machines is critical and should be planned in advance, in line with available solar radiation and potential shading.
Value of Indian PV imports tanked 83% in second quarter
Mercom India Research has said the quarterly value of solar cell and module imports was down 83% in the second quarter of the year, compared to the same period of 2019, to sit 54% lower than the value recorded in the January-to-March window.
Cadmium-free CIGS solar cell with 18% efficiency
South Korean scientists manufactured the cell with the chemical bath deposition method, using different thiourea concentrations. For the buffer layer, they used zinc instead of cadmium sulfide. The cell is flexible and is available in seven different colors.
