Author
Jonathan Gifford
Jonathan is currently contributing as a freelance editor at pv magazine. He joined pv magazine in 2011, became the Editor in Chief in 2014, and was the Founding Editor of pv magazine Australia. With a background in public broadcasting, Jonathan has been reporting on environmental and technology issues since 2005.
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Articles written by Jonathan Gifford
TOPCon IP battle intensifies with Qcells launching infringement notices
Qcells has launched an intellectual property (IP) dispute over alleged unauthorized use of its patented laser-enhanced contact opening (LECO) tech in tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cells. The case underscores rising tensions in the PV industry over TOPCon patents.
Jan 23, 2025
S&P Global: Annual battery cell production passes 10 billion, lower prices to stimulate demand
While oversupply remains a feature of the lithium-ion battery production landscape, large production volumes are accelerating innovation and enhancing energy storage competitiveness. S&P Global analysis reveals that balance is likely to return to the global market in the coming years as stationary energy storage and EV adoption continues to accelerate.
How will PV’s intellectual-property scuffles shake out?
Lawyers are doing brisk business as tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar technology moves into the mainstream. A series of patent infringement cases have been launched in the United States and Europe and their impacts are reverberating through the marketplace. How likely is it that winners will emerge?
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‘In the next year, some of these guys are going to be bankrupt’
At Intersolar in Munich, pv magazine spoke with Jenny Chase, solar analyst at BloombergNEF, about the incredibly low polysilicon prices, massive overcapacity, and increasing consolidation. According to Chase, this year there will be enough polysilicon capacity to produce 1.1 TW of solar modules, but global module demand is expected to reach around 585 GW. “That is a pretty huge delta,” she said, noting that the solar industry should also prepare for a series of “negative feedback mechanisms,” such as negative prices and excess of solar power.
Shedding light on tandem perovskite solar cell progress
Perovskite PV devices are set to become the next big thing in solar with market analysts at S&P Global Commodity Insights predicting 1 GW of production by the end of 2024, rising to 6 GW in 2025. Perovskite tandem devices are at the front of the queue for commercialization but their characterization presents technical challenges.
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Tesla’s new power play
The first installations featuring the Tesla Powerwall 3 are currently being completed in the United States, with the company promoting a fully integrated solar-plus-storage and electric vehicle (EV) residential system, with big backup power capacity. While the first Powerwall created a new market segment, the latest iteration enters a marketplace in oversupply.
Rooftop solar’s success results in ‘struggling’ large-scale segment in Australia
As rooftop solar racks up records in Australia, price cannibalization has resulted in a “struggling” large-scale market segment. Bruce Mountain, head of the University of Victoria’s Energy Policy Centre, says that increasingly depressed wholesale electricity prices during the day are squeezing out big PV.
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