Recycling key to solar sustainability
A new study of the environmental impacts of renewable energy finds significant opportunities for solar to reduce its impacts in various categories, including human health, resource depletion, and environmental damage. The study notes in particular that more work is needed to establish a comprehensive reuse and recycling network for end-of-life PV products.
New industrial plant concept for end-of-life PV panel recycling
Italian startup Tialpi is developing a process to recycle end-of-life solar panels that promises to recover 100% of a PV module’s weight. The new plant design is currently being tested at the company’s facility in the Italian northern province of Biella.
Photovoltaic-thermal solar tiles
Germany’s Paxos is currently testing the solar tile in a testing facility connected to an air heat pump. The panel can provide heat and electricity at the same time, while also improving the heat pump’s coefficient of performance by around 25%.
Navitas Solar achieves carbon neutrality for 2021
The Gujarat-based solar manufacturer has pledged to become fully carbon neutral by 2023 and achieve net-zero status by 2030.
PV InfoLink forecasts polysilicon prices to be halved by end of 2023
The consulting firm expects prices to decline gradually through the first semester of 2023, followed by an accelerated decline in the second half of the year, with prices falling from the current CNY 300 ($36.64)/kg to below CNY 150/kg by the end of 2023. Polysilicon production capacity may increase from 500 GW in 2022 to 975 GW next year.
Borosil Renewables completes acquisition of 86% in Europe’s largest solar glass maker Interfloat Group
Borosil Renewables had signed a binding offer for 100% equity in Interfloat Group, Europe’s largest solar glass manufacturer, in April this year.
PCM-based thermal battery to store solar power via heat pump
Norway’s SINTEF has designed a heat storage system based on phase change materials (PCM) that can support PV generation and peak shaving. The battery’s container hosts 3 tons of liquid biowax based on vegetable oil and is now beating performance expectations at a pilot facility.
Mondragon Assembly will develop a multi-GW automated manufacturing line for BVG Ltd
It will be one of the largest and most automated lines in North India, with the capacity to produce higher power modules with larger cells. The first phase will have a production capacity of 500 MW.
Global installed PV capacity could hit 260 GW in 2022
The International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA PVPS) estimates that 173.5 GW of new solar capacity was installed in 2021, and that figure might rise to 260 GW in 2022. pv magazine spoke with the co-chair of the European Solar Manufacturing Council to look into the figures.
BHEL seeks one million mono PERC solar cells
Manufacturers have until October 27 to submit bid for supplying the monocrystalline silicon PERC solar cells. The cells must feature five busbars and provide peak output of more than 5.54 W.
