Avoiding PV buyer’s remorse
New entrants to solar equipment procurement may be surprised to encounter constantly amended contract terms, index-linked price rises, and near-worthless defect warranties, but they reflect recent supply chain troubles. Clean Energy Associates’ Martin Deak offers a buyers guide.
Polysilicon prices preserve downward trend, weighed down by supply factors
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.
New leaders emerge in India’s 2022 solar market
Mercom’s latest report says the Indian solar sector saw significant changes in the players’ market share in 2022—a year heavily impacted by policies like basic customs duty on cells and modules and Approved List of Models and Manufacturers.
Kaneka presents 29.2%-efficient 2T silicon-perovskite tandem solar cell
Kaneka’s two-terminal tandem perovskite solar cell has achieved the highest efficiency ever recorded for such a device based on an industrial Czochralski (CZ) silicon wafer. It has an open-circuit voltage of 1.929 V, a short-circuit current density of 19.5 mA cm−2, and a fill factor of 77.55%.
First Solar acquires Swedish perovskite specialist Evolar
First Solar has agreed to pay $38 million to buy Swedish manufacturing startup Evolar AB, as it seeks to expand development of high-efficiency tandem PV tech.
Federal agents raid JinkoSolar factory in Florida
U.S. Homeland Security officers executed a search warrant on a solar panel manufacturing facility in Jacksonville.
Meyer Burger unveils gray solar tiles
Swiss manufacturer Meyer Burger says that in August it hopes to begin distributing its new gray solar tiles, which are already being used in pilot projects.
US solar installers list Qcells, Enphase as top brands
An industry survey led by SolarReviews and NABCEP found two-thirds of solar installers expect high electricity prices to drive demand.
PV manufacturing capacity hit 600 GW in 2022
The new edition of the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV), published this week, finds that 295 GW of PV modules was shipped in 2022, and that prices for silicon PV modules fell by 7% over the year. The report finds that price premiums for n-type modules are now marginal, and the technology grew to represent 15% of the market, and is expected to keep growing over the coming decade.
Borosil Renewables’ solar glass capacity in Germany increases to 350 tpd
Borosil Renewables said the solar glass capacity of its German arm GMB Glasmanufaktur Brandenburg GmbH has increased to 350 tonnes per day (tpd) from 300 tpd following the modification and cold repair of its furnace.
