Novel PV module recycling tech from South Korea
Developed by the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), the “non-destructive” technology is claimed to enable the recovery of 100% of a module’s glass and to allow the reuse of silicon for producing new solar cells with an efficiency of 20.05%.
Australian researchers develop bifacial solar cell with 96.3% bifacial factor
Australian National University researchers claim to have set a world record for bifacial solar cell efficiency that they say could boost the energy output of solar farms by 30%.
Solar modules are being detained by US customs agents, reports suggest
An order issued in late June instructed US customs agents to detain solar shipments containing silica-based products sourced from a Chinese firm and its subsidiaries. Three solar players may already have been impacted.
Cooling PV modules with plants, coir pith
An Indian-Malaysian research group has investigated the effectiveness of several passive cooling techniques for solar panels, including the placement of plants around the modules or coir pith underneath them, both of which, surprisingly, offered good performance in terms of temperature reduction and power yield.
Energy transition to create 60m solar jobs by 2050
The switch from fossil fuels and nuclear will bring a jobs dividend thanks to the greater labor-intensity of renewables plants, according to a paper published by Finland’s LUT. However, the jobs dividend is unlikely to be evenly spread around the world, with Europe set to be a big winner.
Plug-and-play solar module from the Netherlands
Supersola has developed a 315 W, half-cut monocrystalline PV module. It costs €699 and can be coupled with other two panels to form a 1 kW residential PV system.
German manufacturer unveils 10-busbar, half-cell PV modules
Bauer Solartechnik GmbH has released its new 400 W and 405 W BS-M10 PV panel series for rooftop projects.
Recovering waste heat from solar cells via a thermoelectric generator
Scientists in Italy have created a hybrid thermoelectric photovoltaic (HTEPV) system based on a thermoelectric generator and a wide-gap perovskite solar cell. The device is able to recover waste heat from the PV unit and produce additional power. According to its creators, this configuration needs large gap cells as these are less sensitive to temperature in terms of efficiency.
The long read: The effects of perovskite solar cell defects
Mónica LiraCantú leads a research group investigating nanostructured materials for photovoltaic energy at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2). Recently, her group led a project that looked deep into the crystalline structure of a perovskite solar cell, revealing new information about the formation of defects in the material and how they could be engineered to improve both efficiency and stability. pv magazine caught up with the Barcelona-based scientist to discuss the state of the art in perovskite solar cells and remaining challenges on the road to commercialization.
New solar glass factory to come up in India
Auto glass producer Asahi India Glass and polyfilm maker Vishakha Group have teamed up to set up India’s largest solar glass plant in Gujarat. The factory is initially planned to have a capacity equivalent to 3 GW of solar installation per annum.
