Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

The push towards higher-efficiency technologies drives innovation right across the supply chain. Long proven in the electronics industry, an electrically conductive adhesive (ECA) is now being deployed in heterojunction production, facilitated by new equipment.

A World Trade Organization panel has found a U.S. move to incentivize the use of domestic solar products put imported goods from India and other countries at a disadvantage.

Australian and Indian scientists have developed a method of manufacturing soluble graphene in a cost-effective and eco-friendly way from one of Australia’s most common resources, gum trees.

Global bids are now invited to set up 2 GW of solar manufacturing capacity linked to 6 GW of inter-state-connected solar power projects. The projects—to be developed on ‘build-own-operate’ basis—shall be awarded through tariff-based competitive bidding followed by e-reverse auction. Tariff ceiling is fixed at Rs 2.75/kWh for a period of 25 years. Bidding closes on July 26.

There is a sense in the PV cell and module market at the mid stage of 2019 that the push towards high-efficiency cell architectures is accelerating. This makes the case for half-cut cells in a module more compelling, and the quality of the cut edge vital – argue laser process suppliers.

The world’s number one mono silicon module manufacturer will add another 5 GW to its annual panel production capacity in 2020 as it pursues 16 GW of output this year and 25 GW next year.

Federal trade authorities in the U.S. have ruled bifacial solar modules will no longer be subject to the Section 201 ruling which applies a 25% tariff to solar panel imports.

Easy access to finance topped the agenda of the minister’s meeting with various stakeholders, wherein issues related to land acquisition and Goods and Services Tax (GST) were also discussed.

Dustin Mulvaney is a solar industry veteran. Associate professor at the Department of Environmental Studies, San José State University, in the United States, he recently published a new book this April, Solar Power, Innovation, Sustainability, Environmental Justice, which looks at creating a “more sustainable and just solar industry for the future.” A part of this is the creation of a new global sustainability module standard. He spoke with pv magazine as part of the launch of our new UP initiative.

While module makers are attempting to get the best possible scores for their products on third-party tests, third-party testing providers are also offering competing products to rank products. We look at what’s similar and what’s different in the tests.