Effect of wind on solar panel cooling in desert areas
Researchers in Morocco have carried out an experimental investigation which has confirmed that even in hot desert climates, the wind has a positive effect on reducing the PV module temperature, improving the electrical production as well as the conversion efficiency.
Improving ground-mounted solar power plant performance via orbiting reflectors
Scientists in the United Kingdom have proposed using orbiting solar reflectors to enhance the electricity yield of terrestrial solar power plants. They claim this new technology may be particularly beneficial for improving generation at dusk and dawn, when irradiance is lower.
Terrain-following solar tracker with a pneumatic twist
Sunfolding’s new TopoTrack rows are reportedly 10 times shorter than traditional trackers, and they can provide 20 degrees of variation between trackers, thus improving slope tolerance between rows.
Ecoflow unveils new balcony PV system
US-based Ecoflow has announced the commercialization of a balcony solar device with a portable power station for residential applications.
Polysilicon prices plunge worldwide on bearish market sentiment
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.
Trina to build 25 GW ingot factory, Longi reduces wafer prices by 30%
Longi said today it cut the prices of its wafer products by 30% and Trina announced it will build a 25 GW monocrystalline ingot factory in the Sichuan province. Furthermore, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that the Chinese PV industry produced 39.92 GW of solar cells in April, and Datang Group unveiled the results of a tender to procure 8 GW of solar panels.
Global Electronics Council releases new standard for ultra-low carbon PV panels
The Global Electronics Council has delivered standard inspection processes built upon models combining local power grid emissions and subcomponent energy needs to determine the embodied carbon footprint of globally manufactured solar panels.
Global investment in clean energy nearly doubles that of fossil fuels
For every dollar invested in fossil fuels, 1.7 dollars are invested in clean technologies. Five years ago, it was a one-to-one ratio, said the International Energy Agency.
KAUST claims 33.7% efficiency for perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell
The European Solar Test Installation (ESTI) has confirmed the results of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology’s (KAUST) new perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell. The 1 cm2 device also achieved an open-circuit voltage of 1.974 V, a short-circuit current density of 20.99 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 81.3%.
Pushing perovskite PV limits
The perovskite solar race is heating up, with a cue of manufacturers forming to test products at the US Department of Energy’s (DoE) PV commercialization facilities, and academics on both sides of The Pond announcing new advances in recent months.
