‘Back contact will reach cost parity with TOPCon before end of decade’
During a pv magazine Week Europe 2025 webinar, panelists forecast back contact (BC) solar cells’ market share will draw level with TOPCon towards the end of the decade, before tandem technology begins large-scale momentum in the early 2030s.
Keeping the smart grid cyber secure
As smart grid tech is rolled out around the world to modernize legacy assets and integrate renewable energy generation, it is also making the electricity network more prone to cyber attacks. IEC Standards provide protection but they also are challenged to keep up with the latest threats.
World’s first high-power aluminum-ion battery system for energy storage
For the first time, a complete aluminum-graphite-dual-ion battery system has been built and tested, showing that lithium-free, high-power batteries can deliver stability, fast response, and recyclability for next-generation grid applications.
OPIS Global Polysilicon Marker holds firm as trade barriers continue driving fragmentation
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.
Fraunhofer ISE achieves 30.6% efficiency for perovskite-silicon tandem based on industry-standard bottom TOPCon cell
Researchers at Fraunhofer ISE have developed a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell using a TOPCon bottom cell with standard textured front surfaces. Their results show that TOPCon bottom cells can perform comparably to heterojunction cells in tandem devices in terms of shunt resistivity, supporting scalable, cost-effective industrial production.
SMA launches new containerized medium-voltage substation for large-scale BESS and solar plants
SMA Solar Technology announces the commercialization in Europe of its new MVPS-9200 medium voltage station in a 12-meter containerized version for battery energy storage systems (BESS) and large-scale photovoltaic power plants.
New generation of IPPs is emerging, says Pexapark
Renewables research firm Pexapark says Europe’s independent power producers (IPPs) are evolving into customer-centric platforms with a focus on adding battery energy storage systems (BESS) to their portfolios and more structuring and pricing capabilities to prepare for the next wave of deals.
Italy’s first Fer X solar auction allocates 7.7 GW at average price of €0.05682/kWh
The procurement exercise had initially attracted 1,387 project proposals with a combined capacity of 17,537 MW, according the Italian energy agency GSE.
Arun Mittal to lead Vikram Solar’s energy storage arm
Vikram Solar has appointed Arun Mittal—formerly managing director and CEO (India) at Lohum Cleantech—as chief executive officer of its energy-storage solutions arm, VSL Powerhive.
Sunman to build 500 MW solar panel manufacturing plant in Australia
Chinese manufacturer Sunman is to build a 500 MW per annum solar module production facility in the New South Wales Hunter Valley after securing funding support from both the state and federal governments.
