Accelerated declines in solar cell prices since late March
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, offers bite-sized analysis on solar PV module supply and price trends.
New metallization tech for HJT solar cells minimizes silver use, increases efficiency
German research institute Fraunhofer ISE has unveiled a new metallization process for heterojunction solar cells that reportedly increases power conversion efficiencies by over 0.1% while reducing silver consumption. A device built with the new technique achieved an efficiency of 23.2%.
Microsoft announces largest corporate procurement of renewables
Microsoft has signed on for 10.5 GW of renewable energy with Brookfield Renewable Partners. The projects might cost more than $11.5 billion to build, according to BloombergNEF.
New water circulation tech promises lower PERC solar cell manufacturing costs
A German team developed models to illustrate water-saving potential in PERC silicon solar cell manufacturing based on a circular approach and commercially available technology. In the case of a 5 GW fab, water savings of up to 79% and wastewater discharge reductions up to 84% could be achieved, a “significant” improvement compared to a reference scenario.
Solar bloodbath: Titans clash in ruthless price war
The ongoing price war between top global suppliers could catalyse more competitive solar panel pricing in the Indian market, potentially leading to an increase in solar adoption at both the commercial and residential levels.
New model shows how to power homes exclusively with hydrogen, solar, batteries
Researchers in Spain has found that combining PV power generation with fuel cells and battery storage may help homes considerably reduce their levelized cost of energy. Their simulation reportedly demonstrated homes may also become completely self-sufficient.
The Hydrogen Stream: Norway to make world’s biggest hydrogen ships
Norwegian Ship Design Co. has agreed to help build what it claims will be the two largest hydrogen ships in the world, while Norwegian Hydrogen has announced plans to team up with Australia’s Provaris Energy on hydrogen export opportunities.
Schneider Electric launches new storage systems for microgrids
The France-based group said its has released two new BESSs with enclosures of 7ft and 20ft. Their power ranges from 60 kW to 500 kW.
Gstar working on 3 GW silicon wafer factory in Indonesia
Singapore-based Gstar Solar says it has broken ground on a new 3 GW silicon wafer factory in Indonesia, with production scheduled to start by the end of this year.
Scientist hails commercial feasibility of Saudi Arabian hydrogen city plan
Alberto Boretti was a senior research professor at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University in 2021 when he first started discussing the idea of a hydrogen city in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The New Zealand-based independent tells pv magazine that it is now commercially feasible, as the city’s 200 MW of energy demand would necessitate 1 GW to 1.3 GW of solar and wind capacity, 509 MW to 997 MW of electrolysis capacity, and 145,000 MWh of hydrogen storage capacity.
