National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

The Chinese manufacturer said the tandem device was developed through a dual-buffer layer strategy that improves interfacial adhesion while preserving efficient charge extraction. The efficiency result was certified by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Research conducted at the oldest agrivoltaic research site in the United States found year-to-year weather variability impacts agrivoltaic crop production, emphasizing the importance in conducting studies across multiple years.

A U.S.-based collaboration between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and CubicPV has yielded a perovskite minimodule with certified efficiency of 24.0%. The two noted that it is the first time a U.S. effort has set a record in the perovskite mini module category.

Techno-economic analysis conducted by NREL researchers has shown how perovskite-silicon tandem solar modules could currently hardly compete in cost with incumbent PV panels. Production costs for U.S.-made tandem products were found to range between $0.29/W and $0.42/W, with module efficiencies ranging from 25% to 30%.

Geneva-headquartered dss+, a spin off from DuPont, helps industries switch to sustainable and resilient operations. It serves power and utilities, oil and gas, metals and mining, among other industries.
With a strong presence in India alongside leading industry players, dss+ has been instrumental in shaping the region’s energy landscape. Srinivasan Ramabhadran, managing director, APAC, dss+, speaks to pv magazine about balancing efficiency, cost, and environmental impact in solar and battery storage manufacturing.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory noted an increase in spontaneous glass breakage in solar panels. The PV Module Index from the Renewable Energy Test Center investigates this and other glass-related trends in solar manufacturing.

The report from kWh Analytics, with input from several industry leaders, identified 14 risks to be aware of in the solar industry, including risks related to extreme weather, such as hail, and operational risks.

The new cell category includes perovskite/silicon, perovskite/CIGS, III-V/silicon and perovskite/organic tandem PV devices. It will list the absolute record efficiency for all-perovskite, two-terminal tandems regardless of the number of junctions.

The US Department of Energy is funding a pilot project to demonstrate the commercial viability of storing energy in heated sand, which is capable of producing 135 MW of power for five days.

Silicon-perovskite tandem solar requires optimization of both approaches, and embodies the weaknesses of each. Meanwhile, the use of pure thin-film devices offers a cheaper, simpler, and more sustainable PV solution for the United States.