Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

In a recent media brief, new Enel Green Power CEO Salvatore Bernabei said that another heterojunction solar module factory may be built abroad, with the United States being a possible location.

Also on the rise: Solar-plus-storage projects in Nevada move forward. Growatt releases lithium-iron phosphate battery for off-grid solar. Zinc-air battery, CHP, and solar to power apartment complex in New York. Solar Decathlon celebrates 20 years of training tomorrow’s clean energy workforce. Louisville startup secures $2 million funding for copper paste that replacessilver in solar panels.

Bert Thin Films, a University of Louisville research-backed startup, is developing a copper-based paste that may replace silver components in solar panels.

US Senator Jacky Rosen led the group in writing a letter today to President Biden, asking him not to extend Section 201 tariffs on imported solar panels and cells.

The merger is touted as creating the world’s largest tracker company, and the move is expected to accelerate Array’s international expansion efforts.

An international research group has created a closed-loop, transparent energy platform based on PV power generation and hydrogen production from photo-electrochemical cells. The system is claimed to supply power without interruption and to be transparent enough to be integrated into buildings.

Manufactured in a new facility in California, what sets the Timberline Solar roof system apart from others is that it directly integrates solar technology into traditional roofing processes and materials.

Also on the rise: Enphase starts shipping IQ8 inverter. Michigan gets two new solar projects bringing 50 MW to the state. Meyer Burger to bring solar module manufacturing and jobs to Arizona. A bill aims to re-establish Washington’s former highly effective solar incentive program. Watch the solar array deploy on NASA’s James Webb telescope.

The PV industry in 2021 has largely been defined by disruption: Price increases from raw materials to final shipping have led to shortages in PV module supply and project delays the world over. Despite these upsets, innovation has continued at pace, and the year has seen plenty of technological twists and turns that are sure to spell good news for solar in the long run. Read on for a look back at some of the biggest developments.

A diversified and talented workforce, proximity to customers, and strong partnerships on the ground in Arizona prompted Meyer Burger to establish a production site in Goodyear, Arizona.