Technology and R&D

The winners of the first American-Made Solar Prize are wasting no time bringing their revolutionary product to market, one which promises to reduce silver, increase module power and save manufacturers up to $1 million annually.

The mechanisms behind light-elevated temperature-induced degradation are still not fully understood, but it is known to cause significant performance losses for modules in the field. Scientists in China are investigating the causes of the phenomenon, and are currently focused on the surface of the materials and the interfaces between the silicon and passivation layers.

“We are being looked at by everyone from prominent political campaigns to elected officials in our towns and counties to provide the economic development needed for the nation’s recovery from Covid.”

In pursuit of “disrupting the global electrical and powered products industries” Amber Solutions has developed a solid-state AC/DC enabler, as well as an AC switch, which the company claims allows for greater reliability and control than anything like it before.

President Trump’s unflagging support for fossil fuels has not stopped the DOE from putting millions of dollars into innovative technologies that could open new paths for market growth in the U.S. solar industry.

The biggest shift from Biden’s previous plans involves the money and timeframe for spending it: $2 trillion over four years, rather than the $1.7 trillion over ten years previously proposed.

French energy giant Engie recently commissioned a solar module testing facility in Chile’s Atacama Desert, a region which has the world’s highest solar radiation. Thore Müller – head of bifacial PV R&D and solar services at Engie Laborelec, talked to pv magazine about the advantages of testing panels, inverters and cleaning systems in hot, arid environments.

The Chinese-Canadian company has unveiled a range of high-power modules which are set to go into mass production by early next year. The series includes a commercial and industrial rooftop-dedicated product offering a reported 405 W.

Can this technology be commercialized? A partnership between Siemens Energy and EnergyNest to develop thermal storage solutions together is the latest development in an industry with lots of potential, but little practical application thus far.

The Chinese manufacturer has debuted two models in the new bifacial, double-glass series to join the scramble for a slice of the 500 W-plus market and to stake its claim to set the 182mm, M10 wafer adopted as the industry standard.