All-inorganic perovskite solar cell hits 16.1% efficiency
Researchers from the City University of Hong Kong have developed an all-inorganic perovskite cell with an electron-pair donor which offers a pair of non-bonding electrons. The cell was developed by applying that ‘Lewis base’ small molecule to passivate the inorganic perovskite film.
Panasonic claims 16% efficiency for lightweight perovskite solar module
The device has an area of 802cm² and thickness of 2mm. The manufacturer claims it improved module performance through an inkjet coating method and a reduction in weight by using thin glass substrates.
China will extend duties on US and South Korean polysilicon for another five years
The Chinese government will extend duties on U.S. and South Korean polysilicon for another five years despite committing to buy $200 billion more U.S. goods and services over the next two years in return for America halving 15% tariffs applied to $120 billion worth of Chinese products.
China added 12 GW of solar last month for 30 GW total in 2019
Vincent Shaw reports: An insider at the China Photovoltaic Industry Association has told pv magazine there was an end-of-year rally after less than 18 GW of new capacity was installed to the end of November.
World record efficiency for Longi’s PERC mono, Jinko’s p-type PERC and bifacial solar panels
Solar module efficiency records continue to fall. Longi claims a 22.38% efficiency world record for a PERC mono panel, while Jinko has achieved conversion efficiencies of 21.82% and 22.49% for its p-type PERC and n-type HOT bifacial panels, respectively.
Your guide to solar market growth in the global ‘gigawatt club’
Some 15 countries are able to lay claim to the status of being members of solar’s “gigawatt club” in 2019, according to projections from BloombergNEF. To kick off 2020, pv magazine’s global team of correspondents and editors have highlighted 10 fast-growing solar markets to evaluate where the opportunities, and potential risks, lie.
Solar modules from Sharp with half-cut technology exceed 19.5% efficiency
The Japanese electronics giant has unveiled three monocrystalline half-cut cell modules said to provide 2% to 3% better performance than standard, full-cell panels. The claimed efficiency of the modules exceeds 19.5% and Sharp says power output ranges from 330 W to 395 W.
More thin-film solar carnage: Hanergy subsidiary Solibro Hi-Tech declares insolvency
Insolvency proceedings have been underway for Solibro GmbH since late summer, and business operations have long been suspended. This week another Hanergy subsidiary, Solibro Hi-Tech, has also declared insolvency.
Why Europe and the US failed to capitalize on the benefits of thin-film solar
Is First Solar stalled in innovation and growth? Markus Beck, a thin-film solar expert and former chief scientist at First Solar, provides an industry perspective on the fate of thin-film PV in the U.S.
Battery roundup: funding for zinc-based storage, improved lithium-ion, new solid-state batteries
Venture capital is still flowing to energy storage startups and the march to improve a wide variety of battery chemistries continues.
