Germany

Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin have taken back the world efficiency record for a perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell, achieving 29.15% with a device measuring 1cm². The record has been confirmed by Fraunhofer ISE, and according to HZB, this means that the 30% efficiency mark is within reach.

Tesla, California’s pioneering EV builder, will acquire a 700-acre site near Berlin for its first large-scale EV factory. The purchase price has not been finalized. Some local folk are protesting the approval process.

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.

Researchers at the American Institute of Physics have used the clear-sky irradiance model developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to measure the degradation rates of solar panels at a testing field in Germany over five years. The scientists say the model, when combined with real-world data, offers an efficient tool to evaluate the aging of PV technology.

Unannounced layoffs with no pay or benefits have left more than 600 American workers in the U.S., 180 employees in Germany, and thousands in China unemployed and in the dark. A number of employees reached out to tell their story.

In this interview, pv magazine’s Erica Johnson sits down with Former solar executive and California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild to discuss California’s long-term relationship with Germany and the state’s blended focus on energy policy, technology and the economy to achieve 100% renewable energy.

The mounting systems maker is opening a new sales and distribution office in the Charlotte metro area, and has maintained manufacturing in Europe and Asia.

The German battery maker will produce batteries for electric trucks and buses at the new facility, which is expected to employ 200 workers and produce 400 megawatt-hours of batteries annually.

The manufacturers are pushing back on the basis for the suit that their Korean/German rival has launched, arguing that there is evidence the innovations they refer to were either not new or were obvious steps forward.

All three companies say the patent infringement claim is without merit, and LONGi has provided technical details as to why its PERC isn’t based on Hanwha Q-Cells’ patent.