Summit Ridge to procure 800 MW of Qcells solar panels
The recent agreement brings the total to 2 GW of solar modules that the community solar specialist will purchase from Qcells, mostly manufactured in its facility in Georgia.
Bifacial solar module tariffs reinstated
The Office of the President has turned its focus to solar panels, announcing the removal of the bifacial solar panel Section 301 tariff exclusion and addressing issues of stockpiling during trade cases, alongside promoting the nation’s manufacturing base.
Improving solar panel recyclability with lasers
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory developed a proof of concept for a method to remove polymers from solar panel manufacturing to enable more efficient recycling.
Secondary market for solar modules presents low-cost buying opportunities
Pricing comparisons and trends within the solar panel secondary market are reviewed in a report from EnergyBin.
Make PV modules as cheap as possible, but not cheaper
In a new monthly column for pv magazine, the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) explains how reducing glass thickness in PV modules may fracture the solar industry, impacting PV module and PV tracker suppliers, engineering, product and construction companies, and PV plant owners.
Solar module prices dive to record low
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, offers bite-sized analysis on solar PV module supply and price trends.
Scientists explore aquatic effects of floating solar
A group of researchers at Cornell University are exploring ways of preserving land for agriculture and wildlife by placing floating solar panels on lakes, rivers and reservoirs.
Sheffield Hallam University updates info on alleged forced labor in solar industry
The British university reports that the share of polysilicon manufactured in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and used in solar module production has dropped from 45% in 2020 to 35% in 2022. The research alsom found that polysilicon produced in interior China increased from 30% in 2020 to 50% in 2022, with the share of international markets dropping, somewhat surprisingly, from 25% to 11%.
New technique to recover lead in end-of-life solar panels
A research group at Arizona State has developed a process to recover lead in its metallic form so that it can be reused in the PV industry. The process relies on a leaching solution based on a combination of acetic acid (CH3COOH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which the researchers said leaches the lead ‘in a matter of minutes.’
First Solar announces fifth U.S. manufacturing facility
The $1.1 billion factory is expected to add 3.5 GW of annual production capacity.
