Canadian Solar sees turnover and profits surge
The Chinese-Canadian solar manufacturer reported a 41% year-over-year increase in total module shipments to 2.2 GW in the first quarter. Revenue grew by 70% to $826 million, while net profit improved significantly from $17.2 million to $110.6 million.
FuturaSun enters Australian PV market
Italian-headquartered module manufacturer FuturaSun has completed accrediting its module range with the Clean Energy Council.
Jinko launches PV module with record output of 580 W
The panel is part of the company’s new Tiger Pro series, which includes two 530 W modules and a 430 W product for distributed-generation applications. It will begin production of the series in the fourth quarter, although it will start accepting first orders immediately.
REC Group confirms patent action against Hanwha in China
The solar manufacturer with manufacturing in Singapore has filed a claim against its Korean competitor relating to REC’s split-cell and junction box technology.
500 W-plus panel race intensifies with JA Solar’s new module and Risen’s first shipment
Chinese manufacturer JA Solar has announced a new 525 W+ panel and said the product will be available from the second half. Domestic rival Risen has shipped the first batch of its high-powered modules and intends to stick to pre-Covid-19 plans to ramp up production.
Solar costs set to continue falling according to ITRPV roadmap
The 11th edition of the German document which tracks solar price falls and efficiency improvements has considered the role bigger wafers are playing in cost reduction.
5B chooses Enphase inverters to bring power to bushfire communities
Sydney-based pre-fabricated solar array manufacturer 5B has selected Enphase IQ 7+ microinverters for the Resilient Energy Collective bushfire relief campaign. The initiative is looking to install stand-alone solar and Tesla battery systems at up to 100 sites around Australia affected by bushfires and floods.
Six-junction III–V solar cell with 47.1% efficiency
A U.S. research group has developed a new solar cell, based on six active photoactive layers, to capture light from a specific part of the solar spectrum. The scientists claim that they could potentially reach a 50% efficiency rate with the new cell.
Preventing PID at 1500 volts
Scientists in Germany have developed a “heavy duty” test to provide insight into the long term effects of potential induced degradation in PV modules. The tests go well beyond those established by IEC standards and seek to guide manufacturers and investors on the best choice of materials – encapsulants in particular – when it comes to long term PID resistance.
Cooling down PV panels with water
France’s Sunbooster has developed a technology to cool down solar modules when their ambient temperature exceeds 25 C. The solution features a set of pipes that spread a thin film of water onto the glass surface of the panels in rooftop PV systems and ground-mounted plants. The cooling systems collect the water from rainwater tanks and then recycle, filter and store it again. The company claims the technology can facilitate an annual increase in power generation of between 8% and 12%.
