Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Solar panel and system prices are on the decline but figures provided by energy industry analyst SunWiz show that an increasing number of Australian households are opting to forgo savings in search of increased generation capacity.

Tandem PV has secured capital to advance its four-terminal perovskite-silicon tandem module technology and move closer to first manufacturing. The company claims its products maintain 80% of the initial performance after 25 years.

The shift from positively doped, “p-type” to negatively doped, “n-type” solar technology has sparked manufacturing expansion, says S&P Global’s Jessica Jin.

Bluebird Solar has developed half-cut mono passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar modules based on M10-sized cells. The modules are available with outputs ranging from 400 W to 550 W.

Trina Solar is preparing to launch a new Vertex S+ series panel in Australia that features a maximum power output of 505 W and 22.5% efficiency and has been designed specifically for commercial and industrial applications.

Heterojunction cell and panel manufacturer Meyer Burger says it will stop making PV modules in Germany, but it will continue to produce solar cells in the country to support its panel production operations in the United States.

Oversupply is hitting some solar manufacturers hard but grid constraints and labor shortages are unlikely to hold the solar industry back in 2024.

The International Energy Agency has forecast the rollout of rooftop solar in Australia will drop off “faster than anticipated” with increasing grid integration challenges and saturation of the power system contributing to a revision of expectations for renewable energy growth in the country.

The panels measure 2,116 mm × 777 mm × 3.5 mm, weigh 5.6 kg, and have a temperature coefficient of -0.35% per degree Celsius.

Fly Solartech Solutions Srl’s new 60-cell modules have a power conversion efficiency of 17.87% and a temperature coefficient of -0.27% per degree Celsius. The company offers the panels with 300 W, CEI-021-certified microinverters featuring 96.5% peak efficiency.