IEA warns one-third of global PV manufacturing capacity at risk of bankruptcy
A new report from the International Energy Agency stresses the importance of geographically diversifying the global PV supply chain. This would prevent supply chain vulnerability to bankruptcies and underinvestment.
Thin film solar may have carbon intensity advantage over silicon
Thin-film cadmium telluride panels may have a US$0.02 to US$0.04 per watt carbon cost advantage over traditional polysilicon, said the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in an analysis of embodied carbon, embodied energy, and energy payback.
ESI begins work on ‘Australian first’ flow battery manufacturing facility
Construction has commenced on Australia’s first large-scale iron-flow battery manufacturing facility in Central Queensland, one of a series of projects the developer says has the potential to deliver 20% of the nation’s renewable energy storage needs.
JinkoSolar commissions 20 GW n-type ingot fab
In other news, DAH Solar announced a 5 GW TOPCon solar module factory in Anhui province and Tongwei further raised the prices of its solar cells.
Solar cells integrating power electronics
Researchers in the Netherlands investigated the potential for integrating power electronics in solar cells in the form of diodes, transistors, capacitors, and inductors. They believe that this kind of PV cell may initially find applications in PV-powered Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices and later, as the economy of scale kicks in, in large-scale applications.
Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell with TOPCon structure hits 27.6% efficiency
A research group led by Chinese manufacturer JinkoSolar has developed a tandem perovskite-silicon cell with a subcell based on TOPCon tech. The group succeeded in reducing voltage losses in the silicon sub-cell by minimising the shunting probability during device fabrication.
Longi’s heterojunction solar cell hits 26.5%
Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin has confirmed that Longi’s new n-type heterojunction solar cell has achieved a power conversion efficiency of 26.5%.
Chinese polysilicon producer shuts down factory due to fire
East Hope has halted production due to a fire at its factory in the Zhundong Economic and Technological Development Zone, in China’s Xinjiang region. pv magazine recently spoke with polysilicon analyst Johannes Bernreuter about the possible consequences of the fire on the supply chain.
ACAP lands $45 million to kick renewable energy transformation into gear
The Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics will receive up to $45 million in federal funding over the next eight years as it seeks to develop the next generation of efficient and ultra low-cost solar technologies.
Battery metals: How quickly can supply ramp up?
A couple of weeks ago, Goldman Sachs sent shockwaves through battery metals markets, issuing a prediction that cobalt and lithium in particular were due for a sharp price decline in the next two years. But London-based Benchmark Mineral Intelligence is loudly pushing back, outlining its reasons why it believes the call on lithium was wrong. Meanwhile, US analyst Wood Mackenzie says that the battery raw material chain will remain tight, but notes that recycling could help to ease the supply deficit.
