Panasonic to exit solar manufacturing
The Japanese brand will continue to sell third-party-made modules under its brand in its home market, as it already does overseas, but in-house PV wafer, cell and module production will halt by the end of fiscal year 2022.
Global glass shortage sparks warning for Australian solar industry
Shanghai-based solar module manufacturer Sunman has warned government-imposed restrictions on the manufacture of glass in China could have an enormous effect on Australia’s booming solar industry.
Boeing brings more PV power to NASA International Space Station
Six new arrays with a combined capacity of 120 kW will be installed on the International Space Station starting from this year. The panels will be brought to the station with the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft during three resupply missions. The installation of each solar array will require two spacewalks.
French startups develop PV-powered desalination solution
Two French companies have collaborated on the development of the Osmo-Watt system, which is powered by solar panels. They claim that the technology can produce up to 100 cubic meters of drinking water per day.
Weekend read: No dummies as Chase cuts through solar’s jargon
There’s more to read in the solar world than pv magazine alone, as much as we may hate to admit it. Looking back across some of the industry’s seminal works, leading analyst Jenny Chase’s 2019 book is too valuable, and entertaining, to be ignored.
Trina Solar scoops recognition for environmental standards
Technical innovation and solar module production at scale bring with them the opportunity to integrate environmental responsibility. One major manufacturer is reaping returns on its investment.
Weekend read: Big, and then bigger
Throughout 2020, a fast-moving story played out in PV module technology, with the introduction of larger wafers and subsequently larger module formats seeing the industry break into two camps, backing either 182 mm or 210 mm wafers. It remains to be seen whether one or the other will become a new industry standard, and both sizes will likely be plentiful on the market for the next few years at least. pv magazine takes a look at how we got to this point.
Module manufacturer responds to market shift
Solar PV module manufacturer Winaico has added two new products to its range with the first of the company’s innovative Gemini series to be released in Australia later this month.
Anti-soiling nanocoating for large-scale PV
Dutch company Rads Global Business has developed an anti-soiling coating for solar PV modules that is claimed to reduce cleaning cost by around 60%. The anti-reflective and anti-corrosive coating is also said to mitigate potential-induced degradation (PID).
JinkoSolar claims a third of Australia’s utility-scale PV generation
Since establishing its Australian subsidiary in 2012 JinkoSolar has substantially expanded its rooftop presence and, notably, its big-time contribution to the National Electricity Market.
