Huasun unveils 715 W heterojunction solar module
Chinese manufacturer Huasun launched a new line of five heterojunction (HJT) solar modules in 2022, with power outputs ranging from 680 W to 700 W. The company has now added a new 715 W module to the series.
Longi claims world’s highest efficiency for p-type, indium-free HJT solar cells
Longi said it has achieved a 26.56% efficiency rating for a gallium-doped, p-type heterojunction solar cell and a 26.09% efficiency rating for an indium-free HJT cell, both based on M6 wafers. Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research in Hamelin has confirmed the results.
Aussie startup develops 3D electronics printer with potential to reshape solar and storage
Canberra-based startup Syenta has developed a 3D printer capable of printing highly complex and functional electronics like photovoltaics, batteries, sensors and more, promising to do so in ways that are faster, cheaper and using less energy. The technology, which saw an the Australian startup reach the global grand-finals of the global ClimateLaunchpad program, has the potential to reshape both how renewable technologies are manufactured, and their actual performance, the team tells pv magazine Australia.
Hydrogen dominates Australia’s energy value future as earnings from critical minerals surge, resources report finds
Investment and forecast revenue from Australian resources critical to low-emissions energy technologies has grown dramatically in 2022, federal government reports find. The forecast export earnings from critical minerals has grown 50% in the year, while hydrogen projects now make up the nation’s largest single component by value, though in a highly speculative form.
Lowering grid costs with voltage support from PV inverters at night
US researchers have proposed the use of solar inverters in utility-scale solar assets to replace expensive voltage compensators, in order to provide voltage support at night. They said reactive power from PV inverters could be significantly cheaper and suggested the introduction of incentives to convince PV plant owners.
Contract for FFI’s Gladstone electrolyser substation announced
Australian company GenusPlus Group has been awarded a $15 million (USD 9.9 million) contract with Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) to design and construct a 275 kV substation at FFI’s Green Energy Manufacturing Centre in Gladstone, Queensland.
Adani moves forward with 30,000 MT polysilicon project in India
Adani has selected Engineers India Ltd. (EIL) to set up 30,000 metric tons (MT) of polysilicon production capacity and 500 MT of monosilane capacity in India.
Canadian Solar enters TOPCon solar module business
Chinese-Canadian PV manufacturing heavyweight Canadian Solar said it will begin mass production of 690 W TOPCon products in the first quarter of 2023. The modules will feature a cell efficiency of 25.0% and a bifaciality factor of more than 85%.
Colour-sensing tech to remove dirt from solar panels
Researchers in South African have developed a new cleaning system for solar panels that uses a colour-sensing light-to-frequency converter to detect dirt. It can reportedly remove about 95% of the dust from a PV panel in less than a minute, at a lower cost than other systems.
Weekend read: Plating up
A reduction of silver consumption in PV production is required on the way to terawatt scale. Given this, the time may have come for the commercialisation of new copper plating technologies – doing away with the need for silver in cell metallisation altogether. However, the history of plating technology is littered with cautionary tales.
