Manufacturing

Sharp’s new IEC61215- and IEC61730-certified solar panel offers a power conversion efficiency of 22.07% and a bifaciality of more than 80%. The operating temperature coefficient is -0.30% per C and its power tolerance is 5%.

A prestigious award, along with $3.7 million (USD 2.5 million) has been awarded to University of Wollongong electrochemist Professor Gerhard Swiegers for his efficiency breakthrough for hydrogen electrolysers, which are currently being commercialised by startup Hysata.

An influential Australian union will propose a “significant, punitive tax” on the export of raw critical minerals as a means of promoting more value-adding onshore. The news comes as longstanding trade allies voice criticism over Australia’s growing momentum towards domestic manufacturing.

The Northern Territory government has granted the final approvals for Core Lithium’s BP33 underground lithium mine, part of the company’s ongoing operations in Darwin.

Battery companies hoping to get a foothold in Australia’s rapidly growing storage market were the main exhibitors at the Smart Energy Conference held in Sydney last week, outnumbering solar companies almost two-to-one. Pv magazine Australia looked at what is on offer and who the new hopefuls in the battery space are.

While Australia’s home battery market seems to have attracted most of the interest from newcomers, there has been some significant new developments in the commercial and utility-scale space. Pv magazine Australia examined the new products and companies in the commercial and utility battery storage space on display at the Smart Energy Conference.

An international research group led by Longi Central R&D Institute has published a paper describing Longi’s heterojunction solar cell based on a full-size silicon wafer that made a sensation in November, as it beat the long-lasting efficiency record held by Japanese manufacturer Kaneka for years. The researchers attributed the cell efficiency improvement to the implementation of a p-type amorphous silicon hydrogenated layer together with a modified transparent conductive oxides contact, which they said greatly reduced the cell contact resistivity.

Chinese solar and storage technology manufacturer Sungrow has strengthened its commitment in Australia, inking new distribution agreements that will deliver at least 550 MWh of the company’s energy storage system solutions and 250 MW of its inverters into the Australian market.

JinkoSolar, Long, JA Solar, and Trina Solar have all reported impressive growth figures for the first quarter of this year.

Zhengrong Shi and his company, Suntech, are true pioneers of the Chinese solar industry. While Suntech burned bright, and eventually flamed out, under Shi’s leadership, the company’s solar ecosystem and innovation persist as China’s PV market surges past 100 GW(AC) today.