How LECO process could push TOPCon solar cell efficiency beyond 26%
A new UNSW study shows that laser-enhanced contact optimisation can boost industrial TOPCon solar cell efficiency by improving contact properties and reducing recombination losses. By combining optimised firing conditions with LECO “repair” of contacts, the approach balances recombination and resistance, offering a practical path for conventional TOPCon cells to compete with PV technologies offering higher efficiencies.
Photovoltaic research and innovation essential to ensure energy security
Researchers from 11 universities globally, including the University of New South Wales, have collaborated on a paper advocating for the need to guarantee energy security, research in photovoltaics is essential for continued innovation.
Resolving copper’s manufacturing barriers could break solar’s silver dependence
For decades, copper was the material the solar industry knew it needed but could not manufacture at scale. That barrier has been lifted. What follows matters for every rooftop, every supply chain, and every gigawatt the energy transition still requires.
Data centre energy spend rivals global solar investment
Rystad Energy says capital expenditure on data centers reached $1,086 billion in 2025, matching investment levels in photovoltaic infrastructure and surpassing upstream oil and gas.
Why grid visibility is becoming critical to the energy transition
As Australia accelerates its shift toward renewable energy, attention has largely focused on generation – scaling solar, deploying storage, and integrating distributed energy resources. But a quieter constraint is emerging beneath this transformation: the grid’s limited ability to see its own condition in real time.
New Zealand introduces 10 kW default export limit for residential rooftop solar
New Zealand’s electricity authority has updated its rules to better enable grid-scale and residential solar energy systems to supply local networks, and requires lines companies to set a default export of 10 kW for household solar and battery systems.
UNSW study finds tracker-based PV systems experience higher UV degradation than fixed-tilt arrays
New research from the University of New South Wales shows that PV module degradation varies widely with system design and location, driven by UV exposure, temperature, humidity, and atmospheric conditions. Tropical and desert regions face the highest stress, highlighting the need for climate-specific testing and system design.
Queensland solar assets top utility PV performance table
Output from Australia’s utility-scale solar assets jumped almost 22% in the past 12 months with new data showing the country’s large-scale PV assets generated 1.82 TWh of clean energy last month.
Heterojunction vs. TOPCon in perovskite-silicon tandem
Scientists at the Australian National University claim that TOPCon cells are rapidly closing the open-circuit voltage gap with HJT counterparts, now under 10 mV, while offering greater wafer tolerance and high industrial scalability. Despite slightly lower efficiency, TOPCon-based perovskite/silicon tandems can achieve a levelised cost of energy comparable to HJT-based tandems due to reduced fabrication costs, according to the researchers.
Study shows impact of annealing on copper-plated HJT solar cells
A UNSW-led team found that annealing conditions significantly affect stress, strain, and microstructure in copper-plated heterojunction solar cell contacts, with fast annealing increasing microstrain in both copper and indium tin oxide.
