World

A new study has calculated that the globalised PV module supply chain has saved billions for PV installers in Germany, the US and China. It also found that if strong nationalistic policies that limit the free flow of talent and capital were implemented going forward, solar panel costs would be 20-25% higher by 2030.

A commercial and residential solar installation company with diversified interests as a developer of some of Australia’s biggest solar farms, Leeson Group is now taking a high-performance, Australian-engineered solar roof tile to the global market.

A team of researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has proposed a cost-effective way to recycle silicon solar panels. Their process consists of module deframing, laminate shredding and material concentration using electrostatic separation, reducing their original weight by 2% to 3%.

US-based Nanotech Energy’s graphene battery uses proprietary electrodes with a thermally stable separator, and non-flammable electrolyte that is said to be inexpensive to manufacture. The technology is said to be superior in terms of safety and competitive in terms of cell performance.

Director of the Australian Solar Thermal Research Institute, Dominic Zaal, offers a deep dive into the capabilities of concentrated solar thermal technology, including what has been proven by global projects so far and how the all important Power Purchasing Agreements stack up.

Scientists in China have designed a new methodology to simulate the near-surface climate of utility-scale PV plants. Their findings suggest that the new tool could be used to design more climate-friendly solar parks.

The International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA PVPS) estimates that 173.5 GW of new solar capacity was installed in 2021, and that figure might rise to 260 GW in 2022. pv magazine spoke with the co-chair of the European Solar Manufacturing Council to look into the figures.

Scientists from the Central European University in Hungary have estimated the global technical potential of photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) energy production by using a high-resolution geospatial model.

According to VDMA, a German engineering association, there are now more orders coming in for German production equipment from Europe than from China. Nevertheless, shipments to Asia remain dominant.

Clean Energy Associates said in a new report that it expects polysilicon production capacity to exceed PV installations next year.