China-based PV module manufacturer Sunport Power has officially started production at 1GW assembly plant using Eurotron’s MWT equipment for back-contact PV modules that reduce cell-to-module losses and boost module performance and reliability.
Dr. Nguyen Tuan, director at the Renewable Energy Centre, Institute of Energy, Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), Vietnam, discusses the current state of play for solar in Vietnam.
First Solar will wait for more clarity on the Section 201 case before deciding whether to extend production of its Series 4 modules, CEO Mark Widmar has told PV Tech.
The big names are out in force at SPI but don't overlook some of the smaller names with big ideas. John Parnell talks to one such company on the showfloor at SPI 2017.
Saudi Arabian national petroleum and natural gas giant Saudi Aramco has enlisted locally-owned technology start-up NOMADD Desert Solar Solutions to develop waterless cleaning solutions for solar PV.
US-headquartered Hybrid Cell Technology (HCT) module producer Sunpreme has signed a Master Supply Agreement (MSA) with True Green Capital Management for Commercial & Industrial (C&I) PV Projects in the US, totalling 150MW, over a three year term.
Major metallisation paste producer Heraeus Photovoltaics is collaborating with PV ribbon product provider Ulbrich of Austria to develop products for PV module assembly and packaging technology.
Updated: With the solar industry transitioning to high-performance products backed with innovation, Solar Power International 2017 in Las Vegas is showcasing an ever increasing portfolio of solar modules exceeding 300 watts in the standard 60-cell format. However, 72-cell modules exceeding 360 watts are also entering the mainstream and 400 watts is just around the corner.
Driving the high-performance wave is PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell), bifacial and the migration to 5 busbars and beyond, whether with multicrystalline or monocrystalline wafers. The growing use of half-cut and multi-cut cells that reduce cell to module losses, boosting overall performance are also becoming mainstream as well as heterojunction (HJ) modules.
