The conflict of agricultural land use for solar power plants could be a thing of the past after a science driven agrophotovoltaics (APV) pilot project near Lake Constance in Germany, led by Fraunhofer ISE has proved the viability of dual land use.
UPDATED: An oral hearing on India’s anti-dumping investigation into imports of solar cells and modules from China, Taiwan and Malaysia has been postponed to 12 December.
Hanwha Q CELLS introduced a benchmark high-efficiency Q.PEAK DUO module series that combines half-cut cell technology, six-bus-bars and the company’s proprietary Q.ANTUM (PERC) monocrystalline cell technology with efficiencies of close to 20% and power outputs of up to 330Wp from 120 half-cut cells and up to 395Wp from 144 half-cut cells.
Major PV manufacturer Yingli Green Energy is building a 100MW ‘Top Runner’ project in Wuhai City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China using its ‘PANDA’ monocrystalline bifacial modules, the largest project to date deploying bifacial modules in the world.
If India’s anti-dumping duty petition results in the introduction of trade barriers without other policy level reforms, it will fail to achieve its original goal of supporting domestic manufacturers, having already created huge uncertainty in the whole sector, according to a report by consultancy firm Bridge to India.
US-based solar module technology firm Solaria Corporation, which filed suit against GCL Solar Energy, Inc., a subsidiary of GCL-Poly Energy Holdings as well as Seraphim Solar System Co. Ltd due to claims of IP theft and breaches of Non-Disclosure Agreements has settled the litigation with GCL-Poly.
The movement to 6-busbar module architectures and the emergence of multi-wire technology were key topics at PV ModuleTech 2017. PV Tech caught up with Franck Genonceau, business manager PV portfolio, at leading PV manufacturing equipment supplier Meyer Burger, to look at what to expect in the next wave of mainstream module technologies.
Outsourcing in the various stages running up to module assembly versus having one’s entire supply chain in house was a major theme at PV ModuleTech 2017. PV Tech caught up with Nick Strevel, director, global technical sales, at vertically-integrated thin-film PV manufacturer First Solar, to discuss the benefits of having all in house production and the drivers for high expenditure in R&D.
PV consultancy the Photovoltaik-Institut Berlin (PI Berlin) has formed a subsidiary based in Delhi, India, due to a high demand for laboratory testing and quality assurance in solar projects and equipment.
First Solar will provide its high-performance, thin-film PV modules to help power two utility-scale PV power plants in the Netherlands, with both installations developed by Denmark's Obton.
