Modules

Silicon-based tandem solar cells and modules are expected to enter commercial production in 2027 with a module efficiency of 27%, according to the latest International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV) published by German engineering association VDMA.

Leapton Energy has launched a series of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules with a maximum power conversion efficiency of 22.95%.

A record of 53 manufacturers and 388 module types have been named “Top Performers” by Kiwa PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) in its 2024 Module Reliability Scorecard.

Current climate targets can only be achieved with a step away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy, and towards an all-electric society.

Finlay Colville noted that a greater emphasis on domestic manufacturing “changes the whole supply chain,” at the UK Solar Summit.

The REC Group has launched a new series of modules which uses heterojunction (HJT) cell technology and boasts a conversion efficiency of 22.5%

Maxeon Solar Technologies posted net losses of US$14.87 million in its Q1 2024 financial results. It also announced that its future utility-scale solar business will be “focused exclusively on the US”.

Juan Monge, principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie, says the EPBD timeline is plausible, although “the devil is in the detail”. 

Chinese solar manufacturer LONGi has launched a new solar module which it said exhibits the benefits of standardised module and wafer sizes in the solar industry.

Authors from Kiwa PVEL explore how and why they have seen that the test results on individual bill of materials combinations vary.