The Victorian government in Australia has confirmed plans to give a AU$ 0.30/kWh (US$0.23) payment to residential solar system owners that supply electricity to the grid during peak hours.
With the PV industry continually pushing for ever-higher silicon solar cell efficiencies, the requirements on the electronic quality of the bulk material are becoming more stringent. Advanced characterization of silicon
ingots after cutting into bricks allows early quality control and immediate feedback in crystal growth, thereby facilitating shorter R&D cycles, higher yield, lower cost and higher product quality in mass manufacturing.
Light-induced degradation (LID) in both Czochralski (Cz) and multicrystalline p-type silicon is one of the biggest challenges currently faced by the PV industry. Over the next few years it will be necessary to develop
cost-effective solutions and integrate them into manufacturing lines. This is particularly important for the successful adoption of the passivated emitter rear cell (PERC), since this cell architecture has been shown to
be highly susceptible to degradation.
Rooftop solar will play a crucial role in supplying electricity to the world’s burgeoning city populations due to the ease of retrofitting PV onto established buildings, according to the latest report from International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
China-based PV manufacturer and project developer ET Solar signed a cooperation agreement with the largest PV inverter producer, Huawei as it aligns key suppliers around its plans to build 1GW of PV power plants around the globe over the next 12 months.
In this week's segment, PV Tech reports on energy storage in Australia, acquisitions in India, and policy-makers in the US, in a round-up of the most dynamic employment stories over the last fortnight.
Ideal Power, a power conversion expert, has partnered with EnerDel and its lithium-ion batteries to create a mobile solar-plus-storage microgrid for the US Air Force.
The Indian state of Madhya Pradesh plans to extend its guarantee to developers bidding for capacity in the 750MW Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Park, so that payments will be met by the government in the case of any default from the off-takers.
In this week's Movers & Shakers, PV Tech centres in on employment news in the US, as we examine career shifts in storage, manufacturing, non-profit and integrated energy companies.
