US-headquartered high-efficiency PV module producer SunPower has officially signed a new joint venture partnership in China to produce both solar cells and modules for its P-Series technology.
Russia-based integrated PV manufacturer Hevel Group has claimed its first fabricated heterojunction (HJ) solar cell has achieved a conversion efficiency of 21.75%.
German research institute Fraunhofer ISE has claimed a new record conversion efficiency for a 20mm x 20mm N-type multicrystalline cell using process match wafer and its TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) developed technology.
Monocrystal has launched its new MY-555 cost-saving back-side silver metallization paste for Passivated Emitter Rear Contact (PERC) solar cells. MY-555 was specially developed to meet the demand for product with efficient balance of silver content and paste consumption.
High-efficiency PV module producer and project developer SunPower has reached a production average cell conversion efficiency of 25% at its Fab 4 facility in the Philippines, the highest in the industry.
At the start of each year, when market observers do their annual look at the year ahead, there is normally always a vague statement about some type of widespread consolidation of companies set to unfold.
Specialist PV manufacturing equipment supplier Amtech Systems highlighted the confidence it had in a series of major new orders for high-efficiency n-type PERC and n-type bi-facial cell equipment including the first of a multi-phase 1GW turnkey project order during the reporting of its first 2017 fiscal quarter.
Integrated PV manufacturer SolarWorld is to shift its production focus to monocrystalline PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Contact) cells and modules and away from multicrystalline to build economies of scale with high-efficiency only products. With the realignment of production to mono PERC products, including bifacial modules, around 400 jobs would be lost by the end of 2019.
