Indian manufacturer Borosil Glass Works has completed acceptance tests for a major line of 2mm fully-tempered glass, which a company executive claims to be the first such glass produced at this thickness in the world.
The estimated PV system installation capacity in 2016 was ~70GW worldwide [1], as shown in Fig. 1. In fact, the production volume in 2015 was around 200 times that in 2000, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 40%. It has recently been noted that as the PV industry matures, the mindset is changing from $/W to $/kWh. While $/W is still a major driving force, the significance of other factors that influence the cost of energy must also be considered. In this regard, PV development is entering the era of $/kWh-oriented optimization.
Over and over again, at last week’s PV Expo trade show in Tokyo, PV Tech heard that those that will survive in Japan’s PV market will be the ones in it for the long haul. Andy Colthorpe spoke to industry observers and participants to get an inside look.
Double-glass PV modules are emerging as a technology which can deliver excellent performance and excellent durability at a competitive cost. In this paper a glass–glass module technology that uses liquid silicone encapsulation is described. The combination of the glass–glass structure and silicone is shown to lead to exceptional durability. The concept enables safe module operation at a system voltage of 1,500V, as well as innovative, low-cost module mounting through pad bonding.
Canadian Solar is introducing a 72-cell, 1500V ‘Diamond’ CS6X-P-FG PV module with heat-strengthened double glass configuration for commercial and utility-scale applications and is designed for high voltage systems of up to 1500 VDC, saving BOS costs.
Chile’s Atacama Desert has some of the best irradiance resources on the planet but also some of the harshest operation conditions. Scientists are working on a new type of bifacial glass-glass PV module, AtaMo, designed to make the best of the region’s resources while withstanding its rigours. Here they outline some promising preliminary results from the project.
