Weekly Update (Jan. 6th)

Astronergy this week

1. ASTRO N TOPCon #PV modules to be installed at 355MWdc Walla Walla Solar Farm in #Australia. The Walla Walla farm is expected to be completed in 2024 and is forecast to generate an annual 700,000 MWh of electricity, supplying some 90,000 local households while eliminating 520,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The project will also boost the local economy with the creation of up to 250 construction jobs.

The module to be deployed is the 182mm ASTRO N5 bifacial double-glass model, providing power of up to 625W, with an efficiency of up to 22.4% and a high level of performance with only 1% degradation in the first year. The module also carries a 30-year warranty from Ariel RE, giving project owners an additional level of performance guarantee.

2. This week's Astronegy Q&A is about PVEL – one of the most authoritative third-party institutions in PV industry.

?PV industry brief news this week

1. China aims to add 160 GW of wind, solar capacity in 2023

China's National Energy Administration (NEA) says that the country added 65.7 GW of solar and 22.5 GW of wind in the first 11 months of 2022. It expects the nation to add 160 GW of wind and solar capacity in 2023.

The NEA said that if China reaches its 2023 installation target of 160 GW of wind and solar, it would represent year-on-year growth of 33%. It added that it expects the country's cumulative solar capacity to reach 490 GW by the end of 2023, including 430 GW of wind power.

2. Zimbabwe announces incentives for 1 GW of IPP solar projects

The Zimbabwean government has agreed to guarantee viable power tariffs to 27 solar projects by independent power producers (IPPs). Developers are set to build 997.9 MW of capacity, with a total investment of around $1 billion.

3. Germany installed 675 MW of solar in November

Germany's newly installed PV capacity for November consisted of 596 MW of subsidized systems and 73 MW of installations built without public support. In the first 11 months of 2022, the country added around 6.8 GW of new solar capacity.

4. Japan's Okinawa prefecture curtails solar generation for first time

Okinawa Electric Power Co. has curtailed electricity supplied by solar plants and other renewables for the first time. The Japanese utility said it was forced to apply the measures in response to high solar radiation levels and low energy demand during the holiday period.

5. Polysilicon prices continue to drop

The silicon branch of the?CNMIA?has released an update on polysilicon prices.

It reports that prices for monocrystalline silicon currently range from CNY 148 ($21.50)/kg to CNY 182/kg, while polycrystalline silicon prices are between CNY 145/kg and CNY 177/kg. Compared to the peak registered in November, the average price of the raw material has fallen by more than 42%.

6. Montenegro slashes VAT on solar panels to 7%

Mico Djukanovic, the president of Montenegrin utility Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG), said on his Twitter account this week that the VAT on solar panels has been reduced from 21% to 7%.

Eyes on PV tech development

1. Techniques to build thermally co-evaporated mini perovskite solar panels

Scientists in Singapore have reviewed all thermal evaporation techniques for the production of perovskite solar cells and modules. Despite limitations, the new methods could lead to high production throughputs and more efficient products.

2. A closer look at potential-induced degradation in solar cells

UK scientists have examined the impacts of potential-induced degradation (PID) in solar cells and modules, based on a field study from a 1.2 MW PV system in Spain. Meanwhile, in a separate study, scientists in Japan have created a model for one of the less-investigated PID mechanisms, creating a model of its progress that will be useful in future research and mitigation efforts.

3. PV could turn Europe into ‘solar-to-X economy’

New research from LUT University shows the central role of solar in Europe’s attempt to reach its 2050 zero-emissions target. It describes how photovoltaics will gradually become the characteristic element of the Old Continent’s emerging energy system by extending its use to the heat and mobility sectors.

4. Semi-transparent solar cell based on silicon-germanium quantum wells

German scientists have developed a solar cell with multiple quantum wells to enable higher levels of photocurrent. The 3.4%-efficient device could be used for glass facades in buildings and windows, sunroofs in vehicles, and greenhouses for agrivoltaics.