The race is on as Panasonic snatches lead as most efficient solar panel

March 9, 2016 2017-10-25T09:25:59 by 8 Comments
panasonic most efficient panel

Panasonic snatch the title for most efficient panel from Sunpower.

Well that didn’t take long! No sooner had we published our article on SunPower grabbing the unofficial prize of most efficient solar panel for commercial use, than Japanese manufacturer Panasonic surprises with a late sprint to the line.

The Japanese manufacturer has now jumped into the lead in the solar conversion Premier League with not one but two records. The new record, which was verified by the Japanese government-funded National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, is an eye-catching photovoltaic module conversion efficiency of 23.8 percent. This leaves SunPower’s previous record in the dust by a full percentage point. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Panels Tagged With: , , ,

Sunpower grabs lead in bid for most efficient solar panel

March 3, 2016 2017-10-25T09:26:24 by 1 Comment
sunpower solar panels efficiency

Sunpower – the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of solar panels regain the ‘Most Efficient Panel’ Trophy.

It’s on for young and old in the battle for the prestigious title of the most efficient solar panel. For a number of weeks we’ve brought you commentaries on the remarkable breakthroughs achieved by Trina (here and here). Now Sunpower — the French-owned, US-based solar panel manufacturer — has stepped up to the plate with an announcement they have achieved a module efficiency rating of 22.8 percent for its X-Series solar panel. Another world record. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Panels Tagged With: , , , ,

New Year kicks off more solar cell efficiency gains

January 11, 2016 2017-10-25T09:27:51 by 5 Comments
30% badge on a solar panel

30% solar cell efficiency is on the way. That would mean a 50% reduction in the cost of solar. Hooray!

Will 2016 see the beginning of the end for fossil fuels in the wake of the rise and rise of green energy? Many commentators are saying this is the case and if solar cell efficiency gains are any indication, they have a good case. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Panels Tagged With: , , , ,

Trina Solar Panels deliver (yet another) efficiency record

January 2, 2016 2017-10-25T09:28:07 by 3 Comments
trina solar logo and panels

Trina Solar Panel Efficiencies Keep On Rising,

Trina Solar panels look set for a big 2016 with news that the company has achieved yet another solar cell efficiency record.

Fresh from trouncing its previous record for efficiency for a p-type polycrystalline silicon solar cell, Trina Solar announced last week they had achieved an efficiency of 22.13 percent for a 156 x 156mm² solar cell for a mono-crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell. This beats the company’s previous record of 21.40 percent, set in November 2014. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Panels Tagged With: ,

Do solar panels increase house value? 85 percent of Aussies think so

November 30, 2015 2017-10-25T09:29:10 by 6 Comments

 

for sale sign and solar panels

A recent study shows that solar really does increase the value of your home.

Australians overwhelmingly believe solar panels increase house value, according to joint research carried out earlier this year by Origin Energy and RealEstate.com.au and their optimism is backed by a number of surveys.

The Origin/RealEstate research found that 85 percent of respondents believe that having solar panels adds value to the home. Having a PV system rated the highest, leading energy efficient appliances, solar hot water and water tanks.

“This research demonstrates that solar panels could provide a real boost for homeowners if they decide to sell,” said Phil Craig, Executive General Manager of Corporate Affairs at Origin Energy. “Origin want to encourage Australians to start recognising their empty roof space could be an asset,” he added.

REA Group Chief Product Officer Henry Ruiz described having solar panels as “… a valuable investment” for homeowners.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Economics Of Solar Tagged With: , ,

New Sunpower solar panels to go from ‘crazy expensive’ to ‘expensive’.

November 24, 2015 2017-10-25T09:29:24 by 2 Comments
new sunpower solar panel

Sunpower are releasing new, cheaper solar panels in 2016. Hooray!

When SunPower talks, the solar market listens. This was the case this week as one of the globe’s leading PV manufacturers released their new line of SunPower solar panels. The company also gave financial forecasts for 2016, when it expects to “achieve revenue of $3.3 billion to $3.5 billion and gigawatts deployed in the range of 1.7 GW to 2.0 GW”. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Panels Tagged With: ,

New Trina solar cell efficiency record smashes previous mark

November 16, 2015 2017-11-10T13:36:18 by 3 Comments
solar panels on a roof and trina solar logo

Trina solar are still kicking goals in solar cell efficiency.

One year after setting the world record, the world’s largest Tier 1 solar panel manufacturer Trina Solar has done it again. The new benchmark for Trina solar cell efficiency for a p-type polycrystalline silicon solar cell has skyrocketed from 20.76 percent to 21.25 percent. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Panels Tagged With: , , ,

Harry Potter-style invisibility cloaks to improve solar cell efficiency?

October 13, 2015 2017-10-25T09:31:09 by 2 Comments
Image credit: http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Cloak_of_Invisibility

Image credit: http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Cloak_of_Invisibility

In a development that will bring a smile to the faces of Harry Potter fans, researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) announced this week the success of using invisibility cloaks to improve solar cell efficiency.

While the technology sounds very J. K. Rowling, the benefits of invisibility cloaks for solar cell efficiency — or at least technology that acts very much like invisibility cloaks — are very real. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Innovations Tagged With: , , ,

Stanford team develops coating to boost solar cell efficiency

September 29, 2015 2017-10-25T09:31:35 by 1 Comment
mono and poly crystalline solar cells

When solar cells get hot they lose efficiency. Researchers have developed a coating that keeps cells cooler.

Contrary to popular thought, heat reduces solar cell efficiency. As the cells heat up from the direct glare of the sun, their efficiency in converting light into electricity drops markedly. Depending on the system used and the location, losses can reduce output up to 10 to 25 percent.

This conundrum has vexed the industry for many years. After all, solar cells need the sun to work and this generates heat. So how to solve this problem and increase the light-to-electricity efficiency of solar cells?

Enter a team of researchers from Stanford University who have developed a transparent coating for the cells. The film keeps the cells cool as they heat up under the sun. Made of patterned silicon, the secret to this remarkable film is that, while it allows visible light to pass, it also absorbs and even emits the infrared rays, the source of thermal radiation. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Innovations Tagged With: , ,

Perovskite: the Bond villain at the head of the new solar cell revolution

January 28, 2015 2017-10-25T09:40:15 by 11 Comments
blofeld and soolar panel

Ernst Stavro Blofeld, a pussy and some solar panels, yesterday.

One of the great enjoyments in writing this blog is the opportunity it gives me to bring you news about the latest innovation in solar energy. From breakthroughs in solar cell technology to improvements in solar lifestyle, to the latest progress in solar farms, advancements in the research labs, universities and science organisations never seem to end.

However this week sees not a new discovery but the return of an old SolarQuotes favourite: perovskite. More specifically the role it will play in the future of photovoltaics and solar energy generation.

Favourite? Well yes, for two reasons. We’ve written before on the potential game changing aspects of perovskite in solar cell technology and — just as importantly — because the mineral sounds so much like it escaped from a James Bond film. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Innovations Tagged With: ,
Get The SolarQuotes Weekly Newsletter