US-based Creighton University has equipped a new student residence with solar heat collectors generating an annual peak capacity of 69.9 kW thermal energy. The VirtuHOT HD system, conceived for rooftop applications, includes an absorber plate, a borosilicate glass tube, and an integrated mounting system.

To perform a wide range of tests on new types of PV modules under realistic conditions, EKO Instruments has introduced PV Blocks, an expandable all-in-one type of system  with capacity for up to 32 modules. It is targeted at research labs, module manufacturers, and testing organizations. 

Sweden-based Epishine has launched a developer kit based on its 6-cell 50 mm x 50 mm organic PV module for prototyping and testing its use in battery-free indoor sensing and monitoring devices.

TCL Zhonghuan has raised funds to build a polysilicon and cell factory, while Haitai Solar has changed the location of its 10 GW TOPCon factory from Yancheng, Jiangsu province, to Chuzhou, Anhui province.

German equipment supplier 4JET has launched a new thin film system designed for P1, P2 and P3 laser scribing of perovskite, cadmium telluride (CdTe), and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar technologies.

BASF and China’s Oriental Yuhong have developed thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) roofing membranes for rooftop solar PV applications, while GCL New Energy has sold 558 MW of operational solar capacity.

A team of Dutch university students under the banner Top Dutch Solar Racing has installed perovskite silicon tandem cells in its entry in the 16th edition of Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. The upcoming race is a six day, 3000 km expedition across the Australian continent, from Darwin to Adelaide.

Developed by Taiwan-based Flexwave, the monocrystalline-based PV module relies on passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) cell technology and is available in two versions with a power output of 1,250 mW and 3,050 mW, respectively.

JinkoSolar says it shipped 52 GW of PV modules in the first nine months of 2023, bringing its total shipments to 190 GW since its foundation.

Spanish researchers claim to have established new measurement methods to assess the performance degradation of PV modules without the need for removing and reinstalling the tested PV modules from their operating positions. The new approach is claimed to increase productivity in PV plant quality control activities.