[SMM PV Flash] UNSW Achieves 23.5% Certified Efficiency for Large-Area Perovskite PV Submodule

India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has proposed a standardised naming system for solar cells listed under ALMM List-II, introducing a 14-character alphanumeric code to identify the origin of polysilicon, ingots, wafers and cells, as well as cell technology, wafer size and conversion efficiency. The proposed system will distinguish between domestic and overseas sourcing and cover technologies including PERC, TOPCon, HJT, BC and perovskite. Cell models that have already completed inspection or been listed under ALMM List-II will also be required to adopt the new naming format after the final rules are issued. The move is intended to improve supply chain transparency and product traceability while strengthening India’s oversight of domestic manufacturing qualification and imported solar products.

A joint investigation by Dutch internet intelligence company Modat and the Netherlands’ National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NL) identified 8,547 renewable energy systems across Europe that were directly accessible from the internet, including 7,942 solar PV systems across 34 countries. Exposed systems included management interfaces, control panels and other operational platforms, with some allowing remote functions such as system start-up, shutdown or reset. Researchers warned that such exposure could enable attackers to identify and potentially access renewable energy control networks. As solar plants increasingly rely on digital monitoring, remote operation and centralised control, cybersecurity risks associated with inverters, controllers and communication equipment are becoming a more important part of asset management.

Researchers at Guangdong University of Technology have developed a biomass lignin-based low-temperature silver paste for heterojunction (HJT) solar cells by partially replacing conventional petroleum-based epoxy resin with modified lignin. In the optimised formulation, lignin replaced around 25% of the epoxy resin while improving printability, adhesion and electrical conductivity, with contact resistance reduced by about 62%. HJT cells using the new paste achieved a conversion efficiency of 25.96%, compared with 25.01% using the reference formulation. As HJT metallisation relies heavily on low-temperature silver paste, material cost and paste performance remain important factors in cell manufacturing, and lignin-based formulations could provide an alternative route for material substitution and process optimisation.