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Spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a large number of photovoltaic factories along the entire PV value chain are currently being constructed in the USA. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE is providing support in technology selection, product design and even during factory ramp-up for some of these companies. PV manufacturers are focusing on production technologies for high-efficiency heterojunction solar cells and particularly for TOPCon solar cells. Also shingle matrix PV modules for use in integrated PV products and space applications are becoming very popular. At the RE+ held from September 9-12 in Anaheim, California, researchers from Fraunhofer ISE will be on location to provide information on the advantages and disadvantages of current PV technologies and their manufacturing processes.

How can Indian cities be decarbonized through renewable energies and modern energy system technology? What experiences from Europe can possibly be transferred? This is what Mrinal Madas from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in New Delhi is currently researching as a guest scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. The business manager and engineer has been awarded a German Chancellor Fellowship by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for prospective leaders from India.

Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) could once again become an economically attractive and high-efficient PV technology for regions with high direct solar irradiance. To leverage its advantages, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and Soltec have partnered to develop a prototype of a two-axis tracker which is designed to smoothly integrate with Fraunhofer ISE’s latest micro-CPV technology. Soltec and Fraunhofer ISE plan to install a first prototype in Spain by the end of 2024.

Can Germany meet its electricity demand with renewables? How much electricity is imported from nuclear and coal-fired power plants? Will a solar eclipse lead to a blackout? Ten years ago, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE launched the "Energy Charts" data platform to objectify the debate on the energy transition. Today, the website offers detailed interactive data not only on electricity generation, climate data, emissions and exchange prices for Germany but also on the electricity generation for 42 Eu-ropean countries and the European electricity exchange. This makes it one of the most comprehensive data platforms on the European energy market today.

At 140 terawatt hours, more renewable electricity was generated in Germany in the first half of 2024 than ever before, accounting for 65% of net public electricity generation. Generation from fossil fuels continues to decline as do the electricity prices on the exchange. These are the findings of the half-year data on net public electricity generation presented today by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. The analysis is based on the data platform energy-charts.info.