Solar Cells Info

Nov. 21, 2007
Source: SolidState Technology
http://sst.pennnet.com/display_article/312849/5/
ARTCL/none/none/1/PV-in-Japan

Ulvac is gearing up for mass production of thin-film solar cells, having spent 3B yen (~$27.2M) for a dedicated production line at its main plant in Kanagawa Prefecture, where after equipment installation in September, production is currently being tested and quality confirmed, notes the Nikkei Business Daily. The equipment utilizes 1.1m x 1.4m glass substrates, from which about 100W worth of solar cells can be produced.
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Asia Pulse, November 19, 2007
Source: News from LexisNexis /Semiconductor International
http://www.semiconductor.net/articleXml/LN703468440.html

Ulvac Inc. (www.ulvac.com) is gearing up to mass produce manufacturing equipment for thin-film solar cells.  The company spent 3 billion yen ($27US.2 million) to build a dedicated production line for the manufacturing equipment in its main plant in Kanagawa Prefecture. Installation was completed in September. At present, mass production of solar cells is being tested and production quality is being confirmed. (more…)

75 million euro investment creates 180 new jobs –
Source: SCHOTT Solar press release / Nov. 6, 2007
http://www.schott.com/english/news/press.html

Today, SCHOTT, the technology group based in Mainz, Germany, inaugurated industrial mass production of thin-film solar modules in Jena by its subsidiary, SCHOTT Solar GmbH. By investing a total of 75 million euros towards a state-of-the art manufacturing facility with a module capacity of 33 megawatts (MW) per year, SCHOTT will be creating an additional 180 jobs at its Jena site.
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Posted by Martin LaMonica /November 9, 2007
Source: CNet.com news
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9814084-54.html

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory gave out awards on Thursday to two companies developing solar electric cells they hope will bring a breakthrough in solar panel efficiency.  Top prize went to Wakonda Technologies, based in upstate New York, which is commercializing “virtual single crystal” technology.
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Honda Soltec Commemorates Opening of Solar Cell Production Plant; Accelerating Honda’s Energy Creation Business
Tokyo, Japan, Nov 12, 2007
Source: JCN Network newswire
http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=16070

Honda Soltec Co., Ltd., Honda’s wholly-owned solar cell subsidiary, today commemorated the opening of its solar cell production plant with a ceremony attended by approximately 80 dignitaries, guests and Honda officials, including Yoshiko Shiotani, the governor of Kumamoto prefecture; Junichi Mitsuyama, the deputy general manager of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment Department, Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI); and Isao Ieiri, the mayor of Ohzu-machi; as well as Takeo Fukui, the president and CEO of Honda.
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Source: Telegraph.co.uk /Nov 3, 2007
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml?
xml=/motoring/2007/11/03/mfshow03.xml
from the report
“Tokyo Motor Show: Japan’s new horizons are full of cuddly cars ”

Honda’s own thin-film photovoltaic solar cells went on sale this week in Japan. They are claimed to offer about half the payback time of conventional silicon crystal cells and are guaranteed for 10 years. Each 1.4×0.79 metre panel generates 125 watts of electricity in direct sunshine and has a conversion ratio of 11 per cent, against the industry standard for silicon cells of 15 to 17 per cent, although Sanyo announced a 22 per cent silicon cell this week.
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October 18, 2007
Source: Solid State Technology
http://sst.pennnet.com/display_article/309588/5/ARTCL/
none/none/1/IMEC-touts-record-efficiencies-in-Si,-Ge-solar-cells/

IMEC says it has achieved >17% efficiency with thin-film silicon solar cells, and says >20% efficiencies “are definitely within reach.” Meanwhile, the research group says it is nearing the theoretical efficiency limits of Ge solar cells.  IMEC’s work involves an “i-PERC process” that replaces the Al backsurface field on a Si solar cell with thin silicon layers (<180nm) to create Al-alloyed contacts covering the entire rear side of the cell. The rear is passivated with a dielectric stack in which contact openings are realized by laser ablation. An Al contact layer is evaporated and fired in a belt-line furnace to create local back-surface fields.
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Nuying Huang, Taipei; Esther Lam
Source: DIGITIMES, 19 October 2007
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20071019PD205.html

Japan-based thin-film solar module maker Kaneka believes that fellow industry players can hardly survive in the photovoltaic(PV) race with crystalline silicon-based solar applications from competitors if they cannot achieve a power conversion rate of 12-13%, said company solar energy division executive officer Mikio Hatta during the recent 2007 PV Forum & Exhibition Taiwan.  Although being in the thin-film solar module business for about a decade, Kaneka has been cautious about the market trend as thin-film based materials are drawing more attention in the PV industry. With more industry players tapping thin-film solar cell production in a rapidly growing PV market, Hatta said the market is still in a state of start up and it is hard to forecast when a meaningful take off will be seen.
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22 October 2007
Source: Semiconductor-today.com
http://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/NEWS_2007/OCT_07/HELIOVOLT_221007.htm

HelioVolt Corp of Austin, TX, USA, which has developed thin-film solar cells based on copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), has raised $24m from investors including Sequel Venture Partners, Noventi Ventures, and Passport Capital. This brings HelioVolt’s second-round funding to $101m, including $77m raised in August. Total funding is now $109m, including $8m from 2005’s first round.   Founded in 2001, HelioVolt is using the funds to build an $80m manufacturing plant and is considering several sites, including Austin. It has won approval from the Austin City Council for a 10-year abatement of 60% of its property taxes, after pledging to create at least 168 jobs (the firm’s current staffing is about 40).
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San Jose, CA, October 4, 2007
Source: EE Times
http://www.eetimes.com/news/semi/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202201012

Ascent Solar Technologies Inc., a developer of thin-film photovoltaic materials, has obtained more funding from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The goal is to increase the funding of Ascent Solar’s development of thin-film tandem photovoltaics (PV), based on monolithically integrated CIGS technology. The contract modification represents up to $749,000 of additional contract value over a 27-month period.
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