Solar Cells Info

by Nancy Cheng, Taipei; Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 5 May 2009
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090505PD201.html

Switzerland-based Oerlikon, in preparation for fast emerging orders for production equipment of amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules from the Asian market once the global economy recovers, will outsource the production of such equipment to Singapore-based EMS provider Flextronics International, with components supply from Taiwan-based makers, according to Oerlikon Taiwan. (more…)

by Dawn Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 30 April 2009
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090430PD204.html

Everphoton Energy has won an open bid held by Taiwan’s Institute of Nuclear Energy Research of the Cabinet-level Atomic Energy Council to set up a 200KWp high-concentration PV (HCPV) system in southern Taiwan, with completion scheduled for mid-August 2009, according to the company. In addition to the project, Everphoton will set up a demonstration CPV power-generating system using solar cells made from III-V compound semiconductors which it will complete by the end of September 2009, the company indicated. (more…)

by Nuying Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 7 May 2009
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090507PD201.html

The China government plans to sharply raise the 2020 goal for the total installation volume of photovoltaic (PV) power-generating systems around the country from 1.8GWp currently to 10GWp or even 20GWp, industry sources in Taiwan cited China-based media as reporting. (more…)

by Frost and Sullivan, London, 11 May 2009
http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/press-release.pag?docid=167428688

Increased competition and the global economic crisis have cast clouds upon the Western European solar energy market. Falling polysilicon and solar module prices have the potential to cement China’s role as a solar manufacturing hub. In terms of installed capacity, the United States is playing a greater role as more and more states are putting the renewable energy standards into existence. Despite these market developments and the current economic crisis, the future of Europe’s solar energy market continues to appear bright as new emerging markets within Europe may turn into strong performers. (more…)

by  Nuying Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 15 May 2009
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090515PD200.html

LDK Solar, the largest China-based producer of solar-grade polycrystalline silicon wafers, maintains a quarterly shipment level of at least 200MWp in equivalent, for all of its supply contracts are on long-term basis and not influenced by the current depressed market, according to company chairman and CEO Xiaofeng Peng.  However, a few clients have requested temporary delay in shipment of wafers due to insufficient funds and/or orders, Peng indicated while in Taipei. LDK’s annual capacity in 2009 will be equivalent to 1,500MWp, the same as in 2008, Peng said. (more…)

by Nuying Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 26 May 2009
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090526PD200.html

Taiwan-based Neo Solar Power on May 25 announced the successful trial production of Supercell, a polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) solar cell with an energy conversion rate of 16.8%. Volume production will begin soon, the company said. The energy conversion rate of Supercell is higher than those of ordinary poly-Si solar cells by 0.6-1 percentage point due to increased absorption of solar light and improved metal electrodes, Neo Solar said. Since the production of Supercell does not entail additional equipment, it will help increase Neo Solar’s overall gross margin, the company indicated. (more…)

by Tom Cheyney, PVTech, 26 May 2009
http://www.pv-ech.org/chip_shots/_a/
exclusive_a_conversation_with_first_solars_bruce_sohn_part_ii–we_sell_elec/

Although First Solar has indeed ramped 23 module production lines across its three manufacturing sites (with the 24th soon to follow), the company remains notoriously guarded about the inner workings of its processes and manufacturing facilities as well as its R&D activities. Not coming close to taking the bait, Sohn won’t answer any specific questions about film thickness uniformities or process temperature ranges or whether the research team is working on next-generation tandem-junction CdTe or even its own version of copper-indium-gallium-(di)selenide (CIGS). Nevertheless, he does shed some light on the company’s overall approach. (more…)

By Paul Buckley, Winchester, UK, 20 April 2009
Source: EETimes/Power Management

Sunfilm, AG (Grossroehrsdorf, Germany) and Applied Materials, Inc., (Santa Clara, California) have revealed that the world’s first tandem junction SunFab Thin Film Line installed at Sunfilm’s Grossroehrsdorf facility has achieved factory acceptance.  Using 5.7m² substrates, the line passed final acceptance test certification, verifying that it has met specifications for producing solar photovoltaic modules with efficiencies of up to eight percent, as well as yield and overall annual capacity specifications. The line is now beginning volume production. (more…)

by Paul Buckley, Winchester, UK, May 25, 2009
Source: EETimes
http://eetimes.eu/germany/217600857

ENN Solar Energy Co., Ltd, the subsidiary of China’s biggest private energy provider, ENN Group, is launching new silicon thin film solar modules in the German market at InterSolar 2009 in Munich.  The Chinese company produces thin film solar modules with the innovative Tandem Junction technology that features two layers of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon applied to the glass substrate. (more…)

by Aaron Hand, Executive Editor, Electronic Media
Source: Semiconductor International, 22 May 2009

Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. (Tokyo) announced today that it has broken its own record for the highest energy conversion efficiency for a crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell in a practical size (≥100 cm2). Sanyo’s proprietary HIT (heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer) photovoltaic cell conversion efficiency has been boosted from 22.3% to 23.0% at the research level, as validated by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). (more…)