Solar Cells Info

To make solar cells more efficient, sprinkle them with silver
Source: The Economist, Jan 8th 2009
http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12887225

MAKERS of solar cells face a dilemma. Purified silicon, the basic material of such cells, is expensive. The temptation, therefore, is to use less of it. As a result, the makers have developed a generation of cells whose silicon layers are only a micron or two deep, as opposed to the usual thickness of 200-300 microns. The thinner the cell, however, the less efficient it is. In particular, thin cells fail to capture much light at the red end of the spectrum. That means they produce up to 20% less electricity than standard cells of equivalent area. And that negates some of the advantage of their initial cheapness. (more…)

By Siân Harris
article published in SPIE Professional
Source: SPIE.ORG
http://spie.org/x32950.xml?highlight=x2358&ArticleID=x32950

In recent years, Germany has built an impressive market and industry base in photovoltaics. Now other European countries are following its lead. From SPIE Professional, January 2009. Dazzling sunshine is a poetic image. The idea of powering our homes and businesses from it is also a beautiful idea. Yet there is little that is poetic about one of the heroes in the quest to harvest solar energy from sunlight: legislation. (more…)

* The Future of Thin-Film and Organic Photovoltaics Manufacturing
* Thin Film Photovoltaics Markets: 2008 and Beyond
* The Future of Organic Electronics Manufacturing
Source: NanoMarkets.com
http://www.nanomarkets.net/products/prod_detail.cfm?prod=3&id=281

The major goal of this report is to analyze and quantify the markets for OPV materials of all kinds. The report includes discussions of both “pure” OPV (using small molecules and primarily polymers) and hybrid approaches to OPV (notably dye sensitive cells.) Coverage includes the latest R&D and commercialization efforts in the area of electrodes, encapsulation and substrates, as well as the core absorber layers, (more…)

The Chinese solar panel maker could use the manufacturing might to undercut competitors during a year when a panel bumper crop will likely happen.
by  Ucilia Wang, January 8, 2009
Source: GreenTechMedia.com
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/
suntech-boasts-1gw-capacity-amid-tough-times-for-solar-market-5480.html

Suntech Power Holdings has crossed the all-important milestone of being able to produce 1 gigawatt of solar panels a year.  The Chinese company celebrated the accomplishment Thursday along with the opening of a new headquarters in the city of Wuxi that comes with 1-megawatt solar panels built into building facade in addition to a host of energy-efficiency features. Suntech makes the solar cells and assembles them into panels.  Reaching 1 gigawatt is certainly worth boasting, although investors will care more about what the company does now that it has that capacity – and how it weathers the economic downturn. (more…)

* Completes First Polysilicon Production Run
* Celebrates 15 Million Safe Work Hours for 15,000 MT Polysilicon Plant
XINYU CITY, China and SUNNYVALE, Calif.,January 16, 2009
Source: LDK Solar Co. Ltd press release
http://www.ldksolar.com/Press%20Release.html

LDK Solar Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of multicrystalline solar wafers, today announced that a ceremony was held to recognize important company milestones that were reached in early January.  LDK Solar has continued to make significant progress with the construction of its polysilicon plants and is pleased to announce that the 1,000 metric ton (MT) annualized capacity polysilicon plant recently completed its first successful polysilicon production run. The company also announced that it has achieved a major milestone on the 15,000 MT annualized capacity polysilicon plant by completing 15 million safe work hours. (more…)

Source: CompoundSemiconductor.net / Jan 15, 2009
http://compoundsemiconductor.net/cws/article/lab/37358

An ambitious European project is expected to result in both a new material deposition system and higher-efficiency solar cells for concentrating photovoltaics.  Novel metal-organic sources of germanium and silicon could hold the key to a new generation of multi-junction solar cells, and ultimately to much cheaper solar energy production in sunny climates.  Researchers leading the European drive towards commercialization of concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) systems believe that growing germanium epilayers in these cells will represent a crucial step in the development of the technology. (more…)

Roth & Rau AG and Innovalight complete installation of world’s first silicon-ink based solar cell pilot production
Hohenstein-Ernstthal, 14 January 2009
Source: Roth & Rau AG press release  http://www.roth-rau.de/

Roth & Rau AG and Innovalight have completed the installation of the world’s first silicon-ink based solar cell production line. This first pilot manufacturing line has been built and installed at Innovalight, in Sunnyvale, California and has been qualified to operational capability over the last two months of 2008. (more…)

Source: UK Trade & Investment services, 18 Jan 2009
http://www.ukinvest.gov.uk/OurWorld/4041467/en-GB.html

New-generation nanotechnology solar cells are being developed at Surrey University for German energy giant E.ON.  The university’s Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) has received 1 million euro (£0.9 million) to research energy production, conversion and storage.  A key focus will be organic alternatives to mainstream silicon-based cells, which while being relatively efficient are expensive and difficult to make. (more…)

Booth display at the 2009 International Builders’ Show® in Las Vegas Convention Center (booth #C7759)
Frisco, TX,  January 15, 2009
Source: Sanyo Energy (USA) press release
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/story?cid=3066&id=54511

SANYO Energy (U.S.A.) Corporation, a subsidiary of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (SANYO), will display its advanced HIT. Double solar panels at The New American Home® 2009, while participating in the 2009 International Builders’ Show® (IBS), from January 20 – 23, 2009 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, booth #C7759. *HIT® stands for Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin-layer. HIT® solar cells developed by SANYO are hybrid solar cells composed of single crystalline silicon wafer surrounded by ultra-thin amorphous silicon layers. (more…)

By Anne Ju, Jan. 8, 2009
Source: Cornell Univ. press release
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Jan09/NanotubeInk.html

Using a simple chemical process, scientists at Cornell and DuPont have invented a method of preparing carbon nanotubes for suspension in a semiconducting “ink,” which can then be printed into such thin, flexible electronics as transistors and photovoltaic materials.  The method, which involves treating carbon nanotubes with fluorine-based molecules, is reported in the Jan. 9 issue of the journal Science (Vol. 323 No. 234). (more…)