Solar Cells Info

OptiSolar’s giant 550MW facility would be 40 times larger than current largest solar farm
Sarah Griffiths, BusinessGreen, 25 Apr 2008
Source: BusinessGreen.com
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2215297/california-plans-world-largest

Solar energy specialist OptiSolar yesterday revealed plans to build the world’s largest solar farm at a site in California stretching over nearly ten square miles.  If planning approval is granted the 550MW facility will be some 40 times larger than the biggest solar farm in operation today and is expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 190,000 homes. (more…)

Source: Oerlikon group press release /April 23, 2008
http://swiss-press.com/newsflashartikel.cfm?art=News&key=271612&parm=detail
Oerlikon Solar’s above-average sales increase which is to be expected in the second half of the year will contribute to the positive development in the further course of the business year. A further large order was signed yesterday – with a first customer from Mainland China.

The new segment Oerlikon Solar already showed its enormous growth potential in the first quarter. Compared to the same period last year, sales increased from CHF 43.2 million by over 90 per cent to CHF 82.4 million, just as expected. Order intake amounted to CHF 17.6 million, orders on hand to CHF 403.2 million. The production line for the customer ersol Thin Film was successfully increased to full capacity and the goals set together with the customer were well exceeded. (more…)

News from LexisNexis / Asia Pulse, April 23, 2008
Source: Semiconductor.net
http://www.semiconductor.net/articleXml/LN780233191.html

Amid a shortage of silicon supplies, Sanyo Electric Co. (TSE:6764) intends to begin mass-producing thin-film solar cells by 2010, two years earlier than initially planned.   Compared with polysilicon cells, thin-film offerings use around one-100th the amount of silicon. And although they cost roughly half as much to make, thin-film solar cells are less efficient at converting sunlight into electricity. Using new technology, the products to be mass-produced will have their power generation efficiency boosted from the current norm of 10 per cent to as much as 14 per cent, the highest level yet.
(more…)

Global Solar Joins Dow in Solar America Initiative to Help Deliver Hi-tech, Thin-film BIPV Products for Building Construction, Including Flexible Solar Shingles
Tucson, Ariz. – April 28, 2008
Source: Global Solar Energy, press release
http://www.globalsolar.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=74&Itemid=107

Global Solar Energy, a solar industry leader that manufactures highly-efficient thin-film solar cells for glass modules or flexible material
products, today announced Dow Building Solutions, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, has invited Global Solar to participate in its U.S. Department of Energy Solar America Initiative (SAI) project to help create innovative building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products. As a part of its SAI program, Dow is creating a flexible solar roof shingle, and has made Global Solar a key team member in its development. (more…)

by Jeremy Jacquot / April 28th, 2008
Source: venturebeat.com
http://venturebeat.com/2008/04/28/xunlight-raises-22m-for-thin-film-solar-modules/

Who said academic egg-heads can’t craft compelling business plans? Xunlight, a developer of cheap, flexible thin-film silicon solar modules, has capped off a $22 million second round of funding, led by Trident Capital, Emerald Technology Ventures and NGP Energy Technology Partners. (more…)

Nuying Huang, Taipei; Esther Lam
Source: DIGITIMES , 23 April 2008
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080423PD207.html

After securing patents for building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solar modules, Lucky Power projects a critical output jump in solar module production will promise the company with rising sales in 2008.  After starting solar module volume production in 2007 and focusing on the BIPV segment, Lucky Power has secured many patents in this field, said company general manager Hu Shau-De (transliterated from Chinese). Despite the company still running with a small loss on an actual output of 1.6 peak megawatt (MWp) in 2007, the company projects that its output will grow to 18MWp, representing a 11.25-fold jump. If more materials are secured, output is set to expand further, the company stressed.  (more…)

Source: Bystronic Glass.com press release /April 23, 2008
http://www.bystronic-glass.com/global/com/en/lists/news/News_l_pvmoduls.php

Lenhardt’s Bystronic glass technology centre has reason to celebrate another decisive success in introducing TPS ® thermoplastic adhesives and sealants into the photovoltaic industry: Production of the first TPS ® design Photovoltaik modules has begun in Freiburg Germany . The specific application was concentrator modules of German company Concentrix Solar GmbH. That makes these the first modules for which the TPS ® applications system of Lenhardt Maschinenbau GmbH has played a decisive role in production. (more…)

Trübbach/Taiwan, April 16, 2008
Source: Oerlikon Solar press release
http://www.oerlikon.com/ecomaXL/index.php?site=SOLAR_EN_press_releases_detail&udtx_id=5843

With CMC, Oerlikon Solar’s first Asian customer now gets production underway. Over the last few months, the turnkey 40 MWp (megawatt peak) line was transported from Truebbach (Switzerland) to Taiwan, assembled and configured to begin pilot operation today. Oerlikon experts are providing support for the entire process through to the ultimate start of production in the second half of 2008. “Oerlikon Solar has done an excellent job. All targets have been met or exceeded – this is our idea of how successful cooperation should work,” said Bob Wong, Chairman of CMC, expressing his enthusiasm. The plant now installed is the beginning of a long-term partnership between CMC and Oerlikon in the solar market, which also includes joint development projects. (more…)

Beijing, April 24, 2008
Source: Oerlikon Solar press release
http://www.oerlikon.com/ecomaXL/index.php?site=SOLAR_EN_press_releases_detail&udtx_id=5888

Oerlikon Solar and Baoding Tianwei announced today the contract signing for a turnkey thin film solar module production line. The initial production capacity will be 46.5 MWp (Megawatt peak) per year. The deal includes all major thin-film solar module production equipment including metrology and testing facilities. In the coming months the machinery will be shipped, installed and commissioned by a team of Oerlikon Solar experts. The project site is located in Bao Ding。 (more…)

by Dr. Paula Doe, Contributing Editor, Solid-State Technology
Source: Solid State Technology /April 24, 2008
http://sst.pennnet.com/display_article/326845/5/WNART/none/UPFRN/1/

What country surpassed perennial solar leader Japan in photovoltaic production last year, turning out more than 1GW of solar cells? That would be China, where a new crowd of suppliers also plans to ramp production of 3GW in thin film cells over the next two years. And Asia is just getting started. Major PV makers in Taiwan plan to increase capacity to more than 2GW, those in India to 1GW, by 2010, according to reports from Solid State Technology partner Nikkei Microdevices and the Japanese consultancy Tech Biz, based in part on data from the regional solar industry associations. By way of comparison, Solarbuzz reports worldwide solar production last year totaled about 3.4GW. (more…)