Solar Cells Info

China Nuvo Solar Energy Announces Plans to Use Thin Film CIGS in Its Pilot Production Project
West Palm Beach, Fl, April 9, 2008
Source: China Nuo Solar Energy Inc. press release /BusinessWire
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080409005268&newsLang=en

China Nuvo Solar Energy, Inc. (the “Company” or “China Nuvo”) (OTCBB: CNUV) announced today that it will be developing a low-cost solar cell based on thin-film CIGS technology with its collaboration partner, Pioneer Materials, Inc. (“PMI”), at its pilot production facility in Chengdu, China. CIGS, which stands for copper indium gallium selenium, has achieved the highest efficiency for thin-film photovoltaics at 19.9%, which rivals the performance of crystalline based silicon solar cells. With thin-film manufacturing techniques, CIGS thin-film solar cells can be made with 1/100th of the materials used in crystalline based silicon solar cells. (more…)

Increasing Efficiencies For Thin Film Solar Cells: Different Approaches Researched By The US DOE

By Dr. Harry Zervos, IDTechEx /4 April 2008
Source. Photonics Online
http://www.photonicsonline.com/content/news/article.asp?DocID=%7BEEC11AEA-997C-4C5D-84CA-9BFDBAF936D5%7D&Bucket=Current+Headlines&VNETCOOKIE=NO

Recently, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced that they have moved closer to creating a thin-film solar cell that can compete with the efficiency of the more common silicon-based solar cell. The Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide(CIGS) thin-film solar cell recently reached 19.9% efficiency in testing at the lab, setting a new world record, as the NREL revealed on March 24 2008. (more…)

Solar Energy Company Sencera raises $3.6 Million to Build 1 Megawatt PV Manufacturing Platform
Charlotte, N.C., Apr 15, 2008
Source: Sencera International Corp./BusinessWire/TradingMarkets.com

Sencera International Corporation, a photovoltaic thin film module and systems developer, announced today that it has secured a $3.6 million equity investment. Funds will be used to accelerate increases in cell efficiency and to complete process integration of the Viper(TM) manufacturing platform. This process is projected to manufacture solar modules at a cost less than $1 per watt. The investment is led by The Quercus Trust. “The Quercus Trust has a long history of investing in the renewable energy sector,” stated Sencera CEO, Dr. Rusty Jewett. “We feel privileged to be part of their portfolio.” (more…)

April 17, 2008
Source: Money.CNN.com/Marketwire
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0387888.htm

Solar Thin Films, Inc. (OTCBB: SLTN) today announced that it has received an order from Grupo Unisolar, S.A. (“Grupo Unisolar”) to build a 5MW turn-key a-SI Module thin film photovoltaic manufacturing plant. The facility, which will be based in Spain, will be sold to Grupo Unisolar for an aggregate purchase price of $12,300,000. In connection with the sale of the plant, the Company also agreed to provide certain installation and testing services to Grupo Unisolar. Solar Thin Films CEO, Peter Lewis, stated, “We are delighted to be associated with Grupo Unisolar. Our thin film technology presents a solution that is both cost effective and environmentally friendly.” (more…)

Source: PVTech.Org News /15 April 2008
http://www.pv-tech.org/materials/article/fluor_given_epcm_services_contract_on_ldk_solars_1_billion_polysilicon_plan

LDK SolarFluor Corporation has officially stated that it has been awarded the contract for engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services by LDK Solar for its under-construction $1 billion, 15,000MT polysilicon plant in Xinyu City, Jiangxi, China.  “Fluor and LDK Solar are dedicated to bringing this fast-track project online to meet the increasing worldwide demand for polysilicon-based renewable energy sources,” said David Seaton, President of Fluor’s Energy & Chemicals Group. “With the increasing importance of the China market for Fluor’s energy & chemicals clients, we expect this world-class, state-of-the-art polysilicon facility to set the stage to meet this growing demand.” (more…)

Spire Establishes Leadership Position in China with Integrated Solar Factory for Jiangxi Gemei Sci-Tech LTD
Bedford, MA, April 2, 2008
Source: Spire Corp. press release /BusinessWire
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=76421&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1124808&highlight=

Spire Corporation (Nasdaq: SPIR), a global solar company providing turnkey solar factories and capital equipment to manufacture photovoltaic modules worldwide, today announced it has won a contract in China for a combined solar module and solar cell facility. This order includes a 25-megawatt (MW) module factory and an adjacent 25MW solar cell factory designed to produce high efficiency multi-crystalline cells. (more…)

15MW/Year Crystalline Cell Module Line in New Delhi to Support Building Integrated PV Market
Bedford, MA,  April 16, 2008
Source: SPire Corp. press release /BusinessWire
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=76421&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1130361&highlight=

Spire Corporation (Nasdaq: SPIR), a global solar company providing turnkey solar factories and capital equipment to manufacture photovoltaic modules worldwide, today announced that it has received a contract from Alpex Exports Pvt. Ltd. to provide a photovoltaic module assembly line for that company’s operations in New Delhi, India.  Alpex is an international trading company. This will be the company’s first solar energy facility and will support its growth into both the standard module, and Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) markets. BIPV systems typically substitute traditional architectural building materials and exterior facades with energy-producing solar panels. (more…)

Source: PVTech.org /07 April 2008
http://www.pv-tech.org/materials/article/gt_solar_wins_first_polysilicon_reactor_deal_in_europe

GT SolarThe Silicon Mine B.V., a solar grade silicon start-up, has placed a $91 million order with GT Solar for 48 rod, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactors and silicon tetrachloride (STC) hydrogenation conversion units for its first polysilicon plant based in The Netherlands. This is the first win in Europe for GT Solar, according to the company. (more…)

Source: international.news.bg /April 9, 2008
http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_490361042

Near Pazardjik city (Southern Bulgaria) will be build the biggest solar station in Eastern Europe.  It is foreseen to be located over an area of 2,000 sq m.  The mayor of Pazardjik already had entered into the municipality council suggestion for the purchase of the land, estimated to almost 480,000 BGN (240,000 EUR). The investments are on the amount of over 30 million BGN (15 million EUR). (more…)

Littletown, CO, April 1, 2008
Source: Ascent Solar Technologies Inc, press release
http://www.ascentsolar.com/view.php?tg=press&id=60

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTI) announced today that it has entered into a definitive cooperation agreement with ICP Solar Technologies Inc. (OTCBB:ICPR) (FRANKFURT:K1U.F). Pursuant to the agreement, Ascent Solar will provide ICP Solar with thin-firm photovoltaic (PV) material from Ascent Solar’s existing 1.5 MW production line in 2008 and 2009, during which time ICP Solar will develop, test, and integrate Ascent Solar’s PV materials into ICP Solar’s portable power and other electronic integrated PV products. (more…)