Solar Cells Info

December 10, 2007
Source: SolidStateTechnology.com
http://sst.pennnet.com/display_article/314319/5/ARTCL/
none/none/1/Japan-Korea-JV-to-make-solar-cell-tool-components/

Japanese semiconductor parts supplier Ferrotec and Korean LCD devicemaker Central Micronics are forming a JV to produce controllers, heated parts, quartz crucibles used to make monocrystalline silicon ingots for solar cell manufacturing, according to the Nikkei daily.
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Toyko, Dec. 15, 2007
Source: Reuters/Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu, editing by Jacqueline Wong
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUST13412120071215

Sharp Corp will spend close to 100 billion yen ($882.9 million) to build the world’s largest solar cell factory in Japan, Chairman Katsuhiko Machida was quoted by the Nikkei business daily as saying.  The plant will be built next to Sharp’s LCD panel factory currently under construction in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture.

It will produce thin-film solar cells, which use less silicon than conventional cells, starting in fiscal 2009, the Nikkei said in its Saturday edition.  The factory is expected to have a production capacity of 1,000 megawatts per year, the largest in the world. The Osaka-based company has an annual output capacity of 710 megawatts.

Sharp first announced plans to build the plant back in July, but had not outlined the investment amount.

Milan, Italy /  September 04, 2007
Source: Applied Materials, Inc, press release /Businesswire
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/appliedmaterials/index.jsp?
newsId=20070903005039

Applied Materials, Inc. today introduced its revolutionary Applied SunFab™ Thin Film Line, the world’s first and only integrated production line for manufacturing thin film silicon solar modules using 5.7 square meter (m2) glass panels. These ultra-large substrates, sized at 2.2m x 2.6m, are four times bigger than today’s largest thin film solar production panels. The Applied SunFab Line defines a new standard for the industry that can be replicated by customers around the globe to rapidly establish solar panel manufacturing capacity and achieve the lowest production cost per watt to drive down the cost of solar electricity.
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Alenau, Germany,   October 26, 2007
Source: Applied Materials Inc, press release/BusinessWire
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/appliedmaterials/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&
ndmConfigId=1002082&newsId=20071026005131&newsLang=en

Applied Materials, Inc. is pioneering a new era in photovoltaic (PV) research and development with the opening of its SunFab Technology Center, one of the industry’s most advanced facilities dedicated to next generation solar technology applications. The 2,000m2 center, located in Alzenau, Germany, features state-of-the-art solar module manufacturing equipment, including Applied Materials’ PECVDa and ATON™ PVDa systems, laser tools and fab automation software. It includes a complete sequence of equipment that is representative of the Applied SunFab™ Thin Film Line for large-volume manufacturing of solar circuits.
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HeibeiI, China,   November 14, 2007
Source: XinAO press release/BUSINESS WIRE
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/appliedmaterials/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view
&ndmConfigId=1002082&newsId=20071114005559&newsLang=en

XinAo Group announced its entry into the solar energy market with its plan to establish China’s leading photovoltaic (PV) module production line. As part of this strategy, XinAo has signed a contract with Applied Materials, Inc. for an Applied SunFab™ Thin Film production line with state-of-the-art PV technology using 5.7m2 glass substrates. With an optional tandem junction upgrade, the line will be capable of producing modules to generate more than 50MW of electricity, as the first phase of a planned 500MW capacity plant in China.
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Sunnyvale, CA, Dec 11, 2007
Source:TradingMarkets.com /Businesswire
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/901424/

Solar Semiconductor, the solar power industry’s newly ISO 9001-certified high-quality photovoltaic (PV) module producer, today introduced its family of world-class PV modules. These modules are manufactured at a fully automated, state-of-the-art facility in Hyderabad, India.
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As the solar industry feels the heat of stock volatility, the oil giant lightens its renewable energy portfolio by selling its India and Sri Lanka solar businesses.
by: Rachel Barron,  December 12, 2007
Source: GreenTechMedia.com
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/shell-sheds-solar-386.html

As Germany’s solar titan Conergy cuts its forecast for a second time and solar stocks feel the pain of volatile trading, Royal Dutch Shell sells off more of its silicon-based solar business.  Last year, the European oil giant sold off the bulk of its solar business for an undisclosed amount to Germany’s SolarWorld. At the time, Shell held on to its “rural” solar business.
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Dec. 15, 2007  Source : CNBC-TV18
http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/business/
ril-tata-keensolar-power-biz/13/54/317495

It’s power play of a different kind and one that many companies including Reliance Industries and Tata are betting on. We’re talking about solar power. Why everyone’s betting on the sun? CNBC-TV18 report finds out…  Bangalore-based solar power generation company, Tata BP is looking at doubling its capacity to 60 MW annually. Moser Baer is expected to start generation of solar power of 100 MW capacity by mid-2008. Sources informed CNBC-TV18, Reliance Industries, which is in the midst of setting up its 10 MW solar power plant in West Bengal, is also looking to hike capacity to up to 1000 MW per annum. Reliance declines to comment on that but it is clear that there is renewed interest from India inc in this sector.
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Source: Deccan Herald / Dec 15, 2007
http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Dec152007/
national2007121541356.asp?section=updatenews

Head of the project Ankur Sharma claimed that the car is India’s first solar car and runs completely on solar energy. He said that the basic motivation for the project comes from the depleting conventional energy resources.  The Indian Solar Car and Fuel Cell Car Projects wing of  the Delhi College of Engineering has designed and developed a solar photo voltaic driven car.
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Bangladeshi Dipal Barua receives ‘Alternate Nobel’ (for installing more than 120,000 solar home systems in rural Bangladesh)
Stockholm, Dec 8, 2007
Source: EarthTimes.org
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/155289.html

Dipal Barua from Bangladesh and Christopher Weeramantry from Sri Lanka were among the peace and environment activists from four countries honoured with the annual ‘Alternate Nobel prize’.  The Right Livelihood awards were given to the activists Friday for their contribution in the fields of renewable energy, peace and fare market practices.
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