Solar Cells Info

New york, September 12, 2008
Source: Associated press/CNNMoney.com
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/d3bfc4e2089883a8a96af9b6c551e3b4.htm

LDK Solar Co. Ltd. said Friday it has signed an 11-year agreement with Q-Cells AG of Germany to process solar-grade silicon into wafers. LDK, based in Xinyu City, China, said it will process at least 20,000 metric tons of solar grade silicon provided by Q-Cells between 2008 and 2018 with an option to process an additional 21,000 metric tons in the same decade. (more…)

by Gina Roos, Green SupplyLine. Irvine, CA, 15 Sept 2008
source: EETimes.com
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210601719

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. has announced that its German solar photovoltaic partner, Asola Advanced and Automotive Solar Systems GmbH will establish a joint venture (JV) manufacturing plant in South Korea with Q&Tech/Yongsan, a high-volume manufacturer of electronic and automotive components in Korea. Under the Memorandum of Understanding, Asola will build a 30 megawatt (MW) solar production facility to manufacture and distribute German-designed solar modules in South Korea. Initial capacity is set at 30 MW, consisting or mono- and poly-crystalline silicon solar modules, with projected revenues in excess of $100 million annually. (more…)

Tempe, AZ, Sept.15, 2008
source: Amtech Systems, Inc press release
http://www.mkr-group.com/ASYS/investors/pressreleases/9.15.08.html

Amtech Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASYS – News), a global supplier of production and automation systems and related supplies for the manufacture of solar cells, semiconductors, and silicon wafers, today announced that its solar subsidiary, Tempress Systems, Inc., has received $9.0 million in follow-on solar orders for its diffusion processing systems from two existing customers based in Asia. (more…)

Patented Low Cost Process Key to Efficiency Innovation
Atlanta, Ga. – September 16, 2008
Source: Suniva Inc, press release
http://www.suniva.com/

Suniva Inc., a manufacturer of high value crystalline silicon solar cells, today announced that its R&D team has developed several silicon solar cells in its lab with over 20% conversion efficiencies using a patented combination of simple cell designs and screen printing technologies. These high efficiency milestones have been verified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the U.S. Department of Energy’s premier laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The efficiency achievement closely follows Suniva’s two recent customer agreements with Germany’s Solon AG and India’s Titan Eergy Systems Ltd, together worth approximately USD $1 billion. (more…)

By William Pentland, Forbes, August 29, 2008 Source: CBCNews.ca http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2008/08/27/f-forbes-saudisolar.html

In the wake of the first Gulf War, the U.S. Army assessed Saudi Arabia’s solar energy resource potential in a classified effort to determine how oil fires had affected the region. The results were clear and surprising. In addition to being a vast petroleum repository, the desert nation was also the heart of the most potentially productive region on the planet for harvesting power from the sun. In other words, Saudi Arabia was the Saudi Arabia of solar energy. (more…)

Valencia, Spain – 1 Sept. 2008
Source: Advent Solar Inc, press release

Advent Solar, Inc., a manufacturer of innovative solar cells and modules, today announced the solar industry’s first cell-to-module solar architecture – Advent Solar® Ventura Technology™. Ventura Technology provides a platform-level design by combining Emitter-Wrap Through (EWT) back-contact cells with semiconductor device manufacturing methods to create a highly scalable platform for module manufacturing. With Ventura Technology, Advent Solar will develop solar cells and modules that deliver high energy output by optimizing silicon light capture, and dramatically improving cell and module-level connectivity to minimize resistive losses. The architecture provides higher cell-to-module efficiency, while using thinner silicon wafers to reduce costs. The company also launched a new logo and brand strategy to convey its new business and technology direction. (more…)

Shelton, Conn and Toronto, Canada, Sept. 03, 2008
Source: OPEL International Inc, press release/MarketWatch

OPEL International Inc. (CA:OPL: news, chart, profile) (“OPEL” or “the Company”), a leading global developer and supplier of high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) and other solar products, today announced that testing of its Mk-I HCPV solar panel verified that it qualifies under the provisions of the IEC 62108 standard. With the achievement of this milestone, OPEL has positioned itself to be a leading supplier of HCPV panels in the important European market and beyond.

OPEL’s Mk-I will now ship bearing the CE label indicating compliance with European market requirements, meeting the quality standard for PV products and other solar equipment in European markets. The CE certification of OPEL’s Mk-I product will allow OPEL’s customers to apply for permits and feed-in-tariff contracts, thereby accelerating the deployment of their planned installations.
In addition, with CE qualification completed, a number of market opportunities are now open for OPEL’s Mk-I

HCPV panels in other markets that use European standards as guidelines for their own installations.
“With this CE Qualification, we have achieved a very ambitious milestone that we set for ourselves earlier in the year, and done so ahead of schedule,” said Dr Javier Berrios, OPEL’s Vice President of Engineering. “I can’t be more pleased with our Qualification and the performance of the high efficiency Mk-I HCPV panel. Most importantly, our customers in Europe, Asia and the Mid-East will now receive Mk-I HCPV panels with CE labels for their applications.”

The Mk-I concentrates light more than 600 times and has one of the highest efficiencies of concentrators in commercial production today. The Mk-I was shipped to customers in the Czech Republic, France, Spain, Korea and the United States, for large scale solar grid field applications.

Initiates Program with Broad Application in NortheastShelton, CT and Toronto, ON, June 18, 2008
Source. OPEL International, press release
http://www.opelinc.com/invest.htm

OPEL International, a leading global developer and supplier of concentrating photovoltaic panels (CPVs), today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the Town of Plainville, CT, under which OPEL will install solar power panels on the roof of Linden Street School. Under this innovative 20-year program, OPEL will own and operate the installation and sell clean electricity to the Town at rates below those currently being paid, with no capital costs incurred by the Town.

« Plainville is thrilled to be a leading town in Connecticut introducing a solar power program for its schools, » said Robert Lee, Plainville Town Manager. « Not only are we reducing our electricity costs, we’re making a meaningful contribution to environmentally responsible energy consumption. We look forward to broadening our use of this innovative program and technology. ». « This agreement is the result of a concerted effort by Plainville’s leadership to incorporate clean solar power in our jurisdiction, » said Jason Rupaka, a member of Plainville’s town council. « I look forward to bringing this program to other schools and municipal buildings in our community. »

« We’re very excited about this initial installation, which represents a very attractive way for municipalities to reduce electricity costs in an environmentally responsible manner, » said Bob Malton, Manager of Business Development for OPEL. « We believe this is a template for a potential large scale program of similar installations that present a great win-win solution for both OPEL and municipalities across Connecticut and elsewhere. »

The solar panels, which OPEL sources under an agreement with Solarfun Power Holding Co. Ltd., are listed with both UL (Underwriters Laboratories Inc.) and California’s Energy Commission, making them eligible to participate in the solar incentive programs of various states in the US. OPEL integrates the panels with its product line of solar trackers, resulting in an increase of up to 40% in the power output of the panels when compared with fixed mounted installations. This combination results in a faster payback and lower kilowatt-hour costs.

About OPEL International
With operations headquartered in Shelton, CT and Toronto, Ontario, Canada OPEL designs, manufactures and markets innovative, state-of-the-art solar technology products designed to convert solar energy into electricity – at the least possible cost and greatest efficiency. The Company’s products are based on technology developed in cooperation with the University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT) and the Canadian National Research Centre (Ottawa, ON). A leader in gallium arsenide and solar photovoltaic technology, the Company has been awarded 23 patents and has 23 more patents pending. OPEL’s common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange OPEL International Inc.

American Capital Energy Chooses Satcon PowerGate(R) Inverters for
2.36 Megawatt Atlantic City Convention Center Solar Photovoltaic Power System
Boston, MA, Aug 20, 2008
Source: Satcon Technology Corp. press release
http://investor.satcon.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=328978

Satcon Technology Corporation (NASDAQ CM: SATC), a leading provider of utility scale distributed power solutions for the renewable energy market, announced today a 2.36 megawatt award from American Capital Energy of North Chelmsford, Massachusetts for the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA). The solar project, which will use 13,321 rooftop mounted panels on top of the Atlantic City Convention Center (ACCC), will be developed through a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Pepco Energy Services, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. The installed system, which will use Satcon’s 500kW PowerGate(R) high efficiency inverters, will be the largest single roof-mounted solar array in the United States, and is projected to provide the ACCC with energy savings of $4.4 million over the 20 years. (more…)

by John Walko, EE Times Europe
London, Sept. 1, 2008
Source: EETimes.com
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210201642

European research organization IMEC (Leuven, Belgium) has teamed with Plextronics, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA.), a specialist in printed solar, lighting and other organic electronics, to develop a reproducible process for organic solar cells using Plextronics’ materials and inks.  These materials have demonstrated world-record efficiencies as high as 5.9 percent, according to recent testing at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado. (more…)