Solar Cells Info

In Tough Economy, Homeboy Industries Trains Ex-Cons for Brighter Prospects
By MIRIAM JORDAN, Los Angeles, Feb. 14, 2009
Source: Wall Street Journal Online
http://online.wsj.com/article/
SB123457326090086555.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

When Albert Ortega was released from prison four months ago, he was determined to turn his life around. So he went green.  Mr. Ortega sports tattoos of an Aztec warrior on his back, a dragon on his chest and the name of his former gang, the East Side Wilmas, rings his biceps. Drug trafficking kept him locked up for most of the past seven years, he says. But after serving his last term, for 18 months, he heard about a solar-panel installation course.  “I wanted a new way of life,” says the tall, brawny 34-year-old. “Solar puts me on the cutting edge.” (more…)

Solar pioneer’s approach to high-volume manufacturing provides foundation for new economy dominated by “green jobs”
Hillsboro, Ore., October 17, 2008
Source: Solar World, press release
http://www.solarworld-usa.com/SolarWorld-Opens-North.2679.0.html

SolarWorld, a world leader in high quality solar power technology, today opens North America’s largest solar cell manufacturing facility. The new plant is located in Hillsboro, Oregon and is expected to reach a capacity of 500 megawatts (MW) by 2011.  Solar power is increasingly considered the most promising energy alternative because of advances in technology and high-volume manufacturing. Facilities like the one SolarWorld is pioneering will reduce the costs of solar power and increase the number of green jobs, accelerating commercial and residential installations of solar panels and overall economic growth. (more…)

Frisco, TX, January 15, 2009
Source: Sanyo Energy Corp. press release
http://us.sanyo.com/News/
SANYO-Exhibits-HIT-Double-Solar-Panels-at-The-New-American-Home-2009

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.  SANYO has donated 56 HIT Double bifacial solar panels to be integrated in trellis and awning structures for The New American Home®, which serves as the official showcase house of the IBS. (more…)

By Ucilia Wang, Greentech Media, February 04, 2009
Source: Seekingalpha.com
http://seekingalpha.com/article/118477-q-cells-subsidiary-scales-up-
micromorph-production-together-with-applied-materials

A Q-Cells (QCLSF.PK) subsidiary that makes micromorph thin-film solar panels is scaling up its production nicely, the company said Tuesday.  Sontor, founded in 2006, started mass production at its German factory last August and rolled out 3.6 megawatts worth of solar panels last year. A solar power plant in Lower Bavaria installed 1.6 megawatts worth of those panels, which are now producing power and hooked up to the grid, the company said. (more…)

Toronto, Feb 02, 2009
Source: Canadian Solar Inc, press release
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=196781&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1250809

Canadian Solar Inc. today announced the official opening of its new PV Cell Research Center. The new center is located in the Company’s solar cell Fab II in Suzhou and consolidates all of the Company’s R&D facilities in one place.  The purpose of the center is to improve the efficiency and production yield of both regular polysilicon cells and our proprietary solar grade e-cells. CSI has been actively investigating several high efficiency solar cell structures, including selective emitter, N-type and back-contact cells. The Company has ongoing research programs with DuPont, University of Toronto and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. (more…)

CEO, CFO and CSO to Drive Company’s US Manufacturing Ramp-up
Austin, Texas, February 4, 2009
Source: HeioVolt Corp. press release
http://www.heliovolt.net//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=142&Itemid=95

HelioVolt Corporation, a producer of highly efficient thin-film solar energy products, today announced additions to its executive management team as the company builds out its US manufacturing capacity. Board member Ron Bernal has been appointed as interim chief executive officer and Sanjeev Kumar, the former CFO of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) has joined the company as chief financial officer; founder Dr. BJ Stanbery will serve as chief strategy officer and chairman of the board. The board will conduct an international search for a permanent CEO to lead the company in its next phase of growth as a manufacturer of thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules. (more…)

by Rachel Tompa, 4 Feb 2009
Source: Xconomy.com
http://www.xconomy.com/seattle/2009/02/04/
uw-startup-soluxra-to-form-around-organic-solar-cell-technology/

A new startup company is in the works at the University of Washington, based on inexpensive, portable solar cells that could go far beyond the standard rooftop model. Conventional solar cells are made from expensive silicon, but the UW group, led by materials science and engineering professor Alex Jen, has come up with a way to harness solar energy using thin polymer film—akin to really thin cling wrap. (more…)

R. Colin Johnson, EE Times,
Portland, Oregon, 3 Feb 2009
Source: EETimes.com
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=213000692

Thin-film solar cells can use inexpensive, low-temperature processing to stack amorphous silicon and germanium photovoltaic layers atop a reflective foil backing. By using multiple layers with semiconductor junctions tuned to different wavelengths of light, thin-film module makers claim that their solar cells are not only cheaper, but could outperform expensive crystalline solar cells in many climates. (more…)

Tempe, Az., Feb. 4, 2009
Source: Surfect Technologies, Inc, press release
http://surfect.ir.stockpr.com/news/detail/101/
surfect-technologies-announces-first-concentrator-module-shipment-and-higher-solar-efficiency-results-using-plated-metal-technology-achieves-major-milestones-towards-mass-commercialization-and-lower-solar-costs

Surfect Technologies, Inc, a provider of advanced interconnect and packaging solutions for solar cells, LED and power management applications, today announced a number of key milestones for the company including:
– successful demonstrations for leading solar manufacturers of copper plating over silver paste on solar cells using Surfect’s proprietary tool and process technology, which resulted in 0.5-0.6% higher efficiency or 4-5% increased energy capture from solar cells;
– demonstration of new metallization process for solar manufacturers that allows copper metal deposition directly on bare silicon using DEP technology, which is expected to result in 1.2% to 2.0% higher efficiency or 5% to 10% increased energy capture(1) versus silver paste, at lower cost than competing metal plating systems;
– design and shipment of the first concentrator package for a European customer that uses rugged packaging technology and Surfect’s advanced wafer-level interconnect solutions producing 3x concentration, providing a more building integrated module and lowering the solar cost per watt.
(more…)

By Scott Kirsner, December 14, 2008
Source: Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/
2008/12/14/raising_capital_for_rays_of_energy/

Earlier this year, Bob Metcalfe called Frank van Mierlo, the chief executive of the solar start-up 1366 Technologies Inc., to see whether it was OK for Metcalfe’s venture capital firm to put a few million dollars into a similar business.  “We don’t go forward with a new investment that might be competitive with one of our existing companies, unless both CEOs are comfortable with it,” explains Metcalfe, an investor at Waltham’s Polaris Venture Partners. (more…)