Solar Cells Info

Dubai, October 25, 2008
Source: The Hindu Online
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200810251631.htm

As part of its efforts to reduce pollution and create alternative sources of energy to meet growing demand, the city of Dubai has launched a major initiative to harness solar energy.  Chairman of the Dubai government’s investment vehicle Dubai World Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem has launched Solar Technologies, the Middle East’s largest photovoltaic manufacturing facility, in the course of the Green Dubai World Forum-2008, currently underway here. (more…)

by Tom Cheyney, 23 October 2008
Source: PVTech.org
http://www.pv-tech.org/news/_a/
honda_soltec_starts_public_industrial_sales_of_cigs_solar_modules_in_japan/

Honda Soltec said it will start selling copper-indium-gallium-(di)selenide thin-film-based solar modules for public and industrial use throughout Japan on Friday. The Honda solar subsidiary has sold photovoltaic modules for home use since October 2007, and now the company intends to expand its customer base by manufacturing and selling solar units capable of the high-capacity electrical generation required by public and industrial facilities. (more…)

Hartford, Conn, 23 October 2008
Source: Associated Press/Forbes.com
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/10/23/ap5598888.html

China Sunergy Co. Ltd., a solar cell manufacturer based in Nanjing, China, announced Thursday it signed an agreement for a supply of single crystal silicon ingot for the production of solar cells.  Japan’s Hitachi (nyse: HIT – news – people ) High-Technologies Corp. and its affiliate agreed to supply 1,472 tons of silicon ingot through the end of 2011. (more…)

Source: BusinessWorld /October 17,2008
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW101708/content.php?id=046

STATE-RUN Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) has entered the second phase of its solar project by buying the remaining P25 million photovoltaic inventory of Shell Solar Philippines in a bid to provide electricity to far-flung areas not covered by electric cooperatives and distribution utilities.  The company has completed the first phase of its Solar Homes Systems (SHS) project, having installed 15,100 solar home systems in off-grid villages. (more…)

15 MW Power Plant Connected to the Grid in South Korea
Source: SolarWorld AG press release/ Oct 15, 2008 /DGAP
http://www.dgap.de/link.php?von=19970101&typ=news∈=DE0005108401
&sprache=en&a=10&v=en&id=342710

On behalf of its South Korean partner SolarPark Engineering Co. Ltd. the SolarWorld Group has equipped the largest solar park ever built in Asia with solar power technology. For the 15 MW (Megawatt) power plant located 350 km to the South of Seoul in Gochang in the province of Jeollabukdo the internationally leading solar technology group supplied a total of 85,000 solar modules. The connection to the power grid in South Korea is taking place today. It provides the occasion for an opening ceremony that a large number of high ranking Korean politicians, among them State President Lee Myung-Bak, are expected to attend. The Gochang solar park covers an area of 380,000 square meters and will generate 23.5 million Kilowatt hours of electricity per year. This is enough to supply 25,000 Koreans completely with environmentally friendly solar power. At the same time the emission of 15,400 tons of carbon dioxide per year is avoided. (more…)

Source: ABC News, Mon Oct 13, 2008
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/13/2388882.htm

A company is planning to build a $70 million solar cell factory in Canberra which could generate more than 100 jobs.  Spark Solar Australia hopes to build the factory next year with sites in Hume and Mitchell being considered. The company has also listed possible sites in Queanbeyan and Wollongong. The factory will produce solar cells used in the manufacture of solar panels. (more…)

By Christopher Martin, October 14, 2008
Source: Bloomberg.com
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a_4DuuzPC0gA

SunPower Corp. and Suntech Power Holdings Co., solar manufacturers that lost half their value in the past month, are counting on tax credits in the U.S. bank bailout bill to boost sales as European incentives wane.  Utilities, warehouses and retailers from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to Whole Foods Market Inc. can deduct 30 percent of a solar system’s cost from federal income taxes. The savings are part of the $700 billion legislation to bolster the banking industry, which also contained tax breaks for wind power and fuel cells.
(more…)

by Nuying Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 12 September 2008
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080912PD211.html

Taiwan’s Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) is planning to invite Chinese government officials responsible for making renewable energy policies to attend a solar energy symposium tentatively scheduled for early 2009 in Taiwan, in an attempt to foster cooperation with the China government to promote the development of Taiwan’s solar energy industry including Taiwan-based solar energy makers’ investment in production in China, according to industry sources. (more…)

Press release, September 17; Michael McManus
Source: DIGITIMES, 17 September 2008
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080917PR203.html

Manufacturing capacity for thin-film and organic photovoltaics is expected to grow from approximately 2 GWp (Gigawatts at peak sunlight) this year to 29 GWp by 2015 according to a new report from NanoMarkets, an industry analyst firm. While First Solar will be hard to pass in the cadmium telluride (CdTe) sector, the race for dominance in the CIGS and OPV sectors has just begun. By 2015 these two sectors combined will account for 19% and 10% of aggregate capacity. At the same time, the value of manufacturing equipment purchased by thin-film PV (TFPV) and organic PV (OPV) firms will grow from US$450 million in 2008 to US$4.8 billion in 2015. (more…)

Commercial Times, September 18, 2008/ Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 18 September 2008
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20080918PB201.html

Solargiga Energy, a China subsidiary of Taiwan-based silicon wafer maker Wafer Works, has signed with Hoku Materials, a Hawaii-based supplier of polycrystalline silicon material, to extend its production of solar cells from monocrystalline models to polycrystalline ones, according to the Chinese-language newspaper Commercial Times (CT). (more…)