Solar Cells Info

Another Sunny Year for Solar Power

by Janet L. Sawin /May 9, 2008

Source: WolrdWatchInstitute / http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5449

Global production of photovoltaic (PV) or solar cells-which convert the sun’s light directly to electricity-increased 51 percent in 2007, to 3,733 megawatts.[1 According to early estimates, more than 2,935 megawatts of solar modules were installed that year, bringing cumulative global installations of PVs since 1996 to more than 9,740 megawatts-enough to meet the annual electricity demand of more than 3 million homes in Europe.[2]   Over the past five years, annual global production of PV cells has increased nearly sevenfold, and cumulative installations have grown more than fivefold.[3] (more…)

EJIOFOR ALIKE, 28 April, 2008
Source: BusinesDayOnline.com
http://www.businessdayonline.com/energy/8809.html

RAOUF SAIDI, technical director of Ecoru Group, a Netherlands-based solar energy solution provider, committed to being part of the solution to Nigeria’s energy problems, in this interview with EJIOFOR ALIKE, speaks on how his company plan to make solar energy systems affordable to the average Nigerian though the support of some Nigerian banks. (more…)

Souce. Edle.net /29 April 2008
http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=14559&channel=0

Polar explorers have successfully used portable solar panels to charge equipment in the Antarctic.  Robert Swan – the first person to walk to both Poles – spent more than two weeks relying on solar power and other forms of renewable energy for the E-Base Goes Live project.  In poor weather and limited sunlight, his team used dye-sensitised thin film solar cells to power satellite, digital and video conferencing technology. The solar cells, produced by Cardiff-based firm G24 Innovations (G24i), do not contain silicon, are lightweight, and do not need direct sunlight.
(more…)

Daniel J. Stouffer, April 30, 2008
Source: American Chronicle
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/60188

The American homeowner has the option to produce their own renewable energy from the sun and keep the energy savings every month. Homeowners who follow the steps and complete the requirements have a good chance of getting a residential solar energy system installed on their home on a rental basis.  To be Considered for a Solar Energy System: * Be the mortgage holder of a residential home, * Collect two years of energy bills from your utility, * Have a south facing roof line or good exposure to the sun, * Complete a site inspection to determine location feasibility, * Have ability to wait 1 to 2 years for solar installation.
(more…)

By Andres Cala / Apr. 16, 2008
Source: The Energy Tribune
http://www.energytribune.com/articles.cfm?aid=859

The recent growth of photovoltaic energy in countries like Spain and Germany is triggering a reassessment of incentives in Europe to foster a cost-effective, consumer-friendly approach to solar power.  Europe already has about 3,000 megawatts of P.V. capacity in place. And according to the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (E.P.I.A.), that number is expected to triple to 11,000 MW by 2012. Photovoltaic power accounts for less than 1 percent of Europe’s electricity needs, and even under best-case scenarios, that share will change little in the future. (more…)

New Canaan Country School, Planet Self Storage, and James T. Carlton Marine Science Center All Benefiting from Solar Energy
Rocky Hill, Conn., April 22, 2008
Source: ReneweableEnergyworld.com
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/story?id=52256

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) today announced that three of the solar photovoltaic (PV) projects that it funded through its On-Site Renewable Distributed Generation Program are now completed and successfully operating.  These installations include:
*  A 30.6-kilowatt solar PV system on the rooftop of the Stevens Upper School Building at New Canaan Country School in New Canaan, Conn.;
*  A 28.6-kilowatt solar PV system at Planet Self Storage in Newington, Conn., the state’s first ground-mounted solar PV system in a commercial application; and
*  A 17.2-kilowatt solar PV system located on the roof of the James T. Carlton Marine Science Center at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Conn.
All three installations were supported with grants from CCEF’s On-Site Renewable Distributed Generation Program.  CCEF grants for these projects totaled $324,530 and covered approximately half of the total project costs. (more…)

by: Jennifer Kho, May 02, 2008
Source. GReentechmedia.com
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/
xeroxs-parc-to-spin-out-solar-startup-856.html

The Palo Alto Research Center plans to launch a venture-capital-backed company that can improve solar cells’ efficiency with thinner electricity-conducting grid lines. The center also hopes to commercialize a low-energy water-filtration technology, reusable printing paper and energy-management software for data centers, all in the next year.

Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center plans in the next six months to spin out a company that hopes to reduce the thickness of grid lines on solar cells, increasing efficiency by 6 to 8 percent.  At an open-house event called “Inside Innovation at Xerox” earlier this week, Scott Elrod, manager of the center’s Clean Technology Program, told Greentech Media that the group already has a solar-electric manufacturing partner that plans to invest in and adopt the technology. “We’re starting to engage VCs and hope to have a separate company in about six months from now,” he said. (more…)

Source: EMSNow.com /May 01, 2008
http://www.emsnow.com/npps/story.cfm?pg=story&id=33266

Backed by 40 years of experience as a market leader in electronic materials, the Thick Film Materials Business Unit of Heraeus has developed a series of metallization materials for silicon solar cells. The HeraSol line of screen-printable silver front side conductor pastes are tailored solutions for either SiNx or TiOx anti-reflective coatings used on single or multicrystalline wafers. The SOL950 series of fired pastes – available in leaded and lead-free formulations – provide higher efficiency due to low contact resistance and high fill factors. The HeraSol series is cadmium-free and is co-fireable with commercial back side metallizations. (more…)

by Michael Kanellos,  April 30, 2008
Source. CNet News.com
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9932503-54.html?tag=nefd.top

First Solar exceeded expectations once again in its most recent quarter and told investors that revenue for 2008 would likely come in at $975 million to $1.05 billion, higher than the $900 million to $950 million range provided earlier. The company–which specializes in cadmium telluride solar cells–reported revenue of $196.9 million for the first three months of the year, more than double the $66.9 million in revenue garnered in the first quarter of 2007. Net income went to $46.6 million, or 57 cents a share, well above the $5 million for the first quarter of 2007. (more…)

Indium Nitride-Based Quantum-Dot Solar Cells Potentially Provide High Efficiency and Resistance to Extreme Conditions
Taunton, Mass., May 1, 2008
Source; Kopin Corp. press release/BusinessWire
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=93548&
p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1138255

Kopin(R) Corp. (NASDAQ: KOPN), the world’s leading provider of heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) wafers for cellular phones and wireless local area networks, today announced that it has been selected for the award of a $600,000 solar cell development contract from NASA. The contract is the second phase of a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program to develop indium nitride (InN)-based quantum dot solar cell technology. Kopin’s partners on this NASA STTR project include groups at Virginia Tech and Magnolia Optical Technologies. (more…)