Solar Cells Info

Albuquerque, NM, May 20, 2009
Source: Emcore Corp. press release
http://www.emcore.com/news_events/release?y=2009&news=222

EMCORE Corporation, a leading provider of compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the fiber optic and solar power markets, announced today that Space Systems Loral (SS/L) has awarded a long term supply agreement contract to EMCORE’s Photovoltaics Division to manufacture and deliver high-efficiency, multi-junction solar cells for Space Systems/Loral’s spacecraft programs. The period of performance for the contract is 2009 through 2014 and the solar cells will be produced at EMCORE’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. (more…)

by CCN Matthews, Ottawa, Ontario, May 21, 2009
Source: Solid State Technology.com
http://www.solid-state.com/display_news/178340/5/HOME/Cyrium_touts_%3E40_efficient_multi-junction_solar_cells

Cyrium Technologies Inc., a designer and manufacturer of high efficiency photovoltaic solar cells, announced today that multi-junction solar cells produced by the company now exceed the performance of all commercially manufactured solar cells.  “Cyrium is pleased to set new performance standards for the solar cell suppliers to the Concentrator PhotoVoltaic (CPV) industry,” said Dr. Simon Fafard, founder and CTO of Cyrium Technologies. “We believe the exceptional performance of our 10mm square cell will enhance CPV’s business case and is a key to moving the cost of renewable solar energy toward grid parity.” (more…)

by Mark Scott , May 12, 2009
Source: BusinessWeek.com
http://www.businessweek.com/investing/green_business/
archives/2009/05/clouds_remain_o.html

Here’s a quick temperature gauge of the global solar market. Germany’s Q-Cells, the world’s largest maker of solar cells, reported a first-quarter net loss of €391.9 million ($534 million) on May 12 and cut its 2009 sales targets to between $1.8 billion and $2.2 billion — down from a previously announced $2.3 billion-to-$2.9 billion range. On the same day, German solar module manufacturer Solon similarly announced a first-quarter net loss of $25.2 million, adding the company expects to report a further loss for the current financial quarter. (more…)

by Nuying Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 28 April 2009
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090428PD200.html

Kinmac Solar (renamed from Lucky Power Technology), a Taiwan-based maker of BIPV (building-integrated photovoltaic) modules, has decided to establish a joint-venture assembly plant for making PV modules with Jinzhou Yangguang Energy, a maker of solar-grade monocrystalline silicon ingots/wafers in northeastern China. (more…)

by Nuying Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 20 May 2009
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090520PD200.html

The China government has seen applicants asking for subsidies for BIPV (building-integrated photovoltaic) projects totaling 500MWp in the first round of applications under its solar subsidization program, according to industry sources in Taiwan.  The government is offering subsidies of 20 yuan (US$2.9)/W for projects with a minimum installation size of 50KW. (more…)

by Frost and Sullivan, London, 11 May 2009
http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/press-release.pag?docid=167428688

Increased competition and the global economic crisis have cast clouds upon the Western European solar energy market. Falling polysilicon and solar module prices have the potential to cement China’s role as a solar manufacturing hub. In terms of installed capacity, the United States is playing a greater role as more and more states are putting the renewable energy standards into existence. Despite these market developments and the current economic crisis, the future of Europe’s solar energy market continues to appear bright as new emerging markets within Europe may turn into strong performers. (more…)

by Ingrid Lee, Taipei; Adam Hwang
by DIGITIMES, 22 May 2009
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090522PD201.html

Unitech Printed Circuit Board has received two large orders for crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules and plans to begin shipments in late third-quarter 2009, according to the company. Unitech expects its revenues from the PV module segment to reach NT$400 million (US$12.1 million) in 2009, a significant increase compared with NT$100 million posted in 2008, the company indicated. (more…)

by Nuying Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 26 May 2009
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090526PD200.html

Taiwan-based Neo Solar Power on May 25 announced the successful trial production of Supercell, a polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) solar cell with an energy conversion rate of 16.8%. Volume production will begin soon, the company said. The energy conversion rate of Supercell is higher than those of ordinary poly-Si solar cells by 0.6-1 percentage point due to increased absorption of solar light and improved metal electrodes, Neo Solar said. Since the production of Supercell does not entail additional equipment, it will help increase Neo Solar’s overall gross margin, the company indicated. (more…)

by Tom Cheyney, PVTech, 26 May 2009
http://www.pv-ech.org/chip_shots/_a/
exclusive_a_conversation_with_first_solars_bruce_sohn_part_ii–we_sell_elec/

Although First Solar has indeed ramped 23 module production lines across its three manufacturing sites (with the 24th soon to follow), the company remains notoriously guarded about the inner workings of its processes and manufacturing facilities as well as its R&D activities. Not coming close to taking the bait, Sohn won’t answer any specific questions about film thickness uniformities or process temperature ranges or whether the research team is working on next-generation tandem-junction CdTe or even its own version of copper-indium-gallium-(di)selenide (CIGS). Nevertheless, he does shed some light on the company’s overall approach. (more…)

by Tom Cheyney, PVTech, 25 May 2009

http://www.pv-tech.org/chip_shots/_a/an_interview_with_first_solars_bruce_sohn_part_I/

At First Solar’s corporate headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, a morale-boosting slogan adorns posters stuck to the outside of cubicle partitions: “MILESTONE MADE! TEN ONE ONE.” That’s “Ten,” for 10 years in business–at least in the company’s First Solar incarnation. The original firm Glasstech Solar, led by visionary Harold McMaster, actually set up shop in 1984, then became Solar Cells, Inc. in 1992, which begat the present entity in 1999. The middle “One” stands for the gigawatt’s worth of panels produced in the solar module factories in Ohio, Germany, and Malaysia – as well as the annual production capacity that will be ramped by the end of 2009. The final “One” stands for perhaps the biggest accomplishment of all–the dollar-per-manufactured-watt standard beaten by two cents by First Solar in the final quarter of 2008, a cost that has since shrunk to 93 cents per watt in the first quarter of 2009. But then, “Ten/One/0.93” doesn’t quite have the same ring. (more…)