Solar Cells Info

Nikkei Electronics Asia, Jun 24, 2008
Source: Tech-On
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20080624/153764/

Worldwide investments in the production of photovoltaic (PV) cells will rise to the same level as those for semiconductor manufacturing by 2010, due to booming demand for solar energy, according to iSuppli Corp. Global production of PV cells is expected to rise to as much as 12GW by 2010, up from 3.5GW in 2007. By 2010, as many as 400 production lines in the world that can produce at least 1MW of PV cells per year will be in place, representing a 4-fold increase from about 90 to 100 production lines in 2007. Factories capable of 1GW annual PV production also will be established to ensure continued strong delivery of PV cells to the market. (more…)

Saeko Kushitani, Nikkei Automotive Technology Jul 2, 2008
Source: Tech-On – Tech News Straight from Asia
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20080702/154232/

Mitsubishi Corp and the Tokyo Institute of Technology announced that they will cooperate on the development of infrastructure systems for charging electric vehicles with renewable energy.  To reduce the consumption of thermal and atomic power, the two parties plan to develop a system to charge electric vehicles with power generated by renewable energy such as sunlight, solar heat and wind power. And they aim to establish an infrastructure system that can reduce the total environmental load from the time of power generation to the time of driving. (more…)

Swiss teacher travels around the world in three-wheeled, solar-powered car
by Brian Morton, Vancouver Sun, July 04, 2008
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/
story.html?id=d710575e-8941-45bd-88ee-452964a389d0

As a teen, Louis Palmer dreamed about circling the globe in a solar-powered vehicle.  On Thursday — with his dream all but realized — the 36-year-old Swiss citizen rolled into Vancouver in a three-wheeled, two-seat car that’s powered entirely by electricity produced by the sun. He’s starting the North American leg of an 18-month tour that’s taking him 50,000 kilometres through 40 countries.  “I’m showing people that we have a solution to global warming,” Palmer said in an interview. “Does it go up hills? No problem. It’s a Swiss car. At night, I travel 300 kilometres on solar power. And it’s like an ordinary car. It’s very stable and has a maximum speed of 90 km/h.” (more…)

July 07, 2008
Source: WWW.gmn Gambia News Community
http://wow.gm/africa/gambia/bwiam/article/2008/7/7/boost-for-sulayman-junkung-general-hospital

Power Up Gambia, an organisation founded by Kathryn Cunningham, a 22-year old undergraduate student, recently donated a solar system to the Sulayman Junkung General Hospital in Bwiam. The organisation which was created after its founder participated in a Cross Road Program in that hospital during the summer of 2006 has been fundraising since October 2006 for a solar system for the hospital. The organization has over this short period grown rapidly and was able to raise $260,000 towards their $300,000 goal of bringing solar power to Sulayman Junkung General Hospital. (more…)

Thin-film solar cells are cheaper than traditional solar panels, such as those made of polycrystalline silicon, but the yield is lower. However, the combination of these properties is promising according to the Thin-Film Future conference organized recently by SolarPlaza in Munich. An impression of the heavily attended gathering.
By: Rijkert Knoppers
Source: InvesterIdeas.com
http://renewableenergystocks.com/News/r062408c.asp

A solar installation over 6,000 m2 has been built in a field near to the German town of Waltenhofen. Its total power is 0.4 MW. Seven kilometers of electrical cable is required to transport the power generated by the Mitsubishi Heavy Industry thin-film solar panels. Another solar power plant has been produced next to this field in the same amount of space, but in this case using crystalline silicon solar panels. At 0.7 MV, the power from this plant is almost twice as much as that from the other installation. (more…)

by Anne Moore Odell, June 23, 2008
Source: Social Funds.com
http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/2521.html

More investors are seeing the benefits of buying solar stocks, whether to diversify portfolios or to champion an energy movement.  Solar energy is clean energy’s rising star, leading the pack in renewable energy investments last year. The Solar Energy Industries Association ( SEIA) reports that 254 megawatts of photovoltaic and concentrating solar power were installed in 2007. The solar energy sector has grown substantially over the past 25 years. At the same time, some investors have also seen substantial growth in their solar-related investments.  “Solar energy equipment can be deployed to create power in several ways, thus one can diversify investment within the sector,” said Monique Hanis, director of communications at SEIA. (more…)

Osaka, June 23, 2008
Source: Japan’s Corporate News Network
http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=18763

Sakai City, Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (Kansai Electric), and Sharp Corporation today agreed to cooperate on the Sakai City Waterfront Mega Solar Power Generation Plan in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.  Under the plan, mega solar power generation is scheduled for the following two locations:
(1) Sakai No. 7-3 District Solar Power Generation Plant (tentative name), Output: Approx. 10 MW (10,000 kW)
(2) Sakai Manufacturing Complex Solar Power Generation Facilities (tentative name), Output: Approx. 9 MW (9,000 kW) to start, with maximum of 18 MW (18,000 kW). (more…)

Source: Deutsche Welle-World.de / 22 June 2008
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3430319,00.html

A solar power plant described by its operators as the biggest in the world began generating electricity at the site of a former East German air base on Sunday, June 22, 2008. The Waldpolenz Solar Park is built on a surface area equivalent to 200 soccer fields, the solar park will be capable of feeding 40 megawatts into the power grid when fully operational in 2009.  In the start-up phase, the 130-million-euro ($201 million) plant it will have a capacity of 24 megawatts, according to the Juwi group, which operates the installation. (more…)

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, 12 June 2008
http://chronicle.com/blogs/architecture/2191/
the-hottest-thing-on-campuses-this-year-solar-power

Across the Sun Belt, colleges and universities are gearing up to tap into solar power as a way to reduce their carbon emissions and make themselves greener. Several campuses have unveiled plans recently to put up large solar-power installations that will generate significant portions of their electricity. (more…)

by Motonobu Kawai, Nikkei Microdevices, Jun 6, 2008
Source: TechOn
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20080606/152919/

Solar cell manufacturing in India is being established more rapidly than other devices. Several emerging manufacturers began volume production in 2007, while existing manufacturers are increasing output.  According to Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, an Indian research institute, solar cell production in India is expected to rise from 80MW per year in 2007 to 350MW in 2012 and 3GW in 2022 *1. In fact, however, solar cell production in India is likely to increase much faster than these forecasts.   [*1: “Solar Phtovoltaics in India: Status and Prospects” by Barua A., released at the 17th International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference, 2007] (more…)