Solar Cells Info

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By John Croman, Saint Paul, MN 
Source: Kare.com
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=764805

The sun is shining again for Minnesota’s long suffering solar power advocates, thanks in large part to action by state lawmakers to capitalize on federal stimulus money targeted to renewable energy.  State Senator Ellen Anderson stood in front of a large mobile array of solar panels atop the Capitol steps Thursday and predicted the 2009 session will do for solar what the 1994 session did for wind power. “Today we’d like to announce we’re kicking off the solar energy revolution in Minnesota!” the Saint Paul Democrat told a group of alternative energy supporters and media who gathered for an event highlighting the new initiative.  “If you’re a homeowner and you want to install solar you can get rebates of up to $10,000 to put solar on your home,” Anderson remarked, “Pair that up with a federal tax credit and you are good part of the way toward paying for your solar installation.” (more…)

The European project known as Desertec is nothing if not ambitious.
By TOM ZELLER Jr., NEW YORK, June 21, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/22/business/energy-environment/22iht-green22.html?_r=1&ref=earth

It aims to harvest the sun’s energy — using a method known as concentrating solar power, or C.S.P. — from the vast North African desert and deliver it as electricity, via high-voltage transmission lines, to markets in Europe. Eventually, its backers say, it could satisfy as much as 15 percent of the European Union’s power needs.  The idea, which has been bouncing around for years, arises out of an alphabet soup of organizations, formal multinational partnerships and regional acronyms like TREC, for Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation; Eumena, or European Union, the Mediterranean and North Africa; the Union of the Mediterranean; and the Club of Rome. (more…)

Providing new function for solar modules on the world’s best-known eco-car
Source: Kyocera Corp. press release/May 19, 2009
http://global.kyocera.com/news/2009/0506_jgoa.html

Kyocera Corporation (President: Tetsuo Kuba; hereafter “Kyocera”) announced today that it is supplying solar modules for the new Toyota Prius solar ventilation system, an optional feature for the hybrid car model introduced in Japan by Toyota Motor Corporation (hereafter “Toyota”) on May 18. The system ventilates the air inside of the car by using the electricity generated by the solar module on the rooftop to drive the fans while the car is parked during the daytime. This feature automatically moderates temperature rise inside of the vehicle even during hot seasons. (more…)

Hands-on training, booth exhibits all show the industry is ready to grow
Buffalo, NY, May 11, 2009
Source: Sanyo press release
http://us.sanyo.com/News/SANYO-HIT-Power-N-Series-to-be-a-Hit-Item-and-Topic-at-Solar-2009-in-Buffalo

SANYO Energy (U.S.A.) Corporation, a subsidiary of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (SANYO), a leading company for energy and environment, announces its display of its latest HIT Power® N Series and HIT® Double bifacial panels in booth number 1910 at the ASES SOLAR 2009 conference, scheduled from May 11 to May 16 at the Buffalo-Niagara Convention Center. Along with the trade show, there will be a special business training event called “SOLAR SUCCESS!” where SANYO will be offering a complete 2-hour hands-on training workshop on the latest products and technology, focusing on the N Series and HIT® Double on May 14. (more…)

by Tom Cheyney, 27 May 2009
Source: PVTech.org
http://www.pvtech.org/news/_a/
u.s._department_of_energy_to_allocate_another_117.6_million_to_expand_accel/

Some $117.6 million will be allocated to solar-related projects out of $467 million in funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act designated to expand and accelerate the development, deployment, and use of geothermal and solar energy throughout the U.S. President Barack Obama said that the funding represents a substantial downpayment that will help the two renewables industries overcome technical barriers, demonstrate new technologies, and provide support for clean energy jobs for years to come. (more…)

Bonn, 26 May 2009
Source: Pressecho.de
http://www.presseecho.de/umwelttechnik/PB265458.htm

Germany will again be the most important photovoltaic market worldwide in 2009, according to the forecast from EuPD Research, the leading market researcher for solar energy. According to estimations made in the new study: ‘The German PV Market Understand the Demand – Explore the Potential’, two gigawatts of modules will be newly installed in Germany. Although global context factors do not bode well with the optimistic outlook of the international photovoltaic industry – the break down of the Spanish market, the worldwide supply surplus and the financial crisis, are all causes for uncertainty. However solid framework conditions in Germany could make sure that the local photovoltaic market will experience considerable growth nonetheless ? thrusting it even more into the global spotlight. (more…)

Source: Environmental Leader.com/May 26, 2009
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/05/26/
solar-energy-can-power-25-of-the-worlds-electricity-needs-by-2050/

Concentrated solar power (CSP), using hundreds of mirrors to concentrate the sun’s rays, could meet up to 7 percent of the world’s power needs by 2030 and 25 percent by 2050, according to a new joint report from Greenpeace International, the European Solar Thermal Electricity Association (ESTELA) and IEA SolarPACES. Even with moderate assumptions for future market development, the world could have a combined solar power capacity of over 830 gigawatts (GW) by 2050, with annual deployments of 41 GW, representing 3.0 to 3.6 percent of global demand in 2030 and 8.5 to 11.8 percent in 2050, according to the Global CSP Outlook 2009 report. (more…)

Source: Greenpeace.com/25 May 2009
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/
press/reports/concentrating-solar-power-2009

With advanced industry development and high levels of energy efficiency, concentrated solar power could meet up to 7 percent of the world’s power needs by 2030 and fully one quarter by 2050.  This is the 3rd joint report from Greenpeace International, the European Solar Thermal Electricity Association (ESTELA) and IEA SolarPACES since 2003. With every edition we have increased the projected market volume significantly, and it finally turned over a billion dollars in 2008, this amount could double in 2009. While we highlighted in our first joint report the huge market potential, we were able to move to another message in 2005 when we launched the second report in Egypt: “CSP is ready for take off!”. (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…)