Solar Cells Info

Full-Scale Prototype Produced at 23.4 Percent
San Jose, CA., May 12, 2008
Source: SunPower Corp. press release/PRNewswire
http://investors.sunpowercorp.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=309613

SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR) a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, announced today that it has produced a full-scale, five inch prototype solar cell with an efficiency of 23.4 percent. This is a world-record for a large area solar cell. SunPower has reported improvements of its cell efficiency in the laboratory and in mass production since its first all-back contact solar cell prototype in 2003. (more…)

Thousand Oaks, CA., May 14, 2008
Source: SunPower Corp. press release /PRNewswire
http://investors.sunpowercorp.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=310283
Hill Canyon Water Treatment Plant Will Save $100,000 Annually in Utility Costs
SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR), a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, and MMA Renewable Ventures, owner and operator of renewable energy facilities, today dedicated a 584-kilowatt solar electric power system at the City of Thousand Oaks’ Hill Canyon Water Treatment Plant. (more…)

Amsterdam, 8 May 2008
Source: Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V. press release
http://irpages2.equitystory.com/cgi-bin/show.ssp?
id=3210&companyName=amgnv&language=English&pressId=1217789&p_month=200805

AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V. (“AMG”, EURONEXT AMSTERDAM: “AMG”) announced that its 50.5% subsidiary Timminco Limited (TSX: TIM), has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bécancour Silicon Inc. (“BSI”), has signed a second agreement to supply solar grade silicon to Solar Power Industries, Inc.  In its press release, Timminco stated:   Bécancour Silicon Inc. (“BSI”), has signed a second agreement to supply solar grade silicon to Solar Power Industries, Inc. (“SPI”) based in Belle Vernon near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  SPI was BSI’s first long-term solar grade silicon customer, having entered into its initial supply agreement with BSI in March 2007. SPI was BSI’s largest customer in 2007. (more…)

Source: Los Angeles Times Blogs /April 30, 2008
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2008/04/first-solar-inc.html

Times staff writer Edward Silver, who keeps a close eye on green investing trends, filed this report on solar-module maker First Solar Inc.’s earnings report today:  First Solar thinks different, and that’s why its stock is in a class by itself in the renewable-energy field. Though it’s a young company in an emerging industry, it has become a profit machine, a status burnished by its first-quarter results.  Today it reported earnings of 57 cents a share, outdoing consensus estimates by a dime. Revenue of $196.9 million was triple the year-earlier sum. Taking the (more…)

Hong Kong, May 6, 2008
Source: DuPont Photovoltaics, press release
http://www2.dupont.com/Photovoltaics/en_US/news_events/article20080506.html

DuPont today announced it will soon begin construction on a research center in Hong Kong and a manufacturing facility in Shenzhen to support the rapidly growing photovoltaic (PV) solar energy industry.  “Through investments in materials, technology development and manufacturing, DuPont is accelerating its ability to deliver innovations that will improve the lifetime and efficiency of photovoltaic modules, and also have enough production capability to help keep pace with the fast rising global demand,” said David B. Miller, group vice president — DuPont Electronic & Communication Technologies. (more…)

Lawrence, Mass., May 5, 2008
Source: Solectria Renewables, press release
http://www.solren.com/news/index.htm

Solectria Renewables introduces a line of residential grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) inverters that have the highest California Energy Commission efficiencies in the industry (96%) for transformer-isolated inverters. Power levels for the new inverters, PVI 3000, PVI 4000, PVI 5000, and PVI 5300, range from 3000 to 5300 watts.  ,To improve ease of installation, these inverters were designed based on the recommendations and requirements of top industry professionals. New features include a quick-mount wall bracket, built-in direct current (DC) disconnect, and fused PV combiner. In addition, they are lightweight and have a flat profile.
(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…)

Palo Alto, Ca, April 15, 2008
Souce: Suntech Power Holdings, press release
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=192654&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1131924

Based on its recent analysis of the solar energy development market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Suntech Power with the 2008 Global Frost & Sullivan Company of the Year Award. This Award lauds Suntech for delivering low-cost, high-quality, innovative, and energy-efficient photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules and system integration solutions in the solar energy sphere to a growing customer base across the globe.
(more…)

San Francisco, CA and Münich, Germany, May 7, 2008
Source: Sun-Tech Power Holdings, press release
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=192654&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1141221

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd.  one of the world’s leading manufacturers of photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, today announced it has signed an agreement with Hanau Energies SAS to supply a 4.5MW building integrated PV system (BIPV) to a farm located in Alsace, France. The project will be one of the largest BIPV installations ever built and will employ Suntech’s ‘Just Roof’ modules to form complete weatherproof roofs on five agricultural warehouses on a farm in the Alsace region of France. The 4.5MW installation is anticipated to be completed by January 2009 with an additional 1MW already being planned. (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…)