Solar Cells Info

Source: AzoOptics.com / March 26, 2008
http://azooptics.com/Details.asp?newsID=2220

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. today announced that its German solar partner, Asola Advanced and Automotive Solar Systems GmbH, has won a $20 million contract from Krannich Solar, for the supply of high-efficiency silicon photovoltaic solar modules. Krannich Solar, which is one of the largest solar system providers in Europe, will take delivery of Asola’s high quality products in 2008. (more…)

Horizontal Deployment of Thin-Film Technology for TFT LCDs – Annual Production Capacity on 1 GW Scale
Tokyo, Japan, Mar 27, 2008
Source:Sharp Corporation / press release
http://sharp-world.com/corporate/news/080327.html

Sharp Corporation has made a total capital investment of approximately 72 billion yen to build a thin-film solar cell plant in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture that is capable of boosting annual production up to a scale of 1 GW per year.  Production will begin by March 2010 with a 480 MW initial production capacity for solar cells. Combined with the 160 MW capacity of the Katsuragi Plant (Nara Prefecture), this will expand Sharp’s global total production capacity for thin-film solar cells to 1 GW in April 2010. (more…)

Bedford, MA, March 28, 2008
Source: Spire Corp. press release / BusinessWire /
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=76421&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1122993

Spire Corporation, (Nasdaq: SPIR), a global solar company providing turnkey solar factories and capital equipment to manufacture photovoltaic modules worldwide, today announced it will participate in the 2008 Photon Photovoltaic Technology Show in Munich, Germany from April 2 to April 4, 2008. Spire Corporation’s Chairman and CEO, Roger Little, along with senior members of Spire’s management team, will attend the conference.
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New 20MW Crystalline Module Line in Portugal Follows Completion of 12MW Factory in the Dominican Republic
Bedford,  MA, March 12, 2008
Source: Spire Corp. press release / BusinessWire /
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=76421

Spire Corporation (Nasdaq: SPIR), a global solar company providing turnkey solar factories and capital equipment to manufacture photovoltaic modules worldwide, today announced it has received a contract from the solar division of Spanish renewable energy company Fluitecnik S.A., to provide a photovoltaic module assembly line for that company’s operations in Portugal. Spire will provide Fluitecnik with a semi-automated crystalline module manufacturing line capable of producing up to 20 megawatts (MW) of solar modules per year for sale into the European solar marketplace. Spire will supply the process technology and training to operate the factory, as well as assistance in qualifying the factory and its modules to meet rigorous International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards and certification. The line will integrate Spire’s key stringing and tabbing, lamination, and testing machines along with intermediate tooling stations; it is designed to be easily expandable at a later date. Spire recently completed a 12MW crystalline cell module line, expandable to 20MW, for Fluitecnik in the Dominican Republic. (more…)

Irvine, CA – March 5, 2008
Source: Qunatum Technologies / press release
http://www.qtww.com/

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: QTWW) today announced that its German solar partner, Asola Advanced and Automotive Solar Systems GmbH, has been awarded a contract by AS Solar GmbH for the supply of high-efficiency silicon photovoltaic solar modules. The value of this contract is estimated at $135 million over a three year period, beginning in 2008, and subject to final negotiations on quantity and price in 2009 and 2010. (more…)

Arlington, VA, March 25, 2008 / press release
Source: Dominican Today
ttp://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2008/3/25/27433/
AES-and-Riverstone-launch-solar-joint-venture-Target-US1-billion
The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) and Riverstone Holdings LLC today announced that they have committed up to $1 billion as part of a new joint venture to develop a global platform of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects.  Under terms of the agreement, AES, one of the world’s largest global power companies, and Riverstone, a New York-based energy and power-focused private equity firm, will each provide up to $500 million of capital over five years to invest in PV solar projects around the world.
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Source: Marketwire/CNN Money.com  / March 28, 2008
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0381275.htm

Solar Thin Films, Inc. (OTCBB: SLTN) today announced that it has signed a three-year marketing agreement with CG Solar. Under the terms of the agreement, Solar Thin Films will initially have non-exclusive rights to distribute CG Solar’s photovoltaic products within North America and Europe. Solar Thin Films will receive exclusive rights to distribute CG Solar’s photovoltaic products within North America, for the duration of the marketing agreement, upon the aggregate sale of 3 MWs of CG Solar’s product within North America and Europe.
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John Walko ,  EE Times Europe
London,  19 March 2008
Source: EETimes
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206904594

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. is planning to invest $70 million in a major expansion of capacity to make photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, to meet what it says is huge growing demand worldwide.  Mitsubishi (Tokyo) will boost production at two plants in Japan, aiming to boost capacity from 150 megawatts last year to 500 megawatts by its 2013 financial year. Annual production capacity of PV cells will be increased at the Nakatsugawa Works Iida Factory (Nagano Prefecture), and of modules at its Nakatsugawa Works in Kyoto.
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Changzhou, China, March 9, 2008
Source: Trina Solar Ltd. press release/PRNewswire
http://www.trinasolar.com/front/en/news.php?newid=57

Trina Solar Limited (NYSE: TSL; “Trina Solar” or the “Company”), a leading integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic products from the production of ingots, wafers and cells to the assembly of PV modules, founded in 1997, today announced that it has signed an agreement with GT Solar Incorporated (“GT Solar”) to purchase primary converter and reactor systems for its planned polysilicon production project for a total consideration of approximately US$49 million, with purchase price to be paid in installments over an approximate period of 12 to 18 months. The execution of this agreement is subject to final approval by the Boards of both companies.
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Yukiko Kanoh, Nikkei Electronics /Feb 29, 2008
Source: TechOn
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20080229/148271/

Sharp’s solar cell production (Source: Sharp’s estimates based on IEA PVPS Annual Report 2007). The amount through 1998 is a cumulative total.   Sharp Corp has announced its cumulative production of solar cells surpassed 2GW at the end of 2007. Sharp said it is the first solar cell manufacturer that has ever marked cumulative production of 2GW across the world.
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