Solar Cells Info

Nuying Huang, Taipei; Esther Lam
Source: DIGITIMES, 9 August 2007
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20070808PD220.html

Motech Industries announced on August 8 that it has established a research and development (R&D) center with the aim to study developments in photovoltaic (PV) technologies, quality enhancement on solar cell power efficiency and silicon wafer production. The new R&D center is located at the Southern Taiwan Science Park and it will recruit more than 40 researchers within three years, up from 20 at present. (more…)

Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, July 9, 2007
Source: First Solar Inc. press release
http://www.firstsolar.com/story?id=219

First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq:FSLR) announced that the Company’s new solar module manufacturing plant in Frankfurt
(Oder) is to be formally inaugurated by Germany’s environment minister Sigmar Gabriel and Bruce Sohn, President of First Solar.  “As the world’s largest solar power market, Germany is the ideal location for our production facility. The First Solar location in Frankfurt (Oder) is testament to the successful environmental and economic policies in Germany. The favorable investment climate was made possible by the consistent promotion of environmentally friendly energies through the renewable energy act (EEG),” explained Bruce Sohn, President of First Solar.
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Phoenix, July 9, 2007
685 Megawatts of Additional Long Term Module Supply Agreements Totaling $1.28 Billion;
120 Megawatt Annual Nameplate Production Capacity Expansion
Source: First Solar Inc. /press release
http://investor.firstsolar.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=252638

First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq:FSLR) announced today that it has entered into five agreements for the manufacture and sale of solar modules totaling 685 Megawatts. These new agreements are expected to allow for sales of approximately $1.28 billion at an assumed exchange rate of $1.30/EUR1.00, over the period of 2007 to 2012. Included in the new agreements are long term agreements with EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN), a renewable energy producer specializing in wind, hydro, biomass, and solar power plants; and Sechilienne-Sidec, a renewable energy producer specializing in thermal, wind, and solar power plants. As part of the new contract volumes announced today, First Solar and the Juwi Group have also agreed to increase volumes under an existing long term supply agreement. These customers are targeting development of solar projects with First Solar modules in Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Portugal. Also included in the new agreements is a long term agreement with RIO Energie GmbH & Co. KG, a joint venture of the Stadtwerke Mainz AG utility company and the Juwi Group with a focus on the development of solar power plants in the utility service region of the Stadtwerke Mainz AG and its subsidiaries through 2012. These new long term agreements are structured on terms similar to First Solar’s existing long term supply contracts.
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Changzhou, China, July 10, 2007
Source: United Press International
http://www.upi.com/Energy/Briefing/2007/07/10/trina_solar_announces_european_contracts/2513/

China’s Trina Solar Ltd. announced four new photovoltaic supply contracts in Europe with an estimated aggregate output of up to 99 megawatts.  Trina Solar is an integrated manufacturer of solar power products based in China. The new accounts in Europe are for the next two to three years with initial shipments already made on each of the contracts.
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Madrid, Spain  August 3, 2007
Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=49537

Phoenix Solar S.L., the Spanish subsidiary of German Phoenix Solar AG, has secured contracts worth around EUR 20 million. The contracts cover the construction and turn-key completion of photovoltaic (PV) plants with a peak power of 4 megawatts (MW) in two locations in Spain.  The Spanish feed-in law offers attractive framework conditions, particularly for large-scale PV plants. The feed-in tariffs for plants of a size of 100 kW up to 10 MW are currently 41.75 ct/kWh and will be paid for 25 years. After this period, the feed-in tariff will be 80 % of what it was before.
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Berlin, Germany / August 6, 2007
Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=49547

SOLON AG, one of Europe’s biggest manufacturers of solar modules and photovoltaic systems, has been awarded a contract to equip several major power plants in Spain.  The agreement with a European financial investor envisages the delivery of power plant systems with an aggregate power output of 36 MW for projects on the Spanish mainland and on the Balearic islands. The implementation phase of the projects will commence in the fourth quarter of 2007 and they are scheduled to be completed by the first quarter of 2009.
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July 30, 2007
Source:
http://insidegreentech.com/1538/amtech-gets-4-9m-follow-on-solar-order

Amtech Systems (Nasdaq: ASYS) said today it received a $4.9 million follow-on order from a new customer in Asia.  On July 11, the Arizona supplier of production and automation systems for the solar cell, semiconductor and wafer industry said it signed a $4.4 million supply contract with the Asian company.  The name of the new customer was not disclosed.
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Charlotte, N.C., July 31, 2007
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/88759.html

North Carolina-based SPX Corp. signed a $40 million contract to supply solar equipment to Norway’s NorSun AS. SPX’s Kayex business will design and manufacture crystal-growing equipment for NorSun’s production mono crystalline ingots and wafers. Shipment of equipment is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2007.
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Contra Costa Times, July 25, 2007
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_6460741?nclick_check=1

Fremont-based startup solar panel firm Solaria Corp. said it has snagged $50 million in funding led by Germany’s Q-Cells AG, one of the world’s largest independent manufacturers of solar cells.  The 35-employee, 7-year-old Solaria, will use the funding for research and development and to increase its production capacity, according to its chief executive.  Thalheim, Germany-based Q-Cells contributed $25 million, increasing its existing stake in the Fremont startup firm.
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Milpitas, CA, July 12, 2007
Source: SoloPower press release
http://www.solopower.com/about/news/series_b_financing.html

SoloPower, an innovator of thin-film solar photovoltaic cells and modules, today announced the completion of its Series B financing which raised $30 million. The deal was led by new investor, Convexa Capital and supported by Scatec AS and Spencer Energy AS. Existing investors, Crosslink Capital, Firsthand Capital Management and Musea Ventures also joined the round. The new funds will support the company’s efforts to further develop, manufacture and commercialize a new generation of high-efficiency, low-cost solar cells and modules. (more…)