Solar Cells Info

Cell deliveries for a period of 10 years; Joint focus on the US market with California-based Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:QTWW)
Erfurt, 2 November 2007
Source: Asola Power.com press release
http://www.asola-power.com/output/en/news.htm

From 2008, ersol Solar Energy AG (ersol) will deliver silicon solar cells to the module producer asola, based in Erfurt, Germany. To this end, both companies have today signed a long-term supply agreement that will run until 2017. The total volume of the contract amounts to around € 230 million. ersol is scheduled to receive down payments from asola, which will later be credited to the German module producer, when purchasing solar cells, in the form of a purchase price reduction.
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by Ashish Kumar Mishra, TNN, 10 Nov, 2007
Source: Economic Times
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/The_Big_Story/
Potential_for_solar_energy_large_in_India/articleshow/2531030.cms

In India, the prospect of solar energy is sunny but without being too hot. Today, the country generates almost 1,748 MW power through solar energy. That’s a pittance when compared to India’s total demand of almost 1.3 lakh MW every year. However, companies with investments in the technology believe that the potential for solar energy is much larger than the above share.  “In the next five years, I see solar technology supplying a major part of the world’s energy requirement,” says Ratul Puri, Executive Director, Moser Baer. Mr Puri wouldn’t believe otherwise. In the last couple of years, he has invested almost Rs 161 crore in the manufacturing of photovoltaic solar cells and panels.
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Posted by Martin LaMonica /November 9, 2007
Source: CNet.com news
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9814084-54.html

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory gave out awards on Thursday to two companies developing solar electric cells they hope will bring a breakthrough in solar panel efficiency.  Top prize went to Wakonda Technologies, based in upstate New York, which is commercializing “virtual single crystal” technology.
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Source: Semicondcutor-Today.com / 3 November 2007
http://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/NEWS_2007/NOV_07/GREENVOLTS_131107.htm

GreenVolts Inc of San Francisco, CA, USA, which has developed concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) cell technology, announced that it has secured $10m in a Series A funding round led by Greenlight Energy Resources Inc, an operator of renewable energy projects and an investor in early-stage renewable energy companies, and involving Pacific Northwest energy production, transmission and distribution company Avista Corp as well as several other investors. The funding was announced at the end of October at the annual California Cleantech Open (CCTO awards) ceremony in San Francisco, where GreenVolts received the 2007 CCTO Alumni award for progress in customer acquisition and funding (after being the winner in the renewable energy category last year).
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Solon, Ohio, Nov. 8, 2007
Source: Energy Focus Inc. press release
http://www.mkr-group.com/EFOI/index.shtml

Energy Focus Inc. (Nasdaq: EFOI – News) announced today that it has been awarded a $1 million contract by the DuPont-University of Delaware Very High Efficiency Solar Cell (VHESC) Consortium to develop advanced solar cell technologies as part of DARPA’s ground breaking VHESC project with the Consortium. Energy Focus was honored earlier this year by DARPA with the 2007 DARPATech Small Business Innovation Research Award for Excellence for its work with DARPA.
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Changzho China, Nov. 13, 2007
Source: Trina Solar press release
http://www.trinasolar.com/front/en/news.php?newid=47

Trina Solar Limited (“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, announced today that the Company has signed a six-year polysilicon supply agreement with Sichuan Yongxiang Polysilicon Co., Ltd. (“Sichuan Yongxiang Polysilicon”).  Sichuan Yongxiang Polysilicon, a Leshan-based company in China’s Sichuan Province, is in the advanced stages of building a 10,000 metric ton polysilicon production facility with an initial phase of 1,000 metric tons launching next year. Under this six-year agreement, Sichuan Yongxiang Polysilicon will supply Trina Solar with virgin polysilicon sufficient to produce approximately 1,300MW of modules. Deliveries under this agreement will begin in mid-2008 and continue through 2013.
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Focusing Light on Silicon Beads : Placing tiny spheres of silicon in reflective trays could be the key to cheap, efficient solar cells.
By Duncan Graham-Rowe / November 13, 2007
Source: MIT Technology Review
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/19696/

A company in Japan has developed a novel way of making solar cells that cuts production costs by as much as 50 percent. The photovoltaic (PV) cells are made up of arrays of thousands of tiny silicon spheres surrounded by hexagonal reflectors. The key advantage of the system is that it reduces the total amount of silicon required, says Mikio Murozono, president of Clean Venture 21 (CV21), based in Kyoto, Japan. “We use one-fifth of the raw silicon material compared with traditional PV cells,” he says.
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Source: Gizmag /November 13, 2007
http://www.gizmag.com/new-technology-promises-solar-cell-efficiency-boost/8339/

Global Warming Solutions has announced the development of new solar energy conversion technology based on a special coating that can be applied to existing solar cells. The company expects that application of the technology will increase increase efficiency by 11-15% and boost the market value of a solar cell by more than 60 cents per watt, while at the same time raising manufacturing expenses by just 10 cents a watt.
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Nuying Huang, Taipei; Esther Lam
Source: DIGITIMES 13 November 2007
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20071113PD204.html

Besides posting quarterly sales grew by seven straight quarters, Neo Solar Power is attracting attention as its gross margin for in-house solar cell production has outgrown the industry average.  Having operations started in the first quarter of 2006, Neo Solar said its quarterly sales hit a record high for the past seven consecutive quarters. The solar cell maker recorded sales of NT$1.03 billion (US$31.8 million) in the third quarter of 2007, representing a sequential growth of 15.6%. Sales through October were NT$2.75 billion.
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Honda Soltec Commemorates Opening of Solar Cell Production Plant; Accelerating Honda’s Energy Creation Business
Tokyo, Japan, Nov 12, 2007
Source: JCN Network newswire
http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=16070

Honda Soltec Co., Ltd., Honda’s wholly-owned solar cell subsidiary, today commemorated the opening of its solar cell production plant with a ceremony attended by approximately 80 dignitaries, guests and Honda officials, including Yoshiko Shiotani, the governor of Kumamoto prefecture; Junichi Mitsuyama, the deputy general manager of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment Department, Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI); and Isao Ieiri, the mayor of Ohzu-machi; as well as Takeo Fukui, the president and CEO of Honda.
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