Solar Cells Info

by Motonobu Kawai, Nikkei Microdevices, August 6, 2008
Source: TechOn
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20080806/156124/

Sanyo Electric Co Ltd held an opening ceremony of the “Shiga Plant,” a new production base of solar cell modules, whose annual production capacity is expected to reach 40MW by the end of fiscal 2008. Following the opening of the plant, Sanyo’s annual production capacity of solar cell modules will become 340MW at the end of fiscal 2008, including the capacities of the Tokyo Plant, the Nishikinohama Plant, the Hungary Plant and the Mexico Plant. (more…)

by Motonobu Kawai, Nikkei Microdevices, Sept 3, 2008
Source: TechOn
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20080903/157415/

Q-Cells AG of Germany exhibited a cell made of solar-grade silicon, a silicon material used only for solar cells, for the first time at the EU PVSEC (23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition). The company aims to put the new solar cell, Q6LEP3, into practical use in 2009 or 2010 with a conversion efficiency of 16%, equivalent to that of the existing cells. (more…)

by Yukiko Kanou, Nikkei Electronics, Aug 19, 2008
Source: TechOn /
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20080819/156577/

The global solar cell market will grow at an annual rate of 27% on average until 2012 to ¥4.6751 trillion (approx US$42.5 billion), 3.9 times larger than in 2007, according to the survey conducted by Fuji Keizai Co Ltd. The solar cell market was ¥1.2008 trillion (approx US$10.9 billion) in 2007.  Polycrystalline silicon solar cells accounted for nearly 90% of the market in 2007, but the presence of solar cells that use a small amount of silicon or no silicon at all will strengthen, Fuji Keizai said. The focus will be placed on thin-film silicon, CIGS and CdTe (cadmium telluride) thin-film solar cells, in particular, according to the company. (more…)

By Serkan Toto, September 1st, 2008
Source: CrunchGear.com
http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/09/01/japan-gets-inexpensive-yet-innovative-solar-cells/

Japanese companies Gunze and Dai Nippon Printing are each developing new technologies that make it possible to produce low-cost, pigment-sensitized solar cells. Gunze focuses on low-end solar cells that can be used to power smaller electronic appliances or in-store ad displays, for example. Their cells will use a film, which is coated with special pigments, as a power source. Gunze, actually a major underwear maker, says their film is bendable and can therefore be used fexibly. The company is thinking about offering  baseball caps with built-in solar cells to power portable audio players, for example. (more…)

Source: EETimes Asia, 21 Aug 2008
http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800540499_765245_NT_811c0820.HTM

The large-scale photovoltaic (PV) demonstration project is now being prepared after the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Energy Division, Prime Minister’s Office (EDPMO) and Mitsubishi Corp. in Brunei Darussalam. In this project, a PV system with a capacity of 1.2MW, which is the largest in Southeast Asia, will be built at Seria Power Station in Belait District, Brunei. Verification tests and evaluations for three years will be made after the start of the PV system installation and will be supervised by the combined efforts of EDPMO, the Department of Electrical Services and Mitsubishi. This is part of the MOU of the PV system agreement in Brunei Darussalam. (more…)

Tokyo, Aug 26, 2008
Source: AFP / http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hKDz0BRmiysApQu6hLiGhfCP-tMQ

Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric Corp. said Wednesday it will spend 50 billion yen (458 million dollars) to boost solar power cell production four-fold by early 2012 amid growing interest in renewable energies. The group said it will build a new facility on the site of an existing plant in Nagano Prefecture to step up production of photovoltaic cells in response to a sharp increase in demand for solar power generation systems. (more…)

Source: ET Solar group press release / July 9, 2008
http://www.etsolar.com/en/ns_305__759.html

ET Solar Group Corp. (“ET Solar”), a Nanjing-based vertically integrated manufacturer of photovoltaic products including ingots, wafers, modules, and state-of-the-art dual-axis tracking systems with manufacturing facilities located in Taizhou, China, announced today a module sales agreement with Techwin Co Ltd. (“Techwin”), a leading Korean company in plant engineering and environmental technology development.  Under the contract, ET Solar will supply 500 kilowatt of PV modules to Techwin, in the third quarter of this year. (more…)

Source: ET Solar Group Corp. press release/ Aug. 8, 2008

ET Solar Group Corp. (“ET Solar”), a Nanjing-based vertically integrated manufacturer of photovoltaic products including ingots, wafers, modules, and state-of-the-art dual-axis tracking systems with manufacturing facilities located in Taizhou, China, announced today that it has donated multiple PV systems to eight remote Tibetan villages.  ET Solar donated multiple PV systems worth nearly one million RMB, which will provide electricity for the eight Tibetan villages. These villages are located in a remote rural area that is more than 4,000 meters high and not connected to any electricity grid system. (more…)

Nanjing, China, Aug. 29, 2008
Source: ET Solar Group Corp. press release
http://www.etsolar.com/en/ns_305__777.html

ET Solar Group Corp. (“ET Solar”), a Nanjing-based solar power solution provider and integrated manufacturer of photovoltaic products including ingot, wafer, module, and state-of-the-art dual-axis tracking systems with manufacturing facilities located in Taizhou, China, announced today a master agreement for the turn-key construction of solar power plants for Wattner Group of Cologne (“Wattner”), a German initiator of closed-end energy and infrastructure funds.  Under the agreement, ET Solutions AG, the solar power solution arm of ET Solar, will deliver solar installations to Wattner worth of 200 million EUR. The solar power plants will be realized primarily in Southern Europe within the next 5 years. (more…)

By William Pentland, Forbes, August 29, 2008 Source: CBCNews.ca http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2008/08/27/f-forbes-saudisolar.html

In the wake of the first Gulf War, the U.S. Army assessed Saudi Arabia’s solar energy resource potential in a classified effort to determine how oil fires had affected the region. The results were clear and surprising. In addition to being a vast petroleum repository, the desert nation was also the heart of the most potentially productive region on the planet for harvesting power from the sun. In other words, Saudi Arabia was the Saudi Arabia of solar energy. (more…)