Solar Cells Info

by Steve Bush, 1 Nov. 2007
http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2007/11/01/42520
/high+efficiency+silicon+solar+cell+developed+at+imec.htm

Belgium research organisation IMEC has reported 17.4 per cent efficiency in thin multi-crystalline silicon solar cells.  The cells were made using the lab’s i-PERC (industrial-passivated emitter and rear cells) process which to save cost shuns high-purity semiconductor-type processing in favour of more industrial techniques.  The record-breaker is a 100cm sq. 180µm thick device with a short circuit current of 35.22mA/cm sq. and an open circuit voltage of 629.8mV.
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By using reclaimed silicon, solar cell manufacturers can save between 30% and 90% of the energy they would have expended using new silicon materials, IBM said.

By Paul McDougall, InformationWeek, October 30, 2007
Source: InformationWeek
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?
articleID=202800164&subSection=All+Stories

IBM says it’s found an earth-friendly way to recycle the silicon wafers used in its computer chip manufacturing operations — it’s helping to turn them into solar panels.  To recycle the wafers, IBM is using a process that removes transistor patterns embedded in them. The patterns usually prevent silicon wafers from being reused along with other silicon products because they represent closely guarded intellectual property.  As a result, the tech industry discards about three million silicon wafers per year, IBM estimated.
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Motonobu Kawai, Nikkei Electronics, Nov 02, 2007
Source: TechOn
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20071102/141765/

“I knew someone would point it out,” said a Mitsubishi attendant in response to my question.  Mitsubishi Motor Corp is drawing interest by displaying its “i MiEV Sport” concept electric vehicle equipped with a thin-film solar cell system at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show. I was interested in the thin-film cells’ fat wires like those in crystal Si cells. So I asked the booth attendant about it, and he gave me a secret of the solar cell system, starting with the phrase above.
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Cologne, November 02 2007
Source: iol.co.za
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31
&art_id=nw20071102183510928C547928

Hail and lightning rain down, while temperatures up to 85°C prevail, as solar cells are tested at the world’s largest and most modern facility in Cologne.  Solar cells are big business across the world, but particularly in Germany and Japan. And here is where the world’s top manufacturers come to have their products certified under the most extreme conditions.

“We are the leading force, and what we introduce in the way of safety ideas is often adopted by other countries,” says Wilhelm Vaassen, head of the Testing Laboratory for Photo-Voltaics of the quasi-official German Technical Monitoring Association (TUEV).
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October 18, 2007
Source: Solid State Technology
http://sst.pennnet.com/display_article/309588/5/ARTCL/
none/none/1/IMEC-touts-record-efficiencies-in-Si,-Ge-solar-cells/

IMEC says it has achieved >17% efficiency with thin-film silicon solar cells, and says >20% efficiencies “are definitely within reach.” Meanwhile, the research group says it is nearing the theoretical efficiency limits of Ge solar cells.  IMEC’s work involves an “i-PERC process” that replaces the Al backsurface field on a Si solar cell with thin silicon layers (<180nm) to create Al-alloyed contacts covering the entire rear side of the cell. The rear is passivated with a dielectric stack in which contact openings are realized by laser ablation. An Al contact layer is evaporated and fired in a belt-line furnace to create local back-surface fields.
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Nuying Huang, Taipei; Esther Lam
Source: DIGITIMES, 19 October 2007
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20071019PD205.html

Japan-based thin-film solar module maker Kaneka believes that fellow industry players can hardly survive in the photovoltaic(PV) race with crystalline silicon-based solar applications from competitors if they cannot achieve a power conversion rate of 12-13%, said company solar energy division executive officer Mikio Hatta during the recent 2007 PV Forum & Exhibition Taiwan.  Although being in the thin-film solar module business for about a decade, Kaneka has been cautious about the market trend as thin-film based materials are drawing more attention in the PV industry. With more industry players tapping thin-film solar cell production in a rapidly growing PV market, Hatta said the market is still in a state of start up and it is hard to forecast when a meaningful take off will be seen.
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22 October 2007
Source: Semiconductor-today.com
http://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/NEWS_2007/OCT_07/HELIOVOLT_221007.htm

HelioVolt Corp of Austin, TX, USA, which has developed thin-film solar cells based on copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), has raised $24m from investors including Sequel Venture Partners, Noventi Ventures, and Passport Capital. This brings HelioVolt’s second-round funding to $101m, including $77m raised in August. Total funding is now $109m, including $8m from 2005’s first round.   Founded in 2001, HelioVolt is using the funds to build an $80m manufacturing plant and is considering several sites, including Austin. It has won approval from the Austin City Council for a 10-year abatement of 60% of its property taxes, after pledging to create at least 168 jobs (the firm’s current staffing is about 40).
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Technische Universitat Darmstadt of Germany Takes Top Honors
San Jose, CA., Oct 22, 2007
Source: SunPower Corp. / press release
http://investors.sunpowercorp.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=270358

SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWR), a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, today announced that the team of students from Technische Universitat Darmstadt of Germany has won the 2007 Solar Decathlon, by building a house powered by SunPower’s high-efficiency solar panels. This marks the second consecutive Solar Decathlon where SunPower’s solar panels were used by the competition’s winning team. SunPower solar panels also powered the Decathlon’s third place winner, Santa Clara University from Calif. (more…)

TAIPEI, Taiwan, October 11, 2007
Source: Nanotech-now.com
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=25578

Grand Opening on October 11 to Open a Brand New Territory for Environment. In addition, the Taiwanese government has decided to follow the global trend for developing reusable energy. Its goal is to increase solar energy supply capacity from the 2004 level of 1.2 megawatts to 21 megawatts by 2010. Photovoltaic production value in Taiwan is expected to reach NT$50 billion in 2009, up from NT$ 7 billion in 2005. (more…)

By Vicki Vaughan, San Antonio Express-News /Oct 13, 2007
Source: Star Telegram.com
http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/266770.html

Texas has been a leader in energy for 100 years, but the state isn’t moving forward quickly enough to develop solar energy, two experts said Thursday.  “California, New Jersey, Colorado and Pennsylvania are moving more quickly than Texas” in developing solar power, said Bruce Kellison, associate director of the IC2 Institute, a think tank at the University of Texas at Austin devoted to fostering entrepreneurship and job creation.  “Greater development of solar power can bolster Texas’ weakening semiconductor and materials industries” and create jobs, Kellison said.
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