Solar Cells Info

by Nuying Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 12 September 2008
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080912PD211.html

Taiwan’s Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) is planning to invite Chinese government officials responsible for making renewable energy policies to attend a solar energy symposium tentatively scheduled for early 2009 in Taiwan, in an attempt to foster cooperation with the China government to promote the development of Taiwan’s solar energy industry including Taiwan-based solar energy makers’ investment in production in China, according to industry sources. (more…)

Press release, September 17; Michael McManus
Source: DIGITIMES, 17 September 2008
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080917PR203.html

Manufacturing capacity for thin-film and organic photovoltaics is expected to grow from approximately 2 GWp (Gigawatts at peak sunlight) this year to 29 GWp by 2015 according to a new report from NanoMarkets, an industry analyst firm. While First Solar will be hard to pass in the cadmium telluride (CdTe) sector, the race for dominance in the CIGS and OPV sectors has just begun. By 2015 these two sectors combined will account for 19% and 10% of aggregate capacity. At the same time, the value of manufacturing equipment purchased by thin-film PV (TFPV) and organic PV (OPV) firms will grow from US$450 million in 2008 to US$4.8 billion in 2015. (more…)

Commercial Times, September 18, 2008/ Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 18 September 2008
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20080918PB201.html

Solargiga Energy, a China subsidiary of Taiwan-based silicon wafer maker Wafer Works, has signed with Hoku Materials, a Hawaii-based supplier of polycrystalline silicon material, to extend its production of solar cells from monocrystalline models to polycrystalline ones, according to the Chinese-language newspaper Commercial Times (CT). (more…)

by Nuying Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 24 September 2008
http://digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080923PD217.html

Solartech Energy, a Taiwan-based producer of crystalline silicon solar cells, is expanding its production capacity through the construction of a new factory in northern Taiwan. Total annual capacity is to increase from the current 60MWp at its existing factory located elsewhere in northern Taiwan to 1,200MWp in 2013, according to company chairman KS Liu.  Solartech is setting up the new factory at a 36,360 square meter site, Liu indicated. Solartech will extend its production from only crystalline silicon solar cells to include high-concentration solar cells produced at the new factory, Liu said. (more…)

Source: Neo Solar Power Press Release, August 19, 2008
http://www.neosolarpower.com/

Neo Solar Power (NSP, 3576 TT), a leading manufacturer of high quality solar cells, and Centrotherm Photovoltaics AG (Centrotherm), a global dominant solar equipment provider, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on research and development collaboration to significantly improve solar cell efficiency targeting at over 20% for mass production. This collaboration project, 20+ solar cell project, aims to develop through production process improvement and eventually a re-engineering on device structure of conventional solar cells. The 20+ solar cell project will emphasize on improvement of conventional solar cell through better spectral response and effective light trapping; and innovative device structure design to substantially raise cell efficiency from current level. Through efficiency advancement, both partners expect to benefit from value created on manufacturing cost reduction and gross profit upturn in solar cell production. (more…)

Hsin-Chu, Taiwan, September 25, 2008
Source: Neo Solar Power Press Release

Neo Solar Power, a leading manufacturer of high quality solar cells, announced today it sealed a 7-year long-term wafer supply contract with REC ScanWafer AS, the world’s largest manufacturer of multicrystalline silicon wafers. Under the contract, REC will provide NSP solar wafers worth of US$442 million (NT$13 billion) for the period from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2015. Adding REC to its well diversified wafer supplier base, NSP expects to further lower supply concentration risk. (more…)

by Gina Roos, Green SupplyLine, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept 18, 2008
Source: EETimes.com
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210602697

Taiwan’s manufacturers of solar cells reported revenues climbed by nearly 70 percent in the first half of 2008, compared to the same period a year ago, due to strong demand from European countries including Spain and Germany, according to the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA). Six of the solar cell makers listed on Taiwan’s stock exchange reported first half 2008 revenues of NT$35.6 billion (US$1.1 billion) compared with NT$21 billion in the same period a year ago. These companies include Motech Industrial Inc., Gintech Energy Corp., E-Ton Solar Tech, Sino-American Silicon Products Inc., Sinonar Corp. and Green Energy Technology. Motech, Gintech and E-Ton are among the world’s ten largest solar cell makers by revenues. (more…)

by Andy Stone, Sept 24, 2008
Source: Forbes.com
http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/09/24/
solar-tax-credit-tech-science-cz_as_0924solar.html

Solar-generated electricity, long decried as too expensive to be practical, may have gotten a little closer to being competitive. The Senate on Tuesday approved its version of a bill that would extend income tax credits for the solar industry through 2016. The Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 would extend the 30% tax credit, which is due to expire at the end of the year, on the upfront cost of solar installations. With the 30% credit, solar cells can produce electricity for as little as 20 cents per kilowatt hour on residential rooftops, putting the cost of solar juice on par with grid electricity in states like California, where energy costs are high. The tax credit would be extended for commercial and utility-scale solar projects as well. (more…)

New materials for high-performance cells could make solar power affordable.
By Kevin Bullis, September 23, 2008
Source: MIT TechnologyReview.com
http://www.technologyreview.com/Biztech/21405/

A cheap new way to attach mirrors to silicon yields very efficient solar cells that don’t cost much to manufacture. The technique could lead to solar panels that produce electricity for the average price of electricity in the United States. Suniva, a startup based in Atlanta, has made solar cells that convert about 20 percent of the energy in the sunlight that falls on them into electricity. That’s up from 17 percent for its previous solar cells and close to the efficiency of the best solar cells on the market. But unlike other high-efficiency silicon solar cells, says Ajeet Rohatgi, the company’s founder and chief technology officer, Suniva’s are made using low-cost methods. One such method is screen printing, a relatively cheap process much like the silk-screen process used to print T-shirts. (more…)

Silicon Valley, CA, Sept 19, 2008
Source: Sunpower Corp. press release
http://investors.sunpowercorp.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=335603

Applied Materials (Nasdaq: AMAT) and SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR) today announced completion of two SunPower solar power systems totaling 2.1 megawatts at Applied Materials’ corporate facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif. The systems represent the largest solar power deployment at a corporate facility in the United States.  “This is another exciting milestone in the adoption of solar power in California,” said Mike Splinter, president and chief executive officer of Applied Materials. “More companies are realizing the wisdom of integrating solar as a non-intrusive, clean, silent form of energy generation into our businesses and communities. We’ve converted our parking lots to power plants and we encourage others to join us in making solar power a meaningful part of the energy supply.” (more…)