Solar Cells Info

San Francisco, CA and Wuxi, China, Sept 16, 2008
Source: Suntech Power Holdings, Co. Ltd, press release
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/
suntech-announces-groundbreaking-of-pv-cell-production-facility-in-yangzhou-china,542086.shtml

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, today announced the groundbreaking of a new PV cell production facility in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, China. Suntech intends to complete the facility with a PV cell production capacity of
300MW by the end of 2009. The new production site will facilitate Suntech’s capacity expansion plans to reach 1.4GW by year end 2009 and 2GW by year end 2010. (more…)

by Nuying Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang
Source; DIGITIMES, 17 September 2008
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080916PD214.html

Gallant Precision Machining (GPM), a producer of semiconductor, TFT-LCD and electronic component manufacturing equipment, at a September 16 press conference, debuted a set of automatic manufacturing equipment for producing crystalline silicon solar cells, becoming the first Taiwan-based maker of such equipment, according to company CEO Nick Yeh. (more…)

Patented Low Cost Process Key to Efficiency Innovation
Atlanta, Ga. – September 16, 2008
Source: Suniva Inc, press release
http://www.suniva.com/

Suniva Inc., a manufacturer of high value crystalline silicon solar cells, today announced that its R&D team has developed several silicon solar cells in its lab with over 20% conversion efficiencies using a patented combination of simple cell designs and screen printing technologies. These high efficiency milestones have been verified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the U.S. Department of Energy’s premier laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The efficiency achievement closely follows Suniva’s two recent customer agreements with Germany’s Solon AG and India’s Titan Eergy Systems Ltd, together worth approximately USD $1 billion. (more…)

XINYU CITY, China and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept 03, 2008
Source: LDK Solar Co. Ltd press release
http://www.ldksolar.com/9-03-08.html

LDK Solar Co., Ltd (“LDK Solar”) (NYSE: LDK), a leading manufacturer of solar wafers, announced today that it has signed a five-year contract to supply multicrystalline solar wafers to Taiwan-based Solartech Energy Corp. (Solartech). Under terms of the agreement, LDK Solar will deliver approximately 550 MW of multicrystalline silicon wafers to Solartech over a five-year period, commencing in 2009 and extending through 2013. Solartech will make an advanced payment representing a portion of the contract value to LDK Solar. (more…)

Xinyu City, China and Sunnyvale, CA,  Sept 04, 2008
Source: LDK Solar Co. press release
http://www.ldksolar.com/9-04-08.html

LDK Solar Co., Ltd. (“LDK Solar”) (NYSE: LDK), a leading manufacturer of solar wafers, today announced it has signed a new agreement with GT Solar International, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOLR) (“GT Solar”) to purchase polysilicon CVD reactors for installation in LDK Solar’s manufacturing facilities in Xinyu City, Peoples Republic of China. This equipment is used to make polysilicon. The estimated value of the contract is $32 million. (more…)

Xinyu City, China and Sunnyvale, CA, Sept 05, 2008
Source: LDK Solar Co. Ltd press release
http://www.ldksolar.com/Press%20Release.html

LDK Solar Co., Ltd, a leading manufacturer of solar wafers, announced today that it has signed an eight-year contract with Japan- based Sumitomo Corporation (“SC”), one of the leading trading and investment houses in Japan to supply multicrystalline solar wafers to a leading manufacturer of solar cells and modules in Japan. Under terms of the agreement, LDK Solar will deliver approximately 750 MW of multicrystalline silicon wafers to Sumitomo over an eight-year period, commencing in 2009 and extending through 2016. Sumitomo will make an advanced payment representing a portion of the contract value to LDK Solar. (more…)

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…)