Solar Cells Info

By Andy McSmith /03 March 2007
Source:  Independent Newspaper UK
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article2323404.ece

Ministers who imposed a cap on the number of homes that qualify for grants for “green” energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines following a sharp rise in consumer demand have come under pressure to scrap the monthly limit. The cap on grants was imposed last December as ministers became alarmed by the rising cost, pushed up by the willingness of home owners to spend money to reduce global warming.
(more…)

Source: judythpiazza at gmail.com
U.S. Renewable & Alternative Energy News
http://newsblaze.com/story/20070220004920tsop.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.html

With the global-warming documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” hot at the box office and a recent report by the U.N. laying the blame for climate change and rising sea levels at humanity’s feet, renewable energy sources are getting a fresh look. In particular, the spotlight is falling on solar power, which is expected to gain ground in Europe thanks in large measure to government support.

Generally seen pitched atop roofs, solar panels will soon be catching rays in myriad other ways: replacing windows and providing extra power to cars and vending machines, to name a few.  “We believe the solar power market has the potential for long-term growth . . . mainly led by strong demand in the European Union,” said Takashi Tomita, general manager at Sharp Corp.’s solar group.
(more…)

A to Z com, February 28th, 2007
Source:
http://www.azom.com/details.asp?newsID=7874

Chemists, physicists, materials scientists and electrical engineers in Manchester and London are embarking on a £1.5m project to develop new and potentially cheaper ways of generating solar power.  The three and a half year project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), will investigate a number of new and novel solar cell designs, in an attempt to produce a more efficient system for generating green energy.
(more…)

2 March 2007
Source:
http://www.ferret.com.au/articles/z1/view.asp?id=33373

Motoring accessory market leader, Projecta , has released an 80-watt solar panel, packed in a complete and practical travel kit ideal for campers and outback travellers wanting to power a compressor fridge. Providing the complete solution with a charging controller and two hinged solar panels, each 545 x 675 mm, the whole kit fits easily into the boot of a car.
(more…)

Peter Clarke , EE Times Europe / Feb 21, 2007
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197007587

LONDON — ErSol Solar Energy AG has agreed to supply monocrystalline silicon cells to Silicon Valley Solar Inc. in support of the development of Sol-X2 internal flat-plate concentrator solar photovoltaic modules.  ErSol (Erfurt, Germany) has agreed to supply cells with between 16.26 percent and 17.47 percent efficiency. Initially ErSol will be supporting development and preproduction. ErSol is also expected to provide a sufficient quantity of cells to support SV Solar’s initial mass production ramp.
(more…)

Nuying Huang, Taipei; Esther Lam, DigiTimes.com, 27 February 2007
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20070227PD206.html

E-ton Solar Tech anticipates improving power conversion efficiency to over 17% for both mono- and multi-crystalline solar cells amid the latest collaboration with the University of New South Wales (NUSW) in Australia. The solar cell maker expects to see a meaningful improvement in power conversion efficiency ratios in the second half of 2007.
(more…)

Taipei Times Staff writer, with CNA / Mar 01, 2007
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2007/03/01/2003350563

The total production value of the nation’s solar cell industry is estimated to reach NT$20 billion (US$605 million) to NT$25 billion by 2010, a four-fold expansion compared with the present value, academic sources said yesterday.

Officials at the Hsinchu-based Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) said that thanks to a complete upstream-to-downstream production capacity, the solar cell industry had a good opportunity to engage in fast expansion along with the surging global demand for clean, renewable energy.
(more…)

3 March 2007
Source: Forbes report
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2007/03/02/afx3481299.html

TOKYO (XFN-ASIA) – Kyocera Corp plans to invest 40-50 bln yen to double output capacity for solar cells by fiscal 2010 as part of a trend, the Nihon Keizai shimbun reported.  Kyocera, which currently has annual production equivalent to 240mw, firm will gradually add equipment to lift output capacity to around 500mw in fiscal 2010, the paper said.
(more…)

Kulongoski hails plans for Hillsboro solar-cell factory
By Associated Press /Mar 03, 2007
Source: The Daily News TDN, Longview, Washington
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/03/03/biz/news02.txt

SALEM — A German company’s plan to turn a Hillsboro factory into a major producer of solar cells and wafers is a big boost not just for Hillsboro but also for the state’s economy and for its commitment to clean energy, Gov. Ted Kulongoski said Thursday. Germany’s SolarWorld AG announced it will invest $397 million in a newly acquired factory in Hillsboro, and up to 1,000 jobs could be created.
(more…)

Golden, CO, February 28, 2007
Source: PrimeStar Solar /press release
http://www.primestarsolar.com/documents/finalCRADA1_000.pdf

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and PrimeStar Solar, Inc. announced today that they have signed an $870,000 cooperative research and development agreement to transition NREL’s leading cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) technology to commercial module production. This technology has been used to produce the world record cadmium telluride photovoltaic cell efficiency of 16.5% by NREL’s Professor Xuanzhi Wu and his
colleagues.  In this agreement, Professor Wu is the principal investigator for NREL while Dr. Joe Beach and Dr. Fred Seymour are the principal investigators for PrimeStar Solar.

(more…)