Solar Cells Info

JIANGSU, CHINA — January 24, 2007
source: Marketwire
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=206890

Canadian Solar Inc. (“the Company” or “CSI”) (NASDAQ: CSIQ) today announces that it has signed a long term supply contract with Deutsche Solar, the wafer manufacturing subsidiary of Solar World Group of Germany. Under the contract, Deutsche Solar will supply to CSI approximately 180 million Euro worth of Solsix-Multi 6″ wafers over a 12 year period. Initial deliveries will start immediately, with full annual quantity deliveries to commence in January of 2009. CSI and Solar World Group have worked together for the past two years, during which time CSI has been providing recycled silicon feedstock for Deutsche Solar to turn into wafer on toll manufacturing basis.
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A new report from “Energy Business Reports (EBR)” details the challenges and opportunities of this energy sector

Phoenix, AZ – January 25, 2007

Photovoltaic (PV) systems convert sunlight into electricity by means of photovoltaic – or solar – cells. Solar energy is extremely clean energy.  As it quietly generates electricity from light, PV produces no air pollution or hazardous waste. It requires no liquid or gaseous fuels to be transported or combusted. And, because its energy source, sunlight, is free and abundant, PV systems can offer virtually guaranteed access to electric power. However, in today’s world this technology faces several large obstacles, most notably the costs relating to power generation and transmission as well as difficulties in obtaining funding for the development of advanced technology. The market potential and the technical, political and economic hurdles facing the solar PV industry are the focus of a new 129-page report from Energy Business Reports, “Solar Photovoltaic Market Potential.”
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Cleveland, OH, Jan 26, 2007
Source: Electric Light & Utility Automation & Engg Online article
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/display_article/283189/22/ARTCL/none/none/Demand-for-photovoltaic-modules-expected-to-reach-$13-billion-in-2010:-study/
Demand for photovoltaic modules is expected to more than triple from 2005 levels by 2010 to 531 megawatts, valued at $1.3 billion, claims a new study. Advances will be driven by the falling price of solar power, which stems from technological innovations, growing economies of scale and a rising level of government tax incentives and rebates at both the state and federal levels, said the study. However, if these incentives are scaled back or withdrawn prematurely, it would negatively affect solar energy product demand. These and other trends are presented in “Solar Energy Products,” a new study from The Freedonia Group Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.
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25 January 2007, Tucson/Berlin, Germany
Source: Adhoc_news_de/DGAP-news
http://www.ad-hoc-news.de/CorporateNews/en/10431734/DGAP-News-Global-Solar-Energy-to-produce-thin-film-solar

Global Solar Energy, Inc., has announced that it is to invest approximately EUR 30 million to set up a production facility for thin-film solar cells in Germany. The facility, which is to be built at the Berlin-Adlershof science and technology park, will have in two steps a production capacity of round about 30 megawatts. Production is scheduled to commence at the Berlin facility in the first half of 2008. The company also announced that capacity at its site in Tucson, Arizona, is to be expanded from its current level of 4 megawatts to 40 megawatts. The Global Solar Energy Group has already sold 80 percent of its planned 2008 production of 40 megawatts. Global Solar Energy’s largest customer in 2008 will be Berlin-based SOLON AG, which has held a strategic stake in the company since April 2006.
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Plextronics Receives $750,000 in Funding to Further Development of Plexcore PV for Organic Solar Cells

Pittsburgh, PA, January 23, 2007
Source: Plextronics Press release
http://www.plextronics.com/press.aspx?view=90

Plextronics, a world leader in developing active layer technology for printed electronic devices, announced it has received $750,000 in funding from the Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF) of Central Eastern Pennsylvania to further development of Plexcore PV technology for organic solar cells.
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jan 27, 2007
source: Physorg
http://www.physorg.com/news88965013.html

Sharp Corporation has successfully developed mass-production technology for stacked triple-junction thin-film solar cells by turning a conventional two-active-layer structure (amorphous silicon plus microcrystalline silicon) into a triple-junction structure with amorphous silicon (two active layers) and microcrystalline silicon (single active layer).

This new architecture boosts cell conversion efficiency from 11% to 13% and module conversion efficiency from 8.6% to 10%. Mass production is slated to begin in May 2007 at Sharp’s Katsuragi Plant in Nara Prefecture.
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http://www.azcommerce.com/Energy/
January 19, 2007

AZ Dept. of Commerce – The Arizona Department of Commerce has released the state’s recently completed Solar Roadmap Study which projects up to 1,000 megawatts of solar electricity could be implemented in Arizona by 2020 creating more than 3,000 new jobs in the process and reducing emissions by 400,000 tons per year.

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Enayet Rasul, Jan 17, 2007
Editorial, Financial Express
http://www.financialexpress-bd.com/index3.asp?cnd=1/17/2007&section_id=5&newsid=49648&spcl=no

THE major urban centres in Bangladesh are all supplied by conventional electricity supplied from the national grid. The rural areas where electricity is being provided, also depend considerably on supplies from the national grid. But the urban areas get top priority in such supply. Therefore, in the present conditions of power insufficiency, the authorities are supplying the bulk of the inadequately produced electricity to urban centres leaving the rural areas grossly undersupplied.

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15 Jan 2007
source: New Zealand Newswire
http://www.newswire.co.nz/main/viewstory.aspx?storyid=354619

People living on the island of Apolima in Samoa are now getting electricity 24 hours a day from solar power. Over past years the fewer than 200 people on the island have received electricity for only 4 to 5 hours a day because of the high cost of running the island’s diesel power generator.

Prime Minister Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi says it’s a challenge now for the world to seek other ways to generate power as of one day oil could run out. The government’s power authority is looking at the possible use of wind mills to produce electricity for the whole country Radio New Zealand International is reporting.

January 19, 2007
Source: Express India News service
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=218359

Chandigarh, January 18: In a first-of-its kind experiment in the city, the UT Engineering Department has utilised solar power for the traffic light points. Among the first are the Sector 27-28 traffic lights, which have been made operational by using solar energy. Talking to Newsline, UT Superindenting Engineer (Electrical) Surinder Pal said as per the broader plan, while several streetlight points have been made functional by solar power, the viability of using the same for the traffic lights is also under consideration.

“We are constantly identifying various places where the use of solar power is viable. The installation cost of this energy is very high, so it has to be seen that the solar power is feasible and economically viable,” said the SE. The plans of using solar power for lighting some points at the Rose Garden, Sector 16, and other parks in the city are also on, said the department officials.