Solar Cells Info

Nuying Huang, Taipei; Rodney Chan, 29 October 2007
Source: DIGITIMES
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20071029PD203.html

Some Taiwan-based players who are developing thin-film solar cells are considering quitting the segment because of the high technological barrier, difficulties in sourcing funding and marketing concerns, according to market sources.  So far, nine Taiwan-based companies have said they are developing thin-film solar cells. But the sources indicated that the huge investments required for the development towards taking the conversion efficiency beyond the current 5-8% has been a major factor causing some of the makers to consider quitting the segment or look into selling their thin-film units.
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ICP Solar Technologies announces new Coleman® Solar Charger Program at Wal-Mart’s Sam’s Club division. New Launch expands “eco friendly” partnership
Montreal, Canada, May 29, 2007
Source: ICP SOlar Technologies, Inc. press release

ICP Solar Technologies Inc. (OTCBB: ICPR and FRANKFURT: K1U.F) today announced that it has launched its 2007 Coleman® Solar Charger programme at Wal-Mart’s (NYSE:WMT) Sam’s Club division for Samsclub.com. The new range of latest generation thin-film solar panels has recently begun to hit the warehouse club’s website at samsclub.com. This Coleman line of portable solar chargers is designed for outdoor enthusiasts to provide backup or primary power for vehicles such as automobiles, boats, RVs and also for remote living applications The Coleman panels are up to 50% more efficient than competitively branded thin-film amorphous solar chargers on similar “mass merchant” retail shelves in the USA. (more…)

by Sion Barry, Western Mail, Oct 31 2007
Source. ICWales.co.uk
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/
2007/10/31/green-firm-s-solar-power-fridges-win-ghana-deal-91466-20035277/

RENEWABLE-ENERGY company Dulas has secured a major new order from Ghana’s health ministry for its solar-powered vaccine fridges.  The deal for the Machynlleth- based firm comes after promoting its vaccine fridge at the MedicAfrica exhibition in Lusaka, Zambia, two years ago.

One of these fridges was presented to the Zambian Government as a gift from the Welsh Assembly Government at the trade show and Dulas representatives also delivered a letter to Zambia’s President Mwanawasa from First Minister Rhodri Morgan.
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Ayoki Onyango. Nairobi, 31 October 2007
Source: AllAfrica.com
http://allafrica.com/stories/200710310998.html

Installation of solar panels in homes is on the rise following the recent rise in oil prices, which has led to an increase in the cost of electricity. Not only is electricity expensive due to a fuel surcharge, but there have also been numerous and unexplained power disconnections, particularly in Nairobi. This has caused a surge in demand for fuel-powered generators, and a growing interest in solar energy. (more…)

Taipei, Oct 25, 2007
Source: Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/
idUSTP13084720071025

Taiwan’s E-Ton Solar (3452.TWO: Quote, Profile, Research) has joined with Lite-On Technology Corp (2301.TW: Quote, Profile, Research), Hermes-Epitek Corp. and MiTAC-SYNNEX Group to establish a firm to make thin-film solar cells, the company said late on Thursday.  E-Ton and photovoltaic parts maker Lite-On will be the largest shareholders with 23.9 percent each in the company, which will have an initial capacity of up to 60 megawatts (MW) and have the manufacturing facilities fully installed by the end of 2008, the company said in an e-mail statement.
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By Gerard Wynn, Reuters, London, Oct 31, 2007
http://uk.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/
idUKL24158364._CH_.242020071031

A surge in investment in solar power is bringing down costs of the alternative energy source, but affordability problems still dog hopes for the 1.6 billion people worldwide without electricity.  The sun supplies only a tiny fraction — less than one tenth of 1 percent — of mankind’s energy needs. But its supporters believe a solar era may be dawning, boosted by western funding to combat oil “addiction” and climate change.
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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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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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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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