Your daily dose of Photovoltaic Technology Developments and Solar News

Measured and confirmed by NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, US), IMEC has succeeded in demonstrating a record conversion efficiency of 24.7 percent from a single-junction GaAs cell, grown epitaxially on a Ge substrate. The record results are part of the ESA-IMAGER project in which IMEC is involved. The focus of the project is to develop a hybrid monolithic/mechanically-stacked triple-junction solar cell that consists of III-V materials as the top cells with Ge cells making up the bottom of a concentrator-based PV solution. Read more >>

Yingli Green Energy has signed two polysilicon supply agreements with DC Chemical of Korea for the supply of polysilicon under two separate contracts. The first contract sees DC Chemical supply polysilicon with a value of approximately $27 million to Yingli Green Energy in 2008.  Read more >>

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) will be supplied with 450MW of multicrystalline solar wafers from LDK Solar in an eight-year "Take or Pay" contract, the companies have announced. The supply deal will start later in 2008 through 2015. Read more >>

KLA-Tencor Corporation has made a friendly acquire all shares in ICOS Vision Systems for approximately $465.8 million. ICOS's primary business is inspection equipment for semiconductor packaging but has been successful in the more cost-conscious solar wafer inspection market at key processing steps. Read more >>

Suntech’s PV cell production capacity increased to 540MW in 2007, the company said in a financial statement covering 2007’s full-year results. The company said that it is on track to reach 1GW PV cell production capacity by the end of 2008. Read more >>

Calyxo GmbH, a subsidiary of Q-Cells, is to construct a new 60MWp cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film line, which is expected to be the first of many high-volume lines. Currently, Calyxo is nearing completion of a 25MWp pilot line in Thalheim, Germany. Read more >>

According to just released worldwide photovoltaic production figures from Photon magazine, Q-Cells was the largest manufacturer of solar cells in 2007. This was based on the forecast production output of 370MWp, surpassing Sharp for the first time. Read more >>

Amtech Systems has received $9.5 million in follow-on solar orders for diffusion processing systems from PV manufacturers based in China and Taiwan, the company said. The tools are expected to be shipped within six to nine months. Read more >>

China Sunergy is increasing the supply of its high-efficiency selective emitter (SE) cell under a previous solar wafer supply deal with aleo solar AG. The total shipment volume under the new Agreement will remain at 30MW for 2008 but will now comprise of 7MW supplied in the form of SE cells. 
Read more >>

Market research firm Frost & Sullivan expects polysilicon supply to catch up with demand in 2008. It cites in a new report that the major suppliers are bringing more than 17,000 tonnes of new polysilicon capacity online in 2008, and while demand from PV manufacturers is set to continue, semiconductor manufacturing demand is only growing at single digit levels. Read more >>