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Citing the ever increasing market for equipment, raw materials and services in PV production, Intersolar North America 2012, held July 9 – 12 in San Francisco, has added the new PV Production and Technology Hall in Moscone North. The event organizers anticipate that the addition will provide more opportunities for networking across all segments of the PV manufacturing supply chain.
German-based companies involved in the supply of manufacturing equipment for the global solar industry had a record sales year in 2011, according to the latest report from trade association, VDMA. German equipment suppliers benefited from a focus on advanced cell technology that supported a global market share of 46% in 2011. However, overcapacity is impacting sales to major markets in Asia, particularly China, in 2012.
Water treatment specialist, Stulz H + E has been acquired by RENA for an undisclosed sum. The company said that the German Federal Cartel Office had approved the transaction, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2012.
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has announced the achievement of 19.7% conversion efficiency for its copper-contact solar cells. The record, for a selective-emitter cell, was obtained using standard 156mm commercially available p-type silicon wafers and has been verified by Fraunhofer ISE.
The provisional liquidator of Q-Cells, Henning Shor from insolvency firm HWW Wienberg Wilhelm, said that there has already been both foreign and domestic interest shown in acquiring the bankrupt PV manufacturer. With the aim of selling the majority of Q-Cells’ operations as going concerns, the liquidator said in a statement that it had appointed the Frankfurt office of M & A advisory firm Deloitte to handle the search for and selection of potential buyers.
A one-year, US$70 million R&D and supply project is underway between materials supplier, Heraeus and Yingli Green. Resources are being allocated from Heraeus’ three global technology centres to develop next-generation silver metallization pastes for Yingli’s N-type ‘PANDA’ silicon solar cells.
Lean pickings in the PV equipment sector in 2012 could lead to a shakeup in the equipment supplier pecking order, according to the latest report from NPD Solarbuzz. Having relinquished its number one spot in the semiconductor industry last year - the first time in several decades - Applied Materials could also lose its leadership position in the PV industry that has been a 14-quarter reign that began in 2008.
Having already reduced production capacity to control inventory build, SunPower is making further manufacturing cost reductions that had not previously been cited within its ‘Manufacturing Step Reduction Program.’ The company said it would stop using its Fab 1 facility in the Philippines and consolidate production at Fab 2 in the Philippines and its newer facility, Fab 3 in Malaysia, operated as a JV with AU Optronics.
The Hindu Business Line has reported that power equipment manufacturer Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has made almost a US$4 million (Rs 20 crore) investment into the expansion of its PV module manufacturing division, escalating its line from a 8MW capacity to a 26MW capacity. The increase is expected to be completed by September.
Touting its solar specific design of its inkjet print heads, Trident Solar has introduced a new one-year warranty program on its ‘256Jet-S’ inkjet technology, claiming longevity, 25-times greater that alternative inkjet print heads and over 100-times greater than lithographic screen technology.
