http://www.pv-tech.org/ Your daily dose of Photovoltaic Technology Developments and Solar News Copyright 2008, Semiconductor Media en-GB info@pv-tech.org Fri, 16 May 2008 11:34:28 GMT 120 http://www.pv-tech.org/solar_cell/article/gintech_energy_to_receive_525mw_of_solar_cells_from_renesola_over_6_years ReneSola has signed a six-year 525MW wafer supply agreement with Gintech Energy Corporation of Taiwan. The supply agreement is expected to commence by mid-2008. "The recent wafer supply agreement with Gintech further demonstrates our commitment to expanding ReneSola's reach within key markets and strengthens our base of long-term customers," said Mr. Xianshou Li, ReneSola's Chief Executive Officer. Wed, 14 May 2008 20:40:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/market_watch/article/making_hay_while_the_sun_shines_intersolar_reaches_1000_exhibitors On June 12th in Munich, 1,000 companies will be exhibiting products and services for the solar industry. More companies than ever before will be presenting their solar products and services on an exhibition area of 76,000sqm – an increase of 120% on last year. Exhibitors will be directed into the areas of solar thermal technology, photovoltaics and solar architecture. Wed, 14 May 2008 15:51:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/thin_film/article/sunfilm_orders_second_sunfab_tandem_junction_line_from_applied_materials Sunfilm AG has placed its second turnkey ‘SunFab’ tandem junction thin film line order with Applied Materials. The first line (60MW) is due to come on stream in July, 2008 using a tandem junction cell for greater conversion efficiencies, using ultra-large 5.7m2 glass substrates. The second line is expected to become operational in approximately one year from the start-up of the first line. Tue, 13 May 2008 15:07:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/materials/article/canadian_solar_to_ship_30_40mw_of_metallurgical_grade_silicon_modules_in_20 Canadian Solar has said that it has converted a solar cell production line to use 100 percent upgraded metallurgical grade (UMG) silicon for an expected output of 30-40MW of its low cost PV ‘e-Modules’ in 2008, primarily for the European and U.S market. The UMG line became operational in April with approximately 1MW so far produced. Tue, 13 May 2008 15:01:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/r_and_d/article/intersolar_announces_innovations_in_solar_technology_awards This year, for the first time, Intersolar is offering two Innovation exchanges in the fields of Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic technology with exhibitors being able to register for either individual event or both. Visitors can find information about innovations that are going to be presented on the Intersolar homepage. Tue, 13 May 2008 09:10:01 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/market_watch/article/critical_subsystems_suppliers_benefit_from_growth_in_solar VLSI Research, the industry market research firm, has said that critical subsystems suppliers that provide components and larger integrated systems to semiconductor and photovoltaic equipments suppliers saw sales boosted by the growth in the PV industry and sales in the flat panel sector as revenues in semiconductor were lacklustre in 2007. Mon, 12 May 2008 17:13:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/thin_film/article/applied_materials_starts_sunfab_performance_service_program Applied Materials has launched a program that supports customers of its PV thin-film ‘SunFab’ turnkey production line with specific guarantees in respect to ramp, efficiency optimization and productivity as well as enabling continuous cost reductions based on megawatt output. Applied said that it has also signed a multiyear agreement for the service with T-Solar Global S.A. of Spain. Mon, 12 May 2008 15:18:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/thin_film/article/heliovolts_cigs_thin_film_printing_process_posts_122_percent_conversion_eff HelioVolt has presented figures at this week’s 33rd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists’ Conference, demonstrating that its ‘FASST’ reactive transfer printing process has produced thin-film solar cells with 12.2 percent conversion efficiencies. The process took only six minutes, according to the company. Mon, 12 May 2008 15:18:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/r_and_d/article/sunovia_claims_lab_breakthrough_for_commercialization_of_single_crystalline Technology development partners Sunovia Energy Technologies and EPIR Technologies have claimed a breakthrough in growing single crystalline CdTe/Si more rapidly in a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) tool that could lead to the faster commercialization of their proprietary solar cell technology. Mon, 12 May 2008 14:35:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/solar_cell/article/sunpower_claims_new_234_percent_solar_cell_efficiency_record SunPower Corporation has said that its Gen 3 solar cell technology that is currently under development has reached cell efficiencies of 23.4 percent using standard five-inch wafers. SunPower claims that this is a new world record for a large area solar cell. "This is a step function increase from our 22 percent efficient Gen 2 technology, which has been in mass production since last year," said Tom Werner, CEO of SunPower Corp. "Credit for this achievement goes to our world- class research and development team led by Dick Swanson and Bill Mulligan, as well as to our talented engineering group." Mon, 12 May 2008 13:51:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/pv_modules/article/suntech_supplies_one_of_the_worlds_largest_bipv_systems Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. has signed an agreement with Hanau Energies SAS to supply a 4.5MW building integrated PV system (BIPV) to a farm located in Alsace, France.  The 4.5MW installation is anticipated to be completed by January 2009 with an additional 1MW already being planned. Fri, 09 May 2008 14:56:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/materials/article/solar_power_industries_places_extra_3000_metric_ton_order_with_becancour_si Vertically integrated solar cell manufacturer Solar Power Industries has placed a second long-term order for solar grade silicon with Becancour Silicon, which sees the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania producer receive an additional 3,000 metric tons per year from 2010 to 2015. The initial supply agreement anticipated shipments of solar grade silicon in excess of 4,000 metric tons over its initial period of 5 years. Fri, 09 May 2008 10:55:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/materials/article/metallurgical_solar_grade_silicon_could_reshape_pv_industry_says_photon_con A new report by PHOTON Consulting has confirmed that the unblended use of metallurgical solar grade silicon has resulted in cell efficiencies above 14 percent and therefore has the potential to significantly reduce silicon material costs, thereby reshaping the photovoltaics industry in the near future. The report was commissioned by Timminco to provide an independent evaluation of its breakthrough metallurgical solar grade silicon processes and products of its subsidiary, Becancour. Fri, 09 May 2008 10:44:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/r_and_d/article/hot_fun_in_the_summer_time_measuring_photovoltaic_capacity_the_sepa_way A new report out today, Photovoltaic Capacity Valuation Methods, by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), examines the variety of capacity calculation methods in use, and lays the foundation for building consensus within the solar industry, electric utility, and research communities. Fri, 09 May 2008 10:26:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/pv_modules/article/yingli_green_energy_to_supply_35mw_of_modules_to_ibc_solar Yingli Green Energy has said that it has entered into a new sales contract with IBC Solar AG to deliver a minimum of 35 MW of PV modules to IBC from May 2008 to December 2008 for use in projects based in Germany. Thu, 08 May 2008 15:08:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/pv_modules/article/honeywell_develops_harsh_climate_backing_material_for_pv_modules Honeywell has introduced a new backing material for the protection of photovoltaic solar cells used in modules that will be located in harsh or humid type conditions. Honeywell’s ‘PowerShield’ PV325 has a traditional five-layer design that includes two outer protective layers... Thu, 08 May 2008 11:38:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/solar_cell/article/nanometrics_enters_photovoltaics_market_with_acquisition_of_tevet Nanometrics said in a brief statement that it had acquired Tevet Process Control Technologies, an Israeli based film thickness integrated metrology (IM) tool supplier. The deal was an all-cash transaction but further details were not disclosed. Thu, 08 May 2008 10:14:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/market_watch/article/us_solar_vc_funding_topped_1324_million_in_1q08 An Ernst & Young report based on data from Dow Jones VentureOne noted that investments by U.S.-based venture capitalists in the solar energy sector reached $132.4 million in 1Q08, a 136 percent increase over the same period in 2007. Wed, 07 May 2008 14:09:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/solar_cell/article/solar_semiconductor_secures_cell_supply_from_motech Solar Semiconductor, a rapidly growing producer of high-quality photovoltaic (PV) modules, today announced a strategic partnership with Motech Industries, Inc., a premium cell manufacturer. This multi-year strategic partnership is for the supply of approximately 120MW of cells. Wed, 07 May 2008 14:00:00 GMT http://www.pv-tech.org/pv_modules/article/sma_america_gets_boost_for_sunny_boy_line_from_germany Global solar technology giant SMA Technologie AG, the parent company of SMA America, Inc., has broken ground on an 82,000-square-foot solar inverter manufacturing plant in Kassel, Germany. The new facility is designed to triple SMA’s current production capacity to meet the global demand for its solar inverters.  Wed, 07 May 2008 13:45:00 GMT