Your daily dose of photovoltaic technology developments and solar news

Concentrator photovoltaics company Concentrix Solar has received the IEC 62108 certification for its CX-75 Flatcon CPV module generation. The industry standard confirms that the modules and assemblies have passed the required battery of tests and are suitable for long-term operation in a wide range of outdoor climates.

Spire's semiconductor subsidiary has successfully completed Phase I of its high-efficiency concentrator photovoltaic solar cell program with the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The company has also been notified that NREL will authorize Phase II of the program.

Toronto-based start-up Morgan Solar said that it has increased its first-round investment funding to $8.2 million (US) from the $4.7 million announced in October 2009. Strategic investors in the initial round include Iberdrola, Nypro, venture capital firm Turnstone Capital Management (which led the round), and two unnamed Canadian VC groups.

Cyrium Technologies has introduced its first commercial product: the quantum dot enhanced cell (QDEC), a line of high-efficiency, advanced multijunction concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) cells for terrestrial applications. The Ottawa-based company, which employs a fabless business model, says the III-V solar cells have average efficiency levels of 40% at >500-1000 suns and a minimum efficiency offering of 38% on a standard 10mm × 10mm cell.

Eyeing up the region of sub-Saharan Africa, solar thermal company eSolar has teamed up with Johannesburg-based Clean Energy Solutions (CES) to form eSolarSA. This new entity will endeavour to expand sales operations across the region, in seven countries including the Republic of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.

Azur Space has successfully qualified Veeco Instruments’ TurboDisc Arsenic Phosphide (As/P) MOCVD system for use at its site. The system will be used for the production of CPV solar cells for terrestrial applications, and is reportedly the first of several TurboDisc systems to be installed at Azur’s Heilbronn, Germany facility.

SolFocus’s successful Series C round of financing has raised $77.6 million that will fund the company’s transition from pilot production to full-scale commercialization. A planned capacity expansion from 0.5MW to over 10MW in the pipeline for 2009 will be followed by a major manufacturing hike to 50MW in 2011. The first close of the C round raised $47 million; an additional $30.6 million has been sourced since January.

SolFocus's SF-1000P module has become the first concentrator photovoltaic product to meet the rigorous performance, qualification, and safety criteria of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62108 standard. Certification specialist Six 9’s Reliable and Photovoltaic Testing Lab TÜV Rheinland PTL worked with the CPV company to achieve the IEC certification.

Another concentrator photovoltaics company has emerged from stealth mode--Skyline Solar. The Mountain View, CA-based manufacturer of "high gain solar" (HGS) arrays for the commercial, industrial, government, and utility markets says it has achieved key product, financing, and customer milestones, including the receipt of Series A venture financing and a U.S. Department of Energy grant, the appointment of key executives and board members, construction of its first demonstration plant, the start of pilot manufacturing, and the submission of components for certification.