Photovoltaics industry to produce 12GW by 2010, says iSuppli - 23 June 2008
Evergreen Solar gains follow-on order with groSolar - 24 June 2008
Ascent Solar mulls faster capacity ramp in 2009; evaluates overseas production - 02 July 2008
FPL plans 110MW of solar power plants in Florida - 26 June 2008
Global thin film production output to reach 3.5GW in 2010 - 27 June 2008
U.S. BLM backtracks on solar farm applications - 04 July 2008
Martin Hermann named as Chief Strategic Officer for Advent Solar - 04 July 2008
AT&S to collaborate with Solland Solar on solar cell applications - 03 July 2008
Yingli enters 10MW module supply agreement with Enfinity - 03 July 2008
Hybrid solar cell researchers order sputtering tool from Surrey NanoSystems - 03 July 2008
The
United States Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) has purchased Spire Corporation’s ‘SPI-SUN SIMULATOR’
4600SLP, the company’s latest model of its Single Long Pulse Solar
Simulator technology. The need for the technology is due to the
increasing trend in photovolatic module sizes. The technology can now
handle modules up to 200 centimeters by 137 centimeters, according to
the company.
“It is an honor to have your equipment selected by the laboratory that sets the standard for the industry,” said Roger G. Little, Spire’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Our Sun Simulator is recognized in the forefront of the solar module field and we are committed to its consistent improvement and evolution.”
In order to ensure it met the spectral standards set by ASTM International and IEC, Spire recently took delivery of the only Pulse Analysis Spectroradiometer System (PASS) unit outside of NREL to confirm and validate accuracy of Spire’s existing testing instruments.
Steve Hogan, Executive Vice President and General Manger of Spire Solar said, “We are happy to receive this order from NREL. We pride ourselves in the quality of our simulators and have invested a great deal to achieve the proper spectrum and uniformity of these machines. We have more than 200 simulators in the field for both crystalline and thin film modules. Our customers count on them for an accurate measurement of their modules’ performance.”
The photovoltaic module testing system from Spire uses light sources that closely align to the solar spectrum and can test either crystalline or thin film modules in fully-automated or manual mode operations.
