Your daily dose of Photovoltaic Technology Developments and Solar News

Suntech Power Holdings has signed a long-term silicon wafer supply agreement with WACKER SCHOTT Solar for a total of 220MW, without revealing the start or duration of the supply contract. This is the first time the companies have entered into supply agreements. Read more >>

A Europe-based photovoltaics manufacturer has ordered an automated batch-immersion system for advanced heterojunction solar cell production from Akrion. The solar wet station will ship to Europe later this year and will be used on monocrystalline solar wafers. Read more >>

Two new long-term sales contracts signed in May 2008 pushed Evergreen Solar’s order backlog past the $1 billion level for the first time. Merely a month later, the pioneer of ‘String Ribbon’ wafer technology has secured another two long-term sales contracts valued at approximately $600 million, taking Evergreen Solar’s backlog past $1.7 billion, a new record for the company. 
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Strong demand for its lower cost e-Module products that use 100 percent Upgraded Metallurgical Grade (UMG) Si has seen Canadian Solar (CSI) raise production and revenue projections for 2008. The company said that it has firm orders for 35MW of e-Modules and another 20MW of potential new orders. The sales are to be realized in the second-half of the year, CSI said.  The company estimates that it will ship approximately 10 - 12 MW of e-Modules to USA and South Korea in 2008. Read more >>

Intel Corporation has spun off solar cell technology developed in-house under its New Business Initiatives group that is designed to stimulate new businesses from Intel employees. The start-up is called SpectraWatt, with the lead investor being Intel Capital. Other investors in the $50 million round include Goldman Sachs, PCG Clean Energy and Technology Fund (“CETF”) and German module manufacturer Solon AG, presumably an expected customer of SpectraWatt. How much Intel or the other partners actually invested was not made clear. Read more >>

Spire Corporation has said that customer demand has prompted the company to develop and introduce a combined photovoltaic cell and module production line capable of producing 25MW per annum. The company said that it would introduce the new turnkey line at the Intersolar trade show in Munich, Germany this week. Read more >>

Tempress Systems, a division of Amtech Systems has received a follow-on order from an existing customer and initial orders from two new customers, all based in Asia, the company said. The orders amount to $8.5 million for Tempress’ diffusion processing systems. Read more >>

Hyundai Heavy Industries is to enter the solar cell manufacturing industry on the back of an order placed with centrotherm photovoltaics AG, for five 50MW turnkey crystalline solar cell manufacturing lines. All five lines (250MW) will be delivered in 2009 to Hyundai’s Eumesong location in South Korea. "It gives us great pleasure to enable a further company to make a successful, industrial entry into the photovoltaics market," commented Robert Hartung, CEO of centrotherm photovoltaics. "Crystalline solar cells remains our strongest area. We are constantly researching improvements in production processes and provide performance guarantees for our turnkey lines... Read more >>

Mentarix Pte., Ltd., a photovoltaic components start-up based in Singapore, has received funding from BAF Spectrum, a seed fund also based in Singapore. BAF Spectrum has bought a 30% stake in Mentarix, which company is developing technology to improve solar cell efficiency by at least 20%. Read more >>

Kyocera has said that it has now converted all of its multicrystalline photovoltaic cell production plants to 180 micrometer wafer thickness, compared to the current industry standard of between 200 to 260 micrometers. Read more >>