Your daily dose of Photovoltaic Technology Developments and Solar News

Spire Corporation founder and Chief Executive, Roger Little discusses with Photovoltaics International, the latest trends and opportunities in the fast growing turnkey PV module assembly market. Spire’s CEO notes the developments in the industry in Russia, India and North America that reveals contrasting needs and requirements within these countries. Little also discusses the need to offer turnkey module assembly solutions from 10MW start-up lines through to the gigawatt scale. Watch the video >>

Global Solar has developed a proprietary process for manufacturing thin-film copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) PV cells and modules. Unlike traditional silicon solar cells that are rigid and fragile, Global Solar's steel-foil thin-film cells are lightweight and durable and can be integrated into both flexible and glass modules. The company's unique roll-to-roll fabrication process, now in volume production ramp, has garnered a great deal of interest and curiosity. While other companies deposit CIGS on glass substrates, Global Solar may be the only company with CIGS on flexible materials in actual production. Watch the video >>

The increasing cost of conventional energy and the rising carbon levels in the atmosphere have re-focused the energy agenda on to alternative energy sources. We make no secret at Photovoltaics International that we believe that PV offers the best opportunity to mitigate climate change and increase global renewable energy production dramatically over the next five years. If the PV manufacturing industry can achieve scale production, then the effect on system and operating costs will substantially lower the cost of energy. Watch the video >>

REC Solar's core business supplying materials for the photovoltaic manufacturing industry is robust. With many new contract announcements and a series of long-term contracts already in place, the successes of REC are well known. What is not known is REC's plans for their downstream strategic development. Photovoltaics International was able to catch up with Åsmund Fodstad at Intersolar.
 
In this exclusive interview, Åsmund details plans for REC's current distribution strategy for modules as the company sets its sights on a 300% growth in module production volume coupled with a planned 50% reduction in costs throughout the supply chain between 2006 and 2010. Watch the video >>

Evergeen Solar is an integrated manufacturer of wafers, cells and panels. Their unique string ribbon technology for making wafers has created quite a stir in the industry. This exclusive video interview with CEO, Richard Feldt, describes this string ribbon processes. The process is continuous, silent and clean: long wires unwind from spools, run through the molten silicon and pull a long “ribbon” of silicon out of the melt. The ribbon is harvested periodically and cut into smaller pieces for further processing into solar cells. Watch the video >>

In 2007, Q-Cells AG became the world’s largest independent producer of solar cells, surpassing Sharp Corporation for the first time. Photovoltaics International recently interviewed Anton Milner, Chief Executive Officer of Q-Cells, to discuss the company’s current and future manufacturing expansion plans, following announcements of further investments in Germany as well as in Malaysia and their recently announced $3.5 billion investment in Mexico. Watch the video >>