Your daily dose of Photovoltaic Technology Developments and Solar News

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. Read more >>

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. Read more >>

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. Read more >>

Oerlikon Solar and Chinese company Baoding Tianwei have inked a deal for a turnkey thin-film PV module production line in Bao Ding, China. The comprehensive agreement will see the provision of all production equipment and testing facilities, which will be shipped in the next few months and installed by Oerlikon Solar. Initial production capacity for the line will be 46.5MWp per annum. Read more >>

China Nuvo Solar Energy, with its collaboration partner, Pioneer Materials, Inc. (PMI) has said that the planned pilot line in Chengdu, China will be used for the development of higher efficiency stacked solar cells using copper indium gallium selenium (CIGS) thin-film materials. Read more >>

EDF Energies Nouvelles has made a $50 million investment in Nanosolar that secures Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic modules for EDF’s utility projects in North America, beginning in 2009. Nanosolar is expected to use the cash to accelerate its production ramp. Read more >>

ICP Solar’s mobile solar power products line will be manufactured using Ascent Solar’s high-efficiency CIGS solar technology following the recent signing of a cooperation agreement between the two companies. The agreement will see Ascent Solar supply ICP with materials from its 1.5MW production line throughout 2008 and into 2009. Read more >>

Ascent Solar Technologies has said that initial set of production runs on its thin-film flexible roll-to-roll line achieved average efficiencies of 9.5 percent including a high efficiency of 10.27 percent. Ascent claimed the milestone from its Initial Operating Capability (IOC) on its 1.5MW production line in Littleton, Colorado. Read more >>

Hydro has invested approximately $28.5 million in Ascent Solar, taking Hydro’s share ownership from 22 to 34.8 percent. Hydro first invested in Ascent Solar in March, 2007 and has now invested close to $50 million in the company. Read more >>

Global Solar Energy has officially opened what it claims to be the largest CIGS solar production plant in the world, located in Tuscon, Arizona. The first phase full-production capacity is set at 40MW. With an expansion set for its plants in Tuscon, Arizona and its new plant in Berlin, Global Solar Energy expects to have a total capacity of 75MW in 2008 and a plan for an addition 100MW capacity by the end of 2009.  “The solar energy market is rapidly growing as a premier choice of alternate energy. CIGS photovoltaic technology provides the market with a new renewable energy option offering the greatest potential for driving... Read more >>