German PV module manufacturer Solar-Fabrik has said that insolvency proceedings have started in Freiburg, Germany with the local court ordering law firm Kaiser & Sozien as the insolvency administrator.
Tier-1 PV manufacturer Zhongli Talesun Solar expects to ramp it recently announced 500MW cell and module production plant near the end of year, which will produce PERC (Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell) technology for its new ‘Hipro’ 285W+ modules being launched at SNEC 2015.
European PV trade association EPIA has said it would support free trade and the end of current trade barriers on imported Chinese solar modules, the first time the trade association has set a strategy position on the ongoing trade conflict that has impacted the PV industry.
centrotherm is launching the ‘c.REG’ conveyor belt furnace for monocrystalline p-type solar cell regeneration, which is claimed to achieve a reduction in light induced degradation (LID) from 6% to 1%, within less than a one minute processing cycle time. The company is showcasing the regeneration technology at SNEC 2015, being held in Shanghai, China.
Major tier-one integrated PV manufacturer JinkoSolar significantly increased R&D spending in 2014, reaching a new annual expenditure record that coincided with average solar cell efficiencies also reaching new heights.
Tempress a subsidiary of Amtech has developed an alternative atmospheric process called ‘High Density POCl3’ (Phosphorus Diffusion). The HD system benefits from the throughput advantage of small pitch, back-to-back, and long flatzone, while using improved chemistry and hardware upgrades to provide excellent uniformity and high efficiencies.
Surprised by the official figures for solar PV installations in China in the first quarter of 2015, Deutsche Bank analyst, Vishal Shah cited renewed momentum in the Chinese market that could result in the 17.8GW government target for the year being surpassed.
Major US electricity producer NextEra Energy Resources has signed a 1.5GW solar PV module supply agreement with Hanwha Q CELLS, using its high-efficiency Q.ANTUM cell (PERC) technology produced in Malaysia and South Korea.
According to figures released by China’s National Energy Administration (NEA), a combined total of 5.04GW of new solar capacity was grid connected in the first quarter of 2015.
Wuxi Suntech the PV module manufacturing arm of Shunfeng International Clean Energy (SFCE) has confirmed the development and testing with Taiwan Carbon Nanotube Technology Corporation (TCNT) of a high-strength, lightweight carbon and glass fibre composite PV module frame, the first such development of its kind in the PV industry.
