First Solar has completed two PV power plants in Ontario, Canada for Enbridge. The smaller, 5MW Tilbury Solar Project uses 82,500 CdTe modules, while the Amherstburg II Project, split over two sites of 10MW and 5MW, employs 244,000 of the same First Solar modules. Combined costs of the projects were said to been approximately CAD$90 million.
California-based EPC and project developer, Premier Power expects 2011 revenue of between US$100.0 million and US$120.0 million, up from US$87 million in 2010. Growth was attributed to growth in the EU and US. Premier Power noted that it had a project pipeline of over 100MWp in Bulgaria and a deal with Teichert to build large scale utility solar power plants in the US put at 300MW.
Solar module encapsulant materials specialist, Solutia has guided lower revenue for the third quarter on the back of weaker than expected demand across its served markets including PV module manufacturing. Despite fallen module prices, PV installations have not rebounded to the degree envisioned and overcapacity remains an issue, reducing material demand.
Ferro Electronic Materials is introducing a new optimized paste system to enhance performance of p-type Metal Wrap Through (MWT) cells at the 26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC), in Hamburg, Germany. The materials include a next-generation rear silver plug hole paste, high efficiency front silver contact pastes, and a back contact aluminum paste.
Upsolar’s novel solar module business model has been taken notice of by a growing number of people as it received a Solar Industry Award in the ‘Module Manufacturing Innovation’ category during an offsite event in Hamburg during EU PVSEC last week. Receiving the award from Solar International’s editor, David Ridsdale was Upsolar’s CEO, Zhe Jiang, recently video interviewed by PV-Tech during Intersolar Europe in June.
Often billed as ‘quasi-mono’ ingot casting, whereby the lower-cost multicrystalline ingot process provides higher-quality, mono-like characteristics without the associated higher production costs would seem to be getting closer to commercial acceptance. GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) has announced that it expects to begin taking orders for its new DSS-based ‘MonoCast’ systems in October this year, with initial lead times for commercial deliveries of three months.
PV systems integrator, Phoenix Solar is using First Solar’s CdTe thin film modules on a 1.7MW project in Italy for an independent power producer, while a 1MW plant near Rome will use CIGS thin film modules from MiaSolé. The project is for an unidentified Italian investor, according to Phoenix Solar.
Trident Solar has initiated the global launch of its new single-step ‘VersaEtch’ Etchant / n-Dopant material for inkjet selective emitter application of solar front contacts (c-Si) at EU PVSEC. Used with the Trident 256Jet-S printhead, the new VersaEtch Etchant/n-Dopant is claimed to match the enhanced cell efficiency (0.5-1.0%) and precise deposition performance (demonstrated 50 micron print) of other selective emitter approaches, while offering the additional benefits of being non-contact, single-step, and cost-effective. Ink jet doping and etching with VersaEtch is said to be a hybrid tool that can be used together with either screen printing or electroplating of metallized contacts.
Fraunhofer ISE is showcasing future cost reductions and higher cell efficiencies using industrially feasible galvanic processes, primarily copper at the 26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition from 5-9 September in Hamburg (Hall A4, Stand C11). ISE has demonstrated 21.4 % efficiency cells (2x2 cm²) with long-term-stable copper metallization and is now working on migrating the results to industry standard wafer sizes.
Calisolar is making its move to become high-volume low-cost silicon solar wafer producer with plans to build a 16,000MT silicon production facility in Lowndes County, Mississippi at an estimated cost of US$600 million. A pioneer of enhanced UMG-based wafers, Calisolar is bring silicon material production in-house to significantly lower costs and have greater control over material quality. When fully operational, the plant is said to employ 951 full-time workers.
