Suntech Power will introduce the STP250S-20/Wd+ ‘BlackPearl,’ a new generation high-efficiency module, at Intersolar Europe 2011 (Booth A2.380). Powered by a new generation of crystalline silicon cells, the BlackPearl modules achieve up to 15.2% conversion efficiency. This is approximately 10% more power than conventional polycrystalline products.
Q-Cells has been nominated for the Intersolar Award 2011 for its ‘Q.ANTUM’ cell concept that earlier this year achieved a record efficiency rating of 18.45%. However, in the days leading up to the largest PV event in this year's calendar, Q-Cells has reported its ‘Q.ANTUM’ cell has been verified by the Fraunhofer ISE institute as reaching cell efficiencies of 19.5%.
A glut of modules and PV inverters are to revitalise the German solar market this year as prices are falling to a degree that the makes investing in solar financially attractive again. However, despite a very weak first quarter, installations are set to show strong growth through the rest of the year, peaking in the fourth quarter and exceeding installation figures of 7GW in 2010, according to the latest forecast from IMS Research.
Despite a swathe of competitors experiencing a significant fall in demand for modules in the first quarter, Canadian Solar would seem to have bucked the trend and guided robust sales in the second quarter resulting in sell-out shipments during its recent first quarter analyst call. In that call, Dr. Shawn Qu, Canadian Solar’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer highlighted plans for a new 600MW solar wafer plant that would that would be run as a joint venture operation to reduce capital outlay.
Schiller Automation has not only created a dedicated PV division that will be concentrating on customized fab automation solutions in the fields of thin-film solar modules and crystalline solar cells, it has also recently developed a module production concept called ‘Sunriser.’
EOSOL Energies Nouvelles has used 35,000 CS6P modules supplied by Canadian Solar for an 8MW PV power plant now operational in Villeneuve de Marsan, Aquitaine in south western France. The power plant also uses inverters, electrical monitoring systems from Siemens.
Munich-based system integrator SolConTec International has had a 994KW PV power plant connected to the Italian grid by Enel on May 26th and complies with the Conto Energia III tariffs. The Servigliano plant is located in the Marche region of Italy and employs Phono Solar PS-FM190 Watt monocrystalline modules on a 3.2395 hectare site. Siemens supplied the central inverter.
A dramatic u-turn by German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been officially proclaimed with the announcement that all nuclear plants in the country will be shut down permanently by 2021. Initially, eight of Germany’s oldest nuclear plants will shut down immediately and the remaining plants will be phased out over the next 10 years. However, three plants could remain operational until 2022 to allow for the possibility of delays occurring in the addition of new energy sources - mainly renewables - as a replacement.
The nascent solar arm of electronics giant, Samsung has been shuffled into subsidiary, Samsung SDI, known originally for flat panel display manufacturing but more recently for lithium ion battery manufacturing. Samsung said that the transaction, valued at approximately US$148 million was to ‘manage the company’s resources more efficiently and focus more on its key businesses.’Samsung SDI will take over the solar cell business on July 1, 2011.
Fujitsu has introduced new software for simulating the movements of production line workers, which is designed for customers in the manufacturing industry, such as automobile parts suppliers and precision electronics manufacturers. GP4 was developed by Lexer Research, which has extensive experience and expertise in the preparatory processes for manufacturing operations. A 40% reduction in production line assembly time was achieved in an early-release [beta-release] deployment of the software. The new software is available starting in May, 2011 in Japan.
