Micromorph thin-film module manufacturer, Inventux Technologies has boosted the yield of its modules by reducing edge stripping, which is said to provide a larger effective surface area. Other improvements were achieved with the use of white coloured reflector film, leading to positive performance tolerances of -0/+5 watts. Inventux advertises its X-Series modules as achieving 10% conversion efficiencies.
A common criticism of installing PV systems, large and small in Greece has been the bureaucratic red tape that had cased many projects to be delayed by several years, limiting the appeal of the country’s FiT and resulting in a standstill for most projects. According to BSW-Solar and PV LEGAL, concerted efforts to unwind the red tape, have had some significant success recently.
The stalled Italian PV market had a noticeable effect on Yingli Green's figures for the first quarter. Module shipments decreased by a low teen percentage from Q4 2010 with revenue reported for Q1 2011 at US$527.3 million, compared to US$616.1 million in Q4 2010. Gross profit was US$144.1 million, representing a gross margin of 27.3% and an operating margin of 16.5%. However, Yingli expects shipments to increase by more than 30% in Q2 and reiterated previous guidance of module shipments of between 1.7 and 1.75GW in 2011.
The cost competitive position of concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) technologies, especially since polysilicon prices have continued to fall from the heights of 2008, have constrained more widespread adoption. However, a new detailed report from GTM Research highlights a brighter future for the sector should CPV companies achieve their cost reduction roadmaps. In particular, the installed cost of CPV systems need to be reduced by more than 30% over the next four years for CPV installations to reach a healthy 1GW per annum rate by 2015.
Edwards has introduced a patented hot trap designed to thermally decompose the liquid diethyl zinc (DEZ) used in depositing some transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films in thin film solar manufacturing.
Mixed results were seen by Conergy for the first quarter as international sales took the sting out of very weak demand in Germany. Conergy reported sales of €163.3 million in the first quarter 2011, up 8.6% compared to the same quarter in the previous year. However, sales were down significantly from the fourth-quarter 2010, when sales reached €248.5 million.
Sales at Q-Cells fell by approximately 46% in the first quarter of 2011 to €125.1 million, compared to €232.3 million in the first quarter of 2010. The company cited a string of market issues that were responsible for the crash in sales, held higher by the sale of a utility-scale project in Strasskirchen, Germany, that provided proceeds of €72.5 million and the €20 million sale of electricity trading company QCCS at the end of 2010.
Later this year, DuPont Microcircuit Materials (MCM) is expecting to commercially launch a new version of its Solamet brand of PV metallization pastes that are claimed to significantly reduce the silver (Ag) content. MCM plans a new product that will reduce the silver content by 10%, having accelerated development efforts that should at a later time see a 20% reduction in silver content, all designed to be near drop-in replacements for current products.
PV module manufacturer, China Sunergy has obtained the UK’s Microgeneration Certification Scheme certification, which allows the company to market its modules in the country.
With the home content rules for PV installations in place in Ontario, Canada a growing number of suppliers have been forced to manufacture products in the region for customers to obtain the feed-in tariffs. Although not mentioning its manufacturing partner, Conergy is the latest module manufacturer to establish production in Ontario
