3D-Micromac launched the second generation of its high-performance microCELL OTF laser systems at SNEC 2017. The high-performance production solution for Laser Contact Opening (LCO) of PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) solar cells achieves a throughput of 8,000 wafers per hour (wph).
The complaint filed by Suniva is not a revival or renewal of the longstanding anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases, however, it’s something different all-together. For want of a better phrase, it’s the nuclear option, and ultimately, President Trump has his finger on this red button too.
Despite battle cries to end the ‘war on coal’, Trump’s first 100 days as president have done very little to materially dismantle progress in renewable energy and climate action, according to energy and national security expert Kevin Book.
Behind the scenes of Enel Green Power Mexico's ground-breaking Villanueva solar farm. Paolo Romanacci, Enel’s head of renewable energies for Central America, explains how the project was won and how it serves the local community as much as the wider energy market.
SNEC 11th (2017) International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference & Exhibition (SNEC 2017) in Shanghai, China maybe the largest annual exhibition in the solar industry but its sheer size and number of attendee’s can often mask emerging trends that are better highlighted at other events such as Solar Power International (SPI) in the US.
PLANT PV, has introduced its first major product to enable significant improvements in conventional solar cell power output. PLANT PV’s new ‘Silver-on-Aluminum’ paste is designed for easy implementation with no added investment cost for cell producers and is claimed to lead to a 1% increase in relative power output for c-Si solar cells. The company, which was incubated out of the Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, will present its Ag-on-Al paste concept and test results at the SNEC 11th International PV Power Generation Conference in Shanghai, China.
After experiencing their own problems with potential induced degradation (PID), Belgium-based Edison Energy took matters into its own hands and developed the Pidbull solution in partnership with imec. Now it sells Pidbull to anyone experiencing issues with PID. As managing director Davy Verheyden explains, it is a problem solar asset owners cannot afford to ignore.
PV Tech’s preliminary analysis of global solar PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements in the first quarter of 2017, show a strong rebound compared to the significantly subdued environment experienced in the second half of 2016.
Having retroactively damaged its solar sector once before, Spain's latest renewable energy tender does little to repair the damage. While Saudi Arabia embraces a cost-based solar auction, Spain is tipping the scales in favour of the status quo.
Alfartec has introduced its BlueSky-MT240 solar simulator to the market that is based on LED and Halogen technologies, making it ideal for production, research and certification centers, globally. Its long flash duration up to 500 millisecondes and short cycle time are suitable for all module technologies.
