Product Briefing Outline: 3M has introduced its Ultra Barrier Solar Film for flexible thin-film technologies into volume manufacturing. The product is the result of more than a decade of development in transparent barrier technology, having the potential to drastically reduce the total system costs for rooftop solar installations. The film's unique module form factor also offers an array of niche applications.
Product Briefing Outline: STMicroelectronics has introduced the SPV1001, which replaces the simple bypass diode with an intelligent device that enhances efficiency and offers the same package outline. The new device can deliver a fast Return-On-Investment, in terms of releasing additional energy for solar panel applications.
Product Briefing Outline: Dow Chemical has launched it ‘Enlight’ polyolefin encapsulant films, which are claimed to enhance efficiencies in PV module production and lead to lower conversion costs. The films also can provide greater module stability and improved electrical performance versus traditional encapsulants, such as EVA-based products, which improves the reliability and extends the service life of PV modules. The new encapsulant films are suitable for c-Si and thin-film modules.
Product Briefing Outline: Control Techniques has launched a ‘transformerless’ central inverter system for utility scale photovoltaic power plants that is designed to maximize investor returns through optimized availability, efficiency and yield. Control Techniques’ SPV is constructed using 145kWp, 176kWp and multiple 176kWp parallel connected inverter modules to produce any desired power rating up to 1760kWp and employs a second generation Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm. Over the last 2 years Control Techniques inverters have been installed in over 80 large scale PV power plants with a combined power of 150MW. Confirmed orders for over 330MW have been received.
Product Briefing Outline: Umicore Precious Metals Refining has introduced a CIGS production scrap recycling service with an initial capacity of 50Mt per annum. This new service allows the recycling of production waste (e.g. chamber residues) generated by CIGS solar cell producers, and valorizes copper, indium, gallium and selenium.
Product Briefing Outline: Op-tection has developed a brand new solar cell sorter to meet the demand for increasing cell sorting needs in terms of speed and automation. The OSIS Sorter EL-1800 system inspects and sorts’ solar cells automatically based on user defined quality parameters. Recently one of the first new generation sorters successfully entered production at a leading German PV manufacturer.
Product Briefing Outline: Sanyo has launched its highest efficiency ‘HIT’ N Series solar module to date using cells with 21.1% conversion efficiency, generating a module output of 235W for its new HIT-N235SE10 module. Module efficiency is 18.6%. The New N Series modules will be produced at Sanyo’s factory in Hungary with shipments commencing across Europe from September, 2010 onwards.
Product Briefing Outline: DuPont Performance Polymers (DuPont) have introduced ‘Zalak’ 5300 high-performance seals for photovoltaic cell manufacturing. Zalak 5300 seals bridge the performance gap between standard fluoroelastomers (FKM) and perfluoroelastomers (FFKM) seals. The seals are specially formulated for use in plasma environments, such as edge isolation, ARC coating in crystalline cell manufacturing, TCO sputtering deposition, and selective a-Si PECVD applications in PV cell manufacturing.
The Czech government announced recently that it was about to take special measures against the ongoing solar boom in the country. These measures are to limit the rapid construction of solar power plants, which would otherwise lead to a dramatic increase in the price of electricity in the future. One of these measures maybe a brand-new tax imposed on producers of solar power.
After a relatively quiet Monday, the second day of the EU PVSEC conference in Valencia certainly ‘hotted up’, in more than one sense of the word. With temperatures hitting 28°C, but feeling more like the high 30s, the air conditioning and vastness of the Feria Valencia are welcome as the suited and booted attendees meander their way around the eight halls and the conference centre.
