Project Panda, a research partnership started in 2009 between Yingli Green Energy Holding, the Energy Research Center of the Netherlands (ECN) and Amtech Systems’ solar division Tempress Systems, revealed that its N-type Metal Wrap Through (N-MWT) PV cell and module technology had reached a cell efficiency of 19.7% and a module efficiency of 17.6%.
Day4 Energy and Roth & Rau have joined forces to produce the world’s first 19.3% efficient module. The module combines R&R’s heterojunction and Day4’s DNA technologies, which helps minimise efficiency losses from cell to module and create substantial reduction in silver paste consumption.
This summer solar developer Espe Sunparc has completed the installation of a 10MW PV project portfolio in Italy. All 10 projects were installed between July and August and are located across fove regions. The portfolio is expected to generate 14 million kWh of electricity per annum.
Less than a week after shutting down manufacturing operations, Solyndra followed through on its announced intention to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The beleaguered CIGS thin-film PV firm said it hopes to reorganize and find a buyer and would like to avoid liquidating its assets.
MEMC Electronic Materials and its solar subsidiary, SunEdison, revealed that they had completed the acquisition of Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, Inc. (FRV US), the US subsidiary of Fotowatio Renewable Ventures. MEMC paid a the disclosed consideration of US$112 million plus repayment of nearly US$19 million in intercompany loans and capital contributions. An additional consideration of up to US$103.6 million may be paid if FRV US reaches specified performance targets.
After recently announcing that it had shipped its first international trichlorosilane (TCS) delivery, SunSi Energies has advised that the first phase of the expansion for its Wendeng TCS facility in Weihai City, China is complete. The expansion increased the facility’s production capacity by 50%, or 10,000MT, to 30,000MT.
Clean Power Finance (CPF) is in the midst of what is shaping up to be quite a promising month. The company recently closed a US$25 million investment led by new investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), received a US$3 million US Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot award and appointed three new board members and a new CEO.
New South Wales’s defunct Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in-tariff (FIT) programme is to blame for an AUD$A12 a year expected increase in household electricity bills from 2013, according to coalition government politicians – a finding met with incredulity by the Australian Solar Energy Society (AUSES).
Canadian Solar is to present at Susquehanna Financial’s Fifth Annual Beijing Management Summit on September 15. The PV company’s senior vice president and CFO, Michael G. Potter, and the director of investor relations, Ed Job, will present at the financial firm’s summit, which takes place at the Grand Hyatt Beijing Hotel. Investors will also be able to meet with Canadian Solar’s management at the summit.
Thin-film PV module manufacturer NexPower has begun mass production of its new 155W tandem-junction thin-film silicon module. The latest member of the Taiwanese company’s silicon NT-series, the new module will be renamed Xtreme+, along with all further NT-series modules to reach over 155W of nominal power.
