News

Trina Solar has provided manufacturing guidance for 2008 and beyondwith the target of achieving cell efficiency rates of approximately 19percent for monocrystalline solar cells by 2010. Importantly, TrinaSolar expects to reduce wafer thickness to 140 microns by 2010 as partof its cost reduction strategies. Multicrystalline cell efficienciesare also expected to reach 18 percent in the same timeframe. Currently,the company plans to initiate production tests of 180-micron wafers andcells in the first half of 2008.

SunEdison has started construction with local partner Sunergy of itsfirst solar power plant in Spain, which is expected to be completed bythe third quarter of 2008. Sunergy currently has over 20MW of PVground-mounted and rooftop projects under development in Spain.SunEdison has over 31MW currently under management and over 52MW ofhands-on installation experience, the company said.

First Solar, Inc. has named Kathy Weiss as Vice President of GovernmentRelations to oversee the company’s public policies and manage thecompany’s state and federal affairs...

Stefan Thiel (pictured) has been appointed to the role of Sales Managerfor the solar cell manufacturer, taking over from Franz Ziering. ersol’s sales and strategic purchasing sectors...

Global Solar Energy has claimed that in December, 2007 it became the first Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CIGS) thin-film solar manufacturer to achieve an average of 10 percent solar cell efficiency on a flexible substrate over ‘several production runs.’

Voltaix, LLC has said that it has significantly increased theproduction of trimethylboron to meet growing demand from the PVthin-film manufacturing industry. The product specifications for oxygenand other key contaminants have also been improved to ensure that theproduct will continue to meet the performance requirements of the solarindustry, the company said.

AOS Solar, a thin film silicon-on-glass start-up of2005, claims that it is aiming to achieve a 90 percent reduction in theamount of silicon its technology requires with a 50 percent energybudget reduction and a reduction in capital equipment costs of 50percent. This combination of crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV efficiencywith thin film manufacturing economics will be presented for the firsttime at the www.ibfconferences.com nanotechnology investment forum in Palm Springs, February 6.

Nanotechnology and engineering expert Professor T. C. Yih has beenadded to Octillion’s Advisory Board. He brings years of experience innanosystems, solar energy and bio-electro-mechanic systems, amongothers, to the company’s Advisory Board.

Consarc Corporation has announced that it will form a new division tobuild and market furnaces for solar grade silicon volume production.The company currently makes vacuum and controlled atmosphere furnacetechnologies for the processing of metals, specialty alloys andengineered materials. Consarc is a subsidiary of Inductotherm Group.

Komax Group said that 2007 sales increased by approximately 10 percent, reaching CHF 350 million. Asia growth was put at 70 percent, while European revenues grew by 1 percent. Order intake rose by 19 percent from CHF 328 million in 2006 to CHF 389 million in 2007.