Suntech Power Holdings is launching a new 245W module designed specifically for Europe’s residential and small-scale rooftop installation market. The 60-cell mono-crystalline STP245S-20/Wd is the latest addition to Suntech’s module range and boasts 14.8% efficiency and a three bus-bar design.
3M and tenKsolar have started a partnership for the improvement of tenKsolar’s RAIS Wave commercial solar array. The RAIS Wave system now features 3M’s Cool Mirror Film 330 reflective material, which the companies state, allows for the system to produce up to 60% more annual energy per square foot of a rooftop installation. 3M recently commissioned a grid-tied 4.5kW RAIS Wave solar array from tenKsolar for installation at 3M’s Cottage Grove facility.
Despatch Industries has successfully completed the latest set of enhancements and testing for its CF Series firing furnace. Improvements to the maximum belt speed have increased up to 300 inches per minute while thermal transfer methods, notably in the cooling sector, have allowed the firing furnace to reach higher maximum ramp rates. Despatch notes that enrichments to its CF Series allow it to reach a maximum ramp rate up to 200°C for heating and cooling.
New Energy Technologies has entered a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the U. S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the advancement of New Energy’s SolarWindow technology.
Apparent success with the R&D stage of the joint development project between Tata Steel and Dyesol to commercialise dye solar cells onto steel sheeting is said to be moving to a pre-industrial phase. The £11m project, which received a £5 million technology grant from the Welsh Assembly in Wales, is due to be completed in June 2011.
TechPrecision, a manufacturer of metal components and systems for the renewable energy industry, has received new orders totalling US$2 million for its wafer production equipment. The equipment, manufactured by TechPrecision’s U.S. and Chinese subsidiaries, Ranor and Wuxi Critical Mechanical Components, is expected to be shipped before the end of Q3.
Envision Solar will be collaborating with Reno Contracting on the development of several Envision Solar Tree solar parking arrays using Envision’s CleanCharge and EnvisionTrak technology. The solar-power charging stations for electric cars will be built across various locations in the southwest U.S. The first project is scheduled to commence during 2011’s second quarter followed by a multi-location construction at corporate and commercial properties through 2011 and beyond.
Odersun and Lithodecor have come together for the production of solar façades in the form of an Airtec PV system. Odersun will supply its CIS solar modules for Lithodecor’s Airtec system making Airtec façades available with photovoltaic solutions. This new façade will join Lithodecor’s existing glass and natural stone veneer solutions. Further, since Odersun produces system-compatible and project-specific solar modules for BIPV projects, Lithodecor anticipates being able to offer both standard system sizes as well as individual made-to-order solutions.
The Association of European Distributed Energy Resources Laboratories (DERlab) has admitted four new members to its organization in the form of the VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, the Interdisciplinary Center for Reliability, Security and Trust at the University of Luxembourg, K.U. Leuven for the new knowledge institute Energy Ville and Sandia National Laboratories from the U.S.
An annual survey of cell manufacturers published in the March 2011 issue of Photon International highlights a significant increase in solar cell production that could result in new capacity growing by 80% in 2011 and roughly reach a global capacity of 67GW. This comes on the back of reported cell production figures reaching 27.2GW in 2010, up 118%, compared with 12.5GW produced in 2009.
