TÜV Rheinland has revealed its latest measurement testing in the form of a measurement system for spectral sensitivity and quantum efficiency of PV modules for crystalline and thin-film module manufacturers. The group has established a new spectral measuring station at its solar test center in Cologne, which can measure PV modules with an edge length up to 200cm. The measurement testing, conducted in wavelengths that range from 300 to 1,200 nanometers, is performed in increments of one nanometer. TÜV Rheinland points out that the testing is non-destructive since the modules can be connected to the terminals without interfering with the solar cell circuitry.
Macy’s Goodyear, Arizona online fulfillment center is modeling a new 3.5MW rooftop solar power system. SunPower designed and installed the solar project, which features a SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile system, and will continue to support the center with operations and maintenance services.
Lanco Infratech and juwi Holding have won a contract to build India’s largest solar system in the city of Dhule. The 75MW solar plant will cost INR8.84 billion (US$195 million) and be completed by February 2012. Equipment suppliers for the record-breaking project are still to be confirmed.
Magnolia Solar has been the recipient of a six-month research award from NASA for development of technologies aimed at increasing the power output of advanced photovoltaic systems for use in NASA’s space missions. The Phase I Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) award amounts to US$100,000, and will see Magnolia focus on increasing the current and voltage output of single-junction III-V cells.
Solar Topps, a solar integrator in Arizona, and Schott Solar have entered into a new solar panel supply agreement. The agreement will see Schott’s solar panels used in future Solar Topps commercial solar power installations, which range from 30kW to 200kW. The solar installations will be based in various cities and business in Arizona including car dealerships, hotels and shopping centers in Tucson, Nogales, Yuma, Tempe and Phoenix.
IKEA’s mission to minimize its impact on the global environment continues with the announcement of six more solar installations to take place on its locations in the Eastern US. Since the beginning of this year, the home design giant has completed a 498kW solar system at its Denver store and a 200kW installation at its Brooklyn facility, while also announcing plans for two solar systems to be installed at store locations in Germany.
A new Photovoltaic Module Technology Center (MTC) in Freiburg, operated by Fraunhofer ISE, has an ambitious goal of reducing efficiency losses from the cell to the module to only 2.5%. Typically, losses from conventional modules result in efficiencies about 10-15% below those achieved at the cell level, according to ISE. However, extensive work already carried out at the institute has demonstrated losses can be reduced to a mere 5%.
M+W Group has taken its PV portfolio past the 10GW mark by signing a contract to build a new 1GW solar cell plant in Asia. By reaching this milestone, M+W is further consolidating its position as a market leading provider of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for silicon and thin-film cell and module production facilities.
Updated: There were no obvious surprises in Suntech’s first-quarter financial results. Total net revenues were US$877.0 million, a decline of 7.2%, while shipments were only down 3.1% sequentially, but increased 62.9% year-over-year. In line with other major PV module manufacturers, Suntech noted the weak demand scenario in Italy due to the FiT review and overall challenging environment and pricing pressure. Suntech reiterated that it expected to ship 2.2GW of modules in 2011, but due to pricing pressure, the top end of its revenue guidance was reduced by US$100 million to a range of US$3.3 billion to US$3.5 billion.
Odersun has developed a new software tool, which essentially allows a user to design their own solar modules. Aptly named Solarmodule-Designer, the software lets users create solar modules that will fit an individual building project and system. Size, form, build-up and materials can all be customized by the user so that the modules can easily fit into their solar-integrated roofs and façades.
