Another CIGS thin-film PV manufacturer has garnered certification for its flexible modules. San Jose-based SoloPower has achieved IEC 61646 and 61730 approvals to go along with the UL 1703 it announced earlier this year, allowing the company to sell its rooftop-focused products in the U.S. and Europe. SoloPower claims to be the first among its peers to obtain both IEC certifications for its flex panels.
China Technology Development Group (CTDC) has outlined the plans for its crystalline PV module production capacity expansion. The company aims to achieve 150MW production capacity by the end of 2011 and 300MW by the end of 2012. CTDC cites an increase in market demand and its desire to maximize their value for their shareholders as reasons for their planned expansion. Additionally, the company stated that in order to further facilitate company growth, it will be actively seeking out mergers and acquisitions to complete an overall expansion.
Despite the Japanese Government’s concerns over the legality of Ontario’s ‘local content’ feed-in tariff requirements, Sharp’s tandem-junction thin-film modules will be used by SunEdison for two solar parks, totalling 18.5MW, in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada. The projects (SunE Sky Norfolk I and II) are a joint venture between SkyPower and the MEMC subsidiary, which actually started construction in March this year and is expected to be completed before year-end.
Update: A significant increase in production capacity of its leading-edge ‘Panda’ technology will help boost Yingli Green’s total PV production capacity pass 1.7GW by mid-2011. Yingli Green is adding 600MW of new capacity in each key area of monocrystalline silicon manufacturing, which includes ingots, wafers, cells and modules at its Baoding, China headquarters. A further 100MW will be added to multicrystalline silicon production, in Haikou, Hainan Province, China. Yingli’s
Solyndra has signed an EPC agreement with Photon Energy, which will see the installation and development of 18 rooftop PV systems in Prague for a total of 1.23MWp. Installations have already begun with Novacento securing the authorization to install the solar projects on the roofs of municipal buildings; mainly schools and nurseries.
Schott Solar has declared the development of a new manufacturing technique for multicrystalline solar cells, which augments Schott’s Solar Champion multicrystalline module efficiency to 17.6%. The company maintains that the new cell uses a standard front side and passivated backside with different dielectric layers utilizing local contacts along with traditional screen-printing technology to create contacts.
In its bid to expand capacity and become cost competitive with their rivals, AUO and SunPower’s Fab 3 facility in Malaysia has fabricated its first 100 solar cells, yielding a minimum conversion efficiency of 22.2%. Due to the successful initial run, the partners expect commercial production to ramp up later this year. Construction and manufacturing ramp at Fab 3 was reiterated is still expected to continue through 2013.
Sempra Generation agreed to a 20-year power purchase agreement with PG&E during which it will sell 150MW of solar power produced at its Mesquite Solar I project. The Mesquite project is the first phase of Sempra’s solar complex in Arlington, Arizona and is expected to begin construction in 2011 with completion in 2013. The PPA awaits final approval by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Long-term cooperation agreements could lead to equipment and project orders worth €2 billion for Gebr. Schmid and Schmid Silicon Technology after a delegation to China under the leadership of Germany’s Minster of Economics, Rainer Bruederle had been held. The agreements are expected to be made with Guodian Electronics Group, Sanmenxia Dijiu Mining and DMEGC Group, the company said.
Two key executive roles have been assigned at thin-film joint venture, 3Sun. Retaining his position at STMicroelectronics, Andrea Cuomo becomes chairman, while Enel executive, Mauro Curiale, will become 3Sun’s CEO.
