Thin-film photovoltaics firm Xunlight has received certification for its flexible, lightweight modules under the ANSI/UL 1703 standard for North American markets. The company says the certification applies to its XR-series of flexible photovoltaic rooftop modules for a range of power outputs up to 264W per panel, making Xunlight one of a handful of companies that have had their flexible PV panels certified.
Dow Corning and PV equipment supplier Reis Robotics have formed an alliance to promote the materials company's PV-6100 silicone-based encapsulants for solar module production applications. The new encapsulants, when used in conjunction with the manufacturing process, are said to outperform the industry standard EVA resins as a way to protect the solar cells in a PV panel.
The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory has confirmed that flexible CIGS solar panels manufactured on SoloPower’s pilot production line have achieved aperture conversion efficiencies of 11% during tests at the lab's Golden, CO, facility--the highest efficiencies yet achieved by a full-size flex module. NREL had previously verified 13.4% efficiencies on the company’s 11.8cm2 lab cells.
Photovoltaic integrator Phoenix Solar and CIGS solar module manfacturer MiaSolé have signed a framework agreement that will run through 2013. The deal calls for MiaSolé to fulfill a Phoenix Solar order for an initial 4.5MW of copper-indium-gallium-(di)selenide thin-film PV panels in the second quarter, with the remaining shipment amounts to be determined. The framework agreement also includes a recycling warranty where required by regulation or financing; at the end of the module’s lifetime, the customer can choose to have them taken away by MiaSolé and recycled, or reconditioned.
SolarBridge Technologies has obtained $15 million in series B funding with Rho Ventures, a new investor for the company who lead the round of financing. To date, SolarBridge has raised over $27 million.
In an effort to continue environmental conservation efforts, Linde Gases has announced to its customers the opportunity to diminish their CO2 emissions by a quarter of a million tons this year by switching to on-site generated fluorine (F2) from the more traditional nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
Innovalight has set a new record of 19% conversion efficiency for solar cells processed with the company's silicon ink. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems measured the results on industry-standard size cells made by the materials and technology company at ISE's independent testing center in Germany.
Solaria has begun shipping its tracker-optimized, monocrystalline-silicon photovoltaic solar modules to customers in North America, Europe, and Asia. Although the company would not reveal the amount of shipments nor the financial details of any of the agreements, sources said that the modules have been designated for project-level installations.
In its "Cool Vendors in Solar Energy, 2010" report, Gartner highlights some of the solar energy start-ups to keep an eye on that it believes are developing technologies and innovations that will likely have a strong impact on the adoption of solar energy. Companies included in the review include, Applied Quantum Technology, BrightView Systems, Confluence Solar, Innovalight and Solexant.
Pan Ökoteam is using PV modules from Kyocera at one of the largest single projects to date in the Czech Republic. At the end of 2009, the plant had reached 1.6MW and is expected to expand to 4MW in 2011. With an installed capacity of 4MW in 2011 annual electricity output of 4.2 million kilowatt hours is expected and could supply about 1050 households with 2,800 tonnes of CO2 saved per year.
