As companies look to compete against market and CdTe thin-film module leader First Solar, the promise of higher conversion efficiencies and equally low production costs is luring a growing number of wannabe companies to copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) technology and in doing so to turnkey provider centrotherm photovoltaics. Having announced the successful start of production of CIGS (1.5 m2) modules for a Taiwanese customer, module efficiency levels are expected to reach 10% by the end of 2010 and have the capability of production costs of below €1 per watt.
A new R&D centre now provides Schmid with the ability to work with customers on processes and new technologies from the wafer through to the module, making it the only system provider worldwide to offer complete vertical integration for R&D projects, according to the company.
Day4 Energy has completed the delivery of a turnkey 2.4MW photovoltaic power plant for Gunther Heiss Solar in Germany. A local Volksbank, backed by Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank, Frankfurt am Main, financed the project.
Spire Semiconductor, the wholly owned subsidiary of Spire corporation, has received confirmation from the US Department of Energy (DOE) that it will receive US$2 million under the Advanced Energy Manufacturing tax credit (MTC) program. The funds will be used to expand the company's III/V Compound Semiconductor Foundry facility in Hudson, New Hampshire.
Satcon Technology has delivered 23MW of its PowerGate Plus 500kW solar PV inverters to GCL Solar for its 20MW Jiming Hill Xunzhou solar plant and its 3MW Yancheng Guoneng rooftop installation.
In response to the to unconfirmed media reports concerning the possible threat of between 16-17% cuts in the EEG feed-in tariffs by as early as April 2010, the German Federal Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) said in a statement on its website that there was no room for such large cuts, especially on the back of what is effectively a 10% cut automatically in place since the beginning of the year. The trade association warned that lowering the FiT rates too fast, endangered 50,000 jobs in the German solar industry, and put at risk over €10 billion in planned production expansion plans and future R&D investments.
MiaSole has received two Advanced Energy Manufacturing tax credits totaling US$101.8 million from the Obama Administration for the manufacture of low-cost thin-film cells and modules. A total of US$2.3 billion in tax credits is being allocated for investments in 183 manufacturing facilities for clean energy products across 43 American states.
Solar systems integrator Solis Partners has completed the fourth of six installations for Norkus Enterprises, operator of Foodtown supermarkets in Monmouth and Ocean counties in New Jersey. The combined rooftop system features Solyndra's CIGS PV panels and will be reportedly one of the largest installations of the thin-film company's tubular-module-based products in the United States.
Canadian Solar has announced a joint venture and an 18MW distribution deal with West Holding, Japan. The agreement specifies a transfer of 14% of the shares in Canadian Solar Japan to West Holding.
The supervisory board of centrotherm photovoltaics has appointed Dr. Dirk Stenkamp as chief operating officer. Stenkamp will join the four-man management team, taking responsiblity for the areas of engineering, materials management, production, quality management and service across the group.
