String Ribbon solar cell manufacturer Evergreen Solar is planning future expansions in China, with the aim of reaching a manufacturing cost of US$1 per watt by the end of 2012. The aggressive goal is in tandem with ramping a new plant in China to 500MW in that time frame. This is being planned with another PV manufacturer, Jiawei Solar (Wuhan) Co., and the Wuhan Donghu New Technology Development Zone Management Committee, part of the Wuhan provincial government in Wuhan, China.
Fresnel technology-based solar thermal power systems provider Solar Power Group has had MAN Ferrostaal raise its stake in the company by approximately 19% to 43.8%. The move is part of MAN Ferrostaal’s belief in the technology and company being able to capture significant business in the future. MAN Ferrostaal is now majority owned by the International Petroleum Investment Co. (IPIC) and expects growth especially in the Middle East.
Despite the difficult economic conditions, First Solar saw its quarter-to-quarter revenues slip slightly while its income rose and its gross margin improved during the first quarter. The company also showed marked increases in its manufacturing production and capacity numbers, improvements in its average capacity per production line, and further reduction in its manufacturing cost per watt. The thin-film PV company also announced that its board had begun looking for a new CEO to replace long-time chief executive Michael Ahearn, who will step into a new role as executive chairman.
BTU International said that equipment sales into the photovoltaics industry and across the crystalline and thin-film markets continue to grow despite an overall decline in first-quarter revenues of 33% to US$9.8 million. The company noted that solar sales were currently oriented more toward technology buys than capacity expansions.
According to Japanese news reports, negotiations are under way between Hitachi and Showa Shell Sekiyu to enter the photovoltaics market. The partnership would see Hitachi sell an LCD plant to Showa, which would then be converted to PV module production. It was not clear whether the solar plant would produce conventional crystalline or thin-film modules. Apparently an agreement is expected to be announced soon, according to the reports.
In a surprise move, Q-Cells' a-Si thin-film subsidiary Sontor will merge with thin-film competitor Sunfilm, a user of Applied Materials ‘SunFab’ turnkey thin-film production technology. Sontor has been one of Q-Cells' most successful thin-film ventures, starting mass production late in 2008 with plans to ramp its 25MW plant in 2009. The decision to absorb Sontor into Sunfilm was said to be due to the ‘increasingly competitive global photovoltaic market,’ enabling Sunfilm to have the scale to compete in an overcrowded market. The Sunfilm name will remain.
Not immune from the current slowdown in semiconductor and related industries equipment spending caused by the current economic downturn, Veeco Instruments reported sales for the first quarter of 2009 at US$62.8 million, compared to US$102.3 million in the first quarter of 2008. The company showed a loss of US$20.9 million, while operating cost reduction initiatives in place since the third quarter have resulted in a 20% decrease in expenses. LED and solar orders were US$28 million, down 26% from the first quarter of last year and 35% sequentially, according to the company.
The Danish National Labororatory for Sustainable Energy, Risø DTU, has connected a polymer solar-cell array to the grid on campus to demonstrate the current developments taking place with PV cells based on polymer materials. More than simply a test bed, researchers in collaboration with “roll-to-roll” flex-print and printed electronics specialist Mekoprint and BIPV module specialist Gaia Solar have fabricated the polymer cells for energy production, demonstrating the commercial readiness of the technology from a manufacturing perspective.
BP Solar has reported PV module sales in the first quarter of 2009 of 15MW, down from 34MW in the same quarter of 2008. The company noted that it was experiencing continued weak demand in the solar market.
Red Sun Energy has opened what is being called the first solar module factory in Vietnam. The facility, which will have a capacity of 5 MW during its initial phase of operations, is located in the Duc Hoa Industrial Park in southern Long An province.
