Trina Solar has placed a multi-year, multi-system contract for Spire’s ‘Spi-Sun’ Simulator 4600 Single Long Pulse (4600 SLP) systems. The 4600 SLP has recently been purchased by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Underwriters Laboratories.
Day4 Energy, Inc. has said that its Generation II solar cell technology and processes have reached a new performance milestone with conversion efficiencies reaching 19 percent on mono-crystalline and 18 percent on multi-crystalline silicon materials in its R&D lab. Importantly, the company claims that when the Gen II technology is put into production over the next 18 months, production costs will have been reduced by up to 25 percent compared to conventional production costs.
To support a planned capacity increase, Spectrolab has placed a multi-unit order with Veeco Instruments for its TurboDisc K-475 As/P (arsenic phosphide) metal organic chemical vapor (MOCVD) deposition system. The tools will be used for the fabrication of the Boeing-owned divisions space-based solar cells.
Schneider Electric is to purchase Xantrex Technology, Inc. in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $412 million. Xantrex is a top 3 global player in the solar and wind inverter market and number 1 in the U.S. As a condition to the sale, Xantrex will divest its programmable power business to AMETEK, Inc. for $120 million in cash.
Sempra Generation has selected First Solar to provide a 10MW turnkey thin-film PV energy plant near Boulder City, Nevada. The project started in July and is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. The modules to be used at this ground-mount project will come from First Solar’s manufacturing facility in Perrysburg, Ohio, the company said.
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. has selected Spire Corporation’s ‘Spi-Sun Simulator’ 4600 Single Long Pulse systems for photovoltaic module testing operations in both the United States and China.
Pevafersa Group has selected Praxair to supply its new 120MW solar cell manufacturing facility in Toro, Spain with on-site gases, gas equipment and gas management services. Initial production is set for early September, 2008.
Conergy AG has announced its plans for an increase of approximately €450 million in the company’s equity base. The financing will be prepared by Credit Suisse and Dresdner Kleinwort, with major investors expected to contribute at least €125 million. The company will discuss the capital increase with shareholders at its AGM in Hamburg on August 28th, 2008.
Linde has signed a long-term contract with Sodiff Advanced Materials for the supply of electronic-grade silane. The agreement, the duration and cost of which were not specified in the announcement, will see the delivery of the silane from Sodiff’s facility at Youngju, Korea, which comes on line in the second half of 2009. This contract will account for a large proportion of Sodiff’s 2,000-tonne silane production output.
Dyesol Ltd. has agreed to provide a turnkey R&D laboratory and comprehensive training in Dye Solar Cell (DSC) development with Korea-based Acrosol, a Korean University spin-out company. The €600,000 agreement will see the companies collaborate on the commercialization of Acrosol’s DSC technology and products via materials supply and technical co-operation.
