The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg has surpassed its own European multijunction III-V solar cell efficiency record, recently reaching 37.6 percent. The new record of 39.7 percent was achieved using a front-side network of thin metal wires that transport large currents but with low resistance.
Solar inverter company Sputnik Engineering has announced a management change in the replacement of Alejandro Lupion with Fernando Sánchez García as General Manager of the Sputnik Engineering Ibérica S.r.l. in Madrid. The change came into effect on September 15th, 2008.
Gestamp Asetym has inaugurated a 26-MW solar plant in southeastSpain--one of the largest in Europe--featuring photovoltaic modulesmanufactured and supplied by Trina Solar.
LDK Solar has filed a preliminary prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed follow-on public offering of American Depository Shares, expected to generate $150 million. The funds will be used for the construction, currently ongoing, of its major polysilicon plant as well as expanding its wafer production.
Italian solar power system marketer Greenvision ambiente Photo-Solar, or GAPS, has sold a 43 percent stake in its company to Japanese M&A company Itochu. Recent start-up GAPS will receive approximately ¥1.2 billion (US$11.5 million) from the deal, which will also see collaboration between the two companies on marketing strategies, and the supply of Japanese-, U.S.- and Asian-made solar power modules to the company’s portfolio.
Schott Solar said ithas signed a multiyear contract withAEE Solar to supply the company with more than 5 MW of multicrystallinephotovoltaic modules. The deal marks the third U.S. supply contractannounced by Schott in less than a month, following agreements withPermaCity Solar and DC Power.
Johnson Controls has chosen Solar Integrated Technologies to supply andinstall building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing systems onprojects inWisconsin, California, and Washington. The companies said the threecontracts total $3million and should be completed by the end of 2008.
Peter Schwartz has joined Solaicx as the vice president of productengineering for the solar silicon ingot and wafer manufacturer. Hecomes to Solaicx from Nanoconduction, where he served as VP of processand equipment. His more than a decade of production and engineeringexperience includes a stint as a director at Applied Materials, whichhe joined after the capital equipment giant purchased Torrex, where heled a manufacturing team.
Solar-cell manufacturer Suniva says that the U.S. National RenewableEnergy Laboratory (NREL) has verified 20+% conversion efficiencies onseveral screen-printed silicon cells developed by the company's R&Dteam in its lab.
In its bid to meet targeted capacity expansion plans, Solar-Fabrik has secured a new long-term 156mm monocrystalline wafer supply deal from Korean based Smart Applications Co. Ltd. The $120.7 million worth deal starts in January 2009 and runs for 6 years.
