von Ardenne’s ‘SCALA’ platform has been designed to close the gap between R&D and production of Silicon heterojunction (HJ) solar cells. The modular platform provides a pathway via a technology approach, the tuning of the PVD processing and the complementary technology steps such as texturing, PECVD and metallization processes for 22% conversion efficiencies on 6-inch substrates and thus to ease the path to commercialization.
Silicon Module Super League (SMSL) member JA Solar is continuing to expand manufacturing capacity in 2017 after guiding total shipments to be in the range of 6GW to 6.5GW, up from 5.2GW in 2016.
India is expected to double its installed solar PV capacity from 10GW to 20GW within 15 months, according to energy and mines minister Piyush Goyal, who is also encouraging manufacturers to locate in India.
Jetion Solar, Hareon Solar, GCL Technology and Talesun have now been fully withdrawn from the Minimum Import Price (MIP) undertaking, according to the European Commission (EC).
Integrated PV firm Tata Power Solar has doubled its module manufacturing capacity and raised its cell capacity by 65% at its plant in Bangalore, southern India.
China-based thin-film PV firm Hangzhou Microquanta Semiconductor has claimed a new efficiency record for perovskite mini-modules of 15.24%, certified by Newport PV Lab in Montana, US.
Just when forecasts for India’s solar manufacturers in 2017 projected a dire outlook, energy minister Piyush Goyal has reportedly said in parliament that the previously touted incentives package for domestic firms will not be moving forward for the foreseeable future.
China-based polysilicon producer Daqo New Energy is responding to the need for higher specification polysilicon demand by increased adoption of high-efficiency mono wafers, notably being required for PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Contact) solar cells.
