According to PV Tech’s preliminary analysis of global PV manufacturing expansion plans for the month of October 2015, new announcements reached 1.1GW in relation to thin film, c-Si solar cell and module assembly.
Silicon Module Super League member Hanwha Q CELLS has confirmed that its strategic partnership to collaborate on the development of 1366 Technologies proprietary ‘Direct Wafer’ technology has resulted in its R&D pilot line achieving 19.1% cell efficiencies.
High-tech equipment manufacturer Intevac has said it is experiencing some further interest from solar cell producers in Asia that have booked several new tool orders recently.
US-Based ‘Direct Wafer’ producer, 1366 Technologies has reported a champion cell that has achieved a cell conversion efficiency of 19.1%, verified by Fraunhofer ISE.
Teams from solar cell research institute Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and the university École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have combined a silicon heterojunction solar cell with a perovskite solar cell monolithically into a tandem device and reached a record efficiency of 18%, with potential to hit 30% after further modifications.
A heterojunction c-Si solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 25.1% has been showcased by its maker at an event hosted by the Japanese government to exhibit technological innovations in “new energy”.
PV laser technology equipment specialist InnoLas Solutions has received a major follow-on order for its ILS-TT high throughput laser machines for Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) technology.
Super Solar Energy group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thai utility Superblock PCL, will acquire five solar companies, according to a filing on the Thailand Stock Exchange.
Major PV metallisation paste producer Heraeus Photovoltaics has said its new manufacturing plant in Taiwan would be operational at the beginning of November 2015.
DuPont Microcircuit Materials (DuPont) said it had recently collaborated with PV module manufacturer REC Solar in bringing its ‘TwinPeak’ module to market.
