Nano-electronics research center imec said it had achieved a record cell conversion efficiency of 22.5% for its large area (6-inch) n-type PERT (passivated emitter, rear totally diffused) Cz-Si solar cell.
Tier-one integrated PV manufacturer ReneSola already shifting its business model away from OEM production supply to bundled services as well as shifting its module sales to higher margin markets and away from the US and China with greater focus on its downstream project business.
An EU funded R&D project has been launched to achieve commercially viable CIGS (copper indium gallium (di)selenide) thin-film cells with 25% conversion efficiencies.
Equipment specialist GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) said it was assessing fire damage to the former Apple sapphire making equipment housed in the Arizona facility that caught fire last week due to a potentially faulty PV rooftop array.
Singapore-based integrated PV module manufacturer REC Solar ASA has reported module sales down 16% quarter-on-quarter due to weaker demand in Europe and declining ASPs.
Taiwan-based solar cell producer TSEC Corporation is pitching its future competitiveness on plans to migrate to advanced N-type monocrystalline heterojunction (HJ) and advanced multicrystalline PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) technology over the next few years.
Tier-one PV manufacturer JinkoSolar has said its new production facility for solar cells and modules in Malaysia has started ramping on schedule and was expected reach capacity within two months.
Chinese manufacturer BYD Company is to build a 400MW PV module assembly plant in Brazil at a cost of around US$50 million, adding to its planned electric bus manufacturing facility in the state of São Paulo.
