Having formed a joint venture firm in March, PV CIStems, Solar Frontier and BELECTRIC have connected what they claim to be the world’s largest CIS thin-film solar power plant in Bochow, Brandenburg, Germany. The project’s investor is CommerzReal and the financing is provided by HypoVereinsbank (HBV) /UniCredit.
First generation PV thin-film adopters are falling like flies as Berlin-based Inventux files for bankruptcy. Inventux was a customer of Oerlikon Solar and an early adopter of its micromorph silicon turnkey technology. A temporary insolvency administrator has been appointed by the local court in Berlin-Charlottenburg, which is understood to be looking for new investors and secure some of the 200 jobs at risk at the company.
In anticipation of others to follow suit, Taiwan-based Motech Industries will be offering a ‘Solar Cell Certificate of Origin,’ to customers wanting to avoid the newly imposed import tariffs on Chinese solar cells and modules. Motech makes c-Si solar cells in Taiwan, which are excluded from the import duties as well as having a module assembly plant in Newark, Delaware.
Ascent Solar has entered into a development agreement with Shenzhen Radiant Enterprise and the Third Railway Survey and Design Institute (TSDI), the company has announced. Under the agreement, the three companies aim to install Ascent solar panels into already existing as well as future railway stations in China. TSDI has been involved in designing over 50,000km of Chinese railways, as well as the design of the Beijing South railway station.
Expecting the PV equipment market to continue to slow this year, GT Advanced Technologies advised that it would be broadening its product lines with a new furnace that makes silicon carbide crystals. The company is aiming to diversify its product line in the midst of what it calls a global downshift in demand for its systems that make polysilicon and PV wafers. As reported by Bloomberg, CEO of GT Advanced, Tom Gutierrez, is looking its R&D this year by 50% to over US$65 million with sales expected to grow 6% to between US$925 million and US$975 million.
A report from Digitimes has provided musings on how thin-film face an uphill battle in the current market. According to the report, solar firms will need to segue from being thin-film solar module providers to solar PV system project designers and suppliers in order to stay competitive. According to the report, as silicon-based solar product prices drop, thin-film solar products have been sidelined, especially during the past year.
Axuntek Solar Energy is using DuPont PV5400 series ionomer encapsulant in its IEC-certified CIGS thin-film modules, the company has announced.
The solar modules are frameless and the first to adopt DuPont PV5400 into CIGS technology. The modules aid to reduce shipping costs because they permit a higher density in shipping, therefore lower costs. Further, the modules are stronger due to DuPont’s encapsulant. The combination of ionomer and glass allows for the utilization of the frameless modules in building-integrated applications.
Amtech Systems’ Chinese subsidiary, Kingstone Semiconductor, will introduce its ion implant system at the SNEC Exhibition, in Shanghai this week. This ion implant system has been developed from the ground up to specifically serve the needs of the solar industry. Also at the SNEC Exhibition, Tempress Systems will introduce its new tube-type batch PECVD product.
The University of Luxembourg’s Laboratory of Photovoltaics has received a sizable grant to develop technologies for more efficient and cheaper solar cells. The University is part of a consortium of 14 partners, known as the Scalenano project, which has been awarded €10 million by the European Union.
Having made a few leaps in the last six months alone with a TÜV safety certification in September, announced the production of its first 100MW thin-film modules and partnering with altPOWER for future US-based BIPV projects, executive management of Soltecture have applied to open insolvency proceedings. Having extensively explored new financing options, including rebranding and restructuring initiatives towards the end of last year, the company has stated it saw no other viable option for averting the company’s impending insolvency at the present time.
