Despatch Industries has successfully completed the latest set of enhancements and testing for its CF Series firing furnace. Improvements to the maximum belt speed have increased up to 300 inches per minute while thermal transfer methods, notably in the cooling sector, have allowed the firing furnace to reach higher maximum ramp rates. Despatch notes that enrichments to its CF Series allow it to reach a maximum ramp rate up to 200°C for heating and cooling.
New Energy Technologies has entered a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the U. S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the advancement of New Energy’s SolarWindow technology.
Apparent success with the R&D stage of the joint development project between Tata Steel and Dyesol to commercialise dye solar cells onto steel sheeting is said to be moving to a pre-industrial phase. The £11m project, which received a £5 million technology grant from the Welsh Assembly in Wales, is due to be completed in June 2011.
Odersun and Lithodecor have come together for the production of solar façades in the form of an Airtec PV system. Odersun will supply its CIS solar modules for Lithodecor’s Airtec system making Airtec façades available with photovoltaic solutions. This new façade will join Lithodecor’s existing glass and natural stone veneer solutions. Further, since Odersun produces system-compatible and project-specific solar modules for BIPV projects, Lithodecor anticipates being able to offer both standard system sizes as well as individual made-to-order solutions.
An annual survey of cell manufacturers published in the March 2011 issue of Photon International highlights a significant increase in solar cell production that could result in new capacity growing by 80% in 2011 and roughly reach a global capacity of 67GW. This comes on the back of reported cell production figures reaching 27.2GW in 2010, up 118%, compared with 12.5GW produced in 2009.
Although there were no specifics mentioned in the financial forecast for 2011 provided by Q-Cells as it announced full year financial results, sales are set to be at around the same level as last year. As previously reported, Q-Cells sales increased by 70% to €1.35 billion in 2010. In its annual report, 2011 sales guidance is between €1.3 billion and €1.5 billion.
First Solar and juwi solar have become the latest names in the solar industry to enter into the world of sports sponsorship after they signed a joint contract with an amateur U.S. road cycling team.
Leading Chinese polysilicon manufacturer Daqo New Energy has started work on phase two of its new facility in Shihezi, Xinjiang. Manufacturing will begin in the second half of 2012, with an initial capacity of 3,000 metric tonnes.
Dr. Simon Bransfield-Garth has been selected by Eight19, an organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology developer, as the company’s first chief executive officer. His appointment comes after a September 2010, US$7.4 million investment from the Carbon Trust and French chemical company Rhodia for the commercialization of OPV technology that will be created at Cambridge University’s Cavendish Laboratory; to which Eight19 is closely associated.
In releasing 2010 financial results this week, centrotherm photovoltaics achieved record results, dominated by revenue generation in its Solar Cell & Module segment, while revenue from its Silicon & Wafer segment and Thin Film Module segment declined compared to 2009. Group revenue reached €624.2 million, a 22.6% increase over revenue of €509.1 million in 2009. Solar Cell & Module segment revenue reached €404.5 million, up 68.6% compared to the previous year and represented 64.8% share of total revenue.
