Enhancing quality control in PV cell production was a key topic at PV CellTech 2018. After the conference, we caught up with Gordon Deans, founder and chief operating officer of inline solar cell measurement equipment specialist Aurora Solar Technologies to discuss some of the requirements when moving towards smart factories.
As previously reported there was a significant slowdown in global solar PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements in the third quarter of 2017, which we highlighted was hardly surprising due to significant level of expansions plans announced in the first half of the year. However, despite increased concerns over the potential imposition of restrictive trade practices in the US and India in the fourth quarter of 2017, there was a significant rebound over the previous quarter, leading to the highest recorded gigawatts of new expansion announcements.
Driving p- and n-type solar cell manufacturing beyond current limitations was a key topic at PV CellTech last week. We caught up with the CTO of leading PV equipment supplier Meyer Burger, Dr. Gunter Erfurt, during the conference, to discuss just how fast the industry is moving.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Canadian Solar has lowered nameplate capacity expansion plans in 2018 for both in-house solar cell production and module assembly as total module shipment guidance for 2018, indicates marginal growth.
Enel’s PV module manufacturing subsidiary, 3SUN has outlined its ‘2.0 innovation project,’ which includes the installation of a new assembly line to enable the manufacture of bifacial panels.
Leading polysilicon and solar wafer producer GCL-Poly Energy Holdings has reported a significant increase in nameplate wafer capacity in 2017, going from 18.5GW in 2016 to 30GW at the end of 2017, a 62.2% rise.
Advanced doping technologies for high efficiency n-type cell architectures was a key topic at PV CellTech 2018. After the conference, we caught up with Christian Buchner, Vice President of the Photovoltaics BU at leading PV equipment supplier SCHMID Group, to tap into some key takeaways.
OPES Solutions a supplier of off-grid solar modules for grid independent power supply, has developed an ultra-light solar module together with the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP. The new ultra-light solar module reduces module weight by two thirds when compared to conventional crystalline modules.
PV CellTech 2018 kicked off in Penang, Malaysia, yesterday, with the heads of technology in the PV industry debating the key topics for solar cells in the present and future. PV Tech caught up with Omid Shojaei, the CEO of heterojunction production equipment supplier INDEOtec to unpick the increasing interest surrounding the technology.
