Organic photovoltaic (OPV) thin-film producer Heliatek has raised €80 million (US$88 million) in a new funding round to expand its ‘HeliaFilm’ manufacturing capacity by one million m² per annum.
Ardian Infrastructure has made its debut in the Latin American solar market in the US$31 million acquisition of four PV plants in Chile and Peru from Spanish EPC Solarpack.
High-efficiency PV module producer and project developer SunPower is to take over its joint venture (JV) solar cell manufacturing operations in Malaysia from Taiwan-based partner AUO, a subsidiary of AU Optronics Corporation at a cost of US$170 million, payable over the next four years.
The University of Delaware’s Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC) has been awarded US$2.1 million from the SunShot Initiative for two research projects aiming to improve the performance of interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cells while reducing their production costs and new techniques for CIGS deposition.
The 33rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) has turned away from co-locating with Intersolar Europe in June, 2016 and has returned to a September 2017 slot and be held in Amsterdam.
US-based developer of ‘direct gas to wafer’ technology Crystal Solar has been awarded a US$3 million cooperative agreement by the U.S. Department of Energy, SunShot Initiative.
The US Energy Department is planning to provide solar technology funding to the tune of US$107 million via the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE) SunShot Initiative.
TCAD and EDA software provider Silvaco Japan Co is providing the Segawa Laboratory at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo with its device simulator, Atlas for analyzing hysteresis phenomena in perovskite solar cells.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Hanwha Q CELLS is planning to introduce its first ever monocrystalline modules, which will use its PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Contact) cell technology. New and prototype products will be showcased at Solar Power International (SPI) in Las Vegas next week.
The hardest and most ‘controversial’ aspect of analyzing capacity expansion announcements is converting them to actual or ‘effective’ new nameplate capacity.
