Boeing's Spectrolab subsidiary said it has begun volume production of its newest terrestrial triple-junction III-V-based solar cell, the C3MJ+. The device has an average conversion efficiency of 39.2%, which the company claims makes it the most-efficient cell on the market.
Southern California Edison has signed 20 contracts with six different independent power producer firms for nearly 240MW (AC) of solar photovoltaic systems to be deployed close to major transmission lines in various parts of the utility’s service areas in Southern California.
CPV company Solergy will be debuting its two chief products: Solergy CPV and Solergy Cogen CPV. The CPV systems use an all-glass optical concentrating lens, which Solergy claims, in combination with its tracking and basic energy unit is a system that generates a significant amount of energy in comparison to other PV and CPV products.
FHR Anlagenbau, the wholly-owned subsidiary of centrotherm photovoltaics, is to supply several CIGS roll-to-roll coating systems to Leipzig-based Solarion. The systems, which are to be shipped throughout 2011, will form the central component of a 20MW annual capacity CIGS thin-film solar cell production system. Solarion is further planning to expand production to 180MW at the Leipzig site together with strategic investor Walsin Lihwa Corporation of Taiwan.
The Chinese National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has approved a pre-feasibility study for the construction of the first phase of First Solar's 30MW thin-film solar power plant located in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. This phase marks the beginning of 2GW which are to be implemented in the area through 2019.
Oerlikon Solar's €16.7 million research project "Pepper" will receive a €9.4 million funding grant under the Framework Programme for Research of the European Union, coordinated by the DG Energy of the European Commission. The project, which began on September 1, is aimed at demonstrating high performance processes and equipment for thin-film silicon photovoltaics modules produced with lower costs, reduced material use, and an improved environmental-friendly production process.
German machine supplier 4JET has reported a high order intake in its thin-film photovoltaics business. The company will supply laser equipment, edge deletion systems, glass drilling modules, and busbar stripping equipment to 10 different production lines for CIGS and CdTe manufacturing through mid-2011.
UPDATED: PV industry market leader First Solar reported third-quarter sales of US$797.9 million, a significant increase of second quarterly net sales of US$587.9 million, mainly due to the sale of the 60MW Sarnia Phase 2 utility project in Canada. The company noted that its CdTe thin-film module average selling prices (ASP) declined in the quarter, which impacted revenue figures.
Ascent Solar has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with 'The Energy and Resource Institute' (TERI), based in New Delhi, India. Under the terms of the agreement, TERI will perform testing and performance evaluation of Ascent's flexible thin-film CIGS modules as well as looking at the feasibility of including these modules for TERI's flagship program 'Lighting a Billion Lives' (LaBL).
