Specialist solar PV equipment supplier centrotherm International has reported first half 2017 photovoltaics and semiconductor segment equipment order backlog of nearly €141 million as well as securing CIGS thin-film tool orders from Manz for turnkey line projects in China.
Nanoelectronics research centre imec has taken a perovskite/silicon tandem mini-module-on-cell stack to a record 23.9% conversion efficiency, significantly exceeding its 20.2% efficiency figures reported in 2016.
Leading thin-film PV manufacturer First Solar raised both shipments and revenue expectations for 2017 after reporting net sales of US$623 million in the second quarter of 2017, down from US$892 million in the previous quarter.
According to the Financial Times, Hanergy Holding Group plans to build a 300MW CIGS thin-film production plant in partnership with the local government Datong City and Datong Coal Mine Group as part of a wider initiative on developing a solar industry development cluster.
Leading ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JinkoSolar has started a collaboration with Greatcell Solar, formerly Dyesol and the Nanyang Technology University (NTU) in Singapore on perovskite solar cells.
Specialist PV manufacturing equipment supplier Singulus Technologies has secured a new follow-on order with an unidentified customer in Germany for several CIGS thin-film sputtering tools.
PV specialist equipment supplier centrotherm has secured a number of sputtering systems tool orders for two turnkey CIGS thin-film facilities being supplied by equipment and automation specialist Manz for JV customers Shanghai Electric Group and Shenhua Group.
Perovskite materials start-up Hangzhou Microquanta Semiconductor has reported that a perovskite mini-module, certified by testing firm Newport in Montana, US has achieved a new world record of 16% conversion efficiency.
French multinational electric utility company Engie has deployed Heliatek’s organic OPV thin-film technology as part of new façade at Engie's research center in Linkebeek, Belgium.