PV Tech’s preliminary analysis of global PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements in April, 2016, revealed nearly 9GW of planned future expansions of thin-film modules, solar cells and module assembly production, up from over 7.3GW in the previous month and the third consecutive monthly increase.
Imec and its Solliance partners have fabricated for the first time a semi-transparent perovskite PV-module, achieving power conversion efficiencies up to 12%, a world-best achievement, according to the R&D group.
Specialist PV manufacturing equipment supplier Singulus Technologies said it had signed ‘pre-contracts’ worth more than €110 million (US$123 million) for CIGS thin-film production equipment with China National Building Materials (CNBM), owner of manufacturer Avancis.
The majority owner of Hanergy Thin Film Power Group, Li Hejun has resigned his positions as an executive director and chairman as part of a management reshuffle as it attempts to improve its corporate governance position.
Sweden-based thin-film production equipment specialist Midsummer said it had secured a second ‘DUO’ flexible CIGS (copper, indium, gallium and selenium) thin-film solar cell sputtering tool order from an existing customer based in Asia.
R&D group Solliance, which includes ECN, imec, TNO, Holst Centre and industrial partners such as Nano-C, Solartek, DyeSol and Panasonic have succeeded in producing a record 10% aperture area power conversion efficiency for an ‘up-scaled’ thin-film perovskite photovoltaic module.
Global maker of construction and mining equipment Caterpillar has launched an integrated micro-grid solution which combines solar PV and energy storage with the company’s power generation equipment.
CIGS thin-film module producer Avancis has reported a record conversion efficiency of 17.9% with a 30x30 cm² champion mini-module, certified by Fraunhofer ISE.
CIGS thin-film start-up Siva Power has raised US$5 million in new Series D financing to build a pilot line to produce small-scale production to demonstrate its co-evaporation source technology at its facility in Santa Clara, California.
