Avancis has said that its new state-of-the-art CIS thin-film module production plant has begun ramping. Construction of the 100MW capacity facility started in June 2010 and enables the company to offer new products, boost efficiencies and lower costs, compared to its previous 20MW facility. The number of employees at Avancis is set to double from the current 250 to almost 500.
The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory advised that it recently validated Semprius’ triple-junction cells at greater than 41% efficiency at a concentration of 1,000 suns – said to be one of the highest efficiencies recorded at this concentration. The North Carolina company makes its cells from gallium arsenide with the lenses laying claim to concentrating the sunlight onto the small cells 1,100 times.
Troubled thin film veteran, Energy Conversion Devices has deferred interest payments to note holders of its Senior Convertible Notes due 2013 as it continues talks with some of the holders over restructuring debt and raising funds to continue operations.
Blaming weaker than expected revenue earnings on poor weather and other factors, First Solar lowered its 2011 revenue guidance and separately announced a restructuring of its core business groups with the exit of TK Kallenbach, President of the Components Business Group, at the end of the year. Restructuring will lead to a workforce reduction of approximately 100 associates, around 1.5% of its workforce, according to the company. First Solar revised 2011 guidance in the range of US$2.8 to US$2.9 billion, down from a prior guidance range of between US$3.0 and US$3.3 billion.
Soitec is looking to bring solar energy to even the most remote, and sunny, parts of the world with its newly launched Sunidarity program, an initiative to help development aid organizations in supporting their efforts to promote economic and human development in the more remote regions of the globe. Soitec plans to donate its new Plug&Sun technology to three selected projects, which will be chosen for their innovation, difficulty of the challenge they overcome and integration within a global development project.
Soltecture has revamped its solar energy services, going so far as to launch a new brand deign, in order to improve client accessibility. "The focus of our new brand design is our client: they will get a focused overview of our services and portfolio," explains Soltecture’s CSO Henrik Kruepper. "Through the integration of our system solutions with our range of services, and by renaming our products in less technical terms, we are delighted to give our brand a more focused and clear identity.”
The up-and-coming solar market of India has received a boost with the news that the US Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) has agreed to fund a 2MW solar PV project in Gujarat. CIGS module manufacturer MiaSolé will supply the project, being developed by Universal Solar Systems, with modules for the park, which will bring India’s National Solar Mission (NSM) a step closer to its aim of establishing 20GW of grid-connected solar capacity by 2022.
South Africa’s Department of Energy has approved Soitec Energy as one of the preferred bidders under the country’s independent power producer (IPP) programme. Soitec’s first installation under this programme will be a 50MW CPV system next to the Aquila Private Game Reserve in Touwsrivier on the Western Cape.
Researchers from Fraunhofer Instituts für Solare Energiesysteme (ISE), Freiburg and the Carnot-Institut Laboratoire d‘électronique des technologies de l‘information (CEA-LETI) in Paris have been awarded the Franco-German Business award for their work on developing reusable substrates for III-V multi-junction solar cells.
Soltecture has produced the first 100W thin-film modules from its Berlin Adlershof manufacturing line. The modules have an efficiency of 13.4% and Soltecture CEO Nikolaus Meyer believes their launch is an important step in its long-term target of achieving 16% efficiency.
