Collaboration between Merck and Nano-C is intended to bring about breakthroughs in nanostructured fullerene derivatives and semiconducting material formulations that overcome performance limitations of existing organic photovoltaics (OPV) materials. Merck’s Chilworth Technical Centre near Southampton, UK, is heading up the research.
On the heels of awarding a $16 million loan to Azure Power for a solar photovoltaic project in India, the Export-Import Bank of the United States said it is providing a $9.2 million long-term loan to support exports of Colorado-based Abound Solar's CdTe thin-film PV modules to Punj Lloyd Solar Power for a 5MW power plant in Rahjasthan.
CIS thin-film module manufacturer Solar Frontier has started shipping 150W modules with 12.2% conversion efficiencies after accelerating its production roadmap and achieving production targets ahead of schedule at its Kunitomi plant in Japan. Based on ‘keen’ interest in its low-cost, high-yield technology, which benefits from the ‘light soaking effect', unique to CIS technology, Solar Frontier said shipments were going to customers on a global basis, though quantity figures were not released.
Phoenix Solar was selected by solarcomplex, a regional supplier of renewable energies in the Lake Constance region of Germany, to act as the EPC contractor for the 4.7MW power plant being built in Bodman-Ludwigshafen, Germany. The project will be developed on around .49 miles of land on both sides of the railway tracks between Stockach to Radolfzell.
SolFocus’ latest concentrator photovoltaics array, the SF-1136X, has nearly twice the rated power of the company’s SF-1100P and can be deployed in the field in less than half the time. The firm said it has increased the level of factory integration, simplified the mechanical structure of the system, and improved the logistics packaging.
JDS Uniphase (JDSU) revealed that it bought product design, patented intellectual property and other key assets from UK-based CPV provider QuantaSol. Financial details pertaining to the acquisition were not disclosed, but JDSU did advise that it plans to bring the new assets over from QuantaSol to the JSDU headquarters in Milpitas, California over the next six months.
ENN Mojave Energy, a subsidiary of China’s ENN Group, is planning to build a 720MW solar system and thin-film manufacturing facility in southern Nevada.
Semprius has secured US$20 million in its first tranche of Series C venture fundraising for a pilot high-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) module production plant. Siemens Venture Capital led the investment round and was joined by Arch Venture Partners, Applied Ventures, Illinois Ventures, Intersouth Partners, In-Q-Tel and GVC Investment.
A change of image and specialty has led Manz Automation AG to drop its ‘middle name’ to become simply Manz AG. The company’s focus has been across a wider range of products and services than automation alone for most of its near 25-year operation period, and this name change aims to reflect that. Manz is now a supplier of integrated production systems and processing equipment for the PV industry.
First Solar’s AV Solar Ranch One project has come up against some last-minute concerns voiced by local residents, according to a report on Greentech Media. Plans to begin construction of the Antelope Valley, CA, solar plant in early July could be pushed back if townspeople of nearby Fairmont file an injunction to delay the effort.
