Pushing the boundaries of conventional silicon solar cell technology, while offering a low-cost production approach, took another step forward, according to R&D organisation, imec. In conjunction with its industrial affiliates, researchers have developed a small-area (2x2 cm2) - interdigitated back-contact (IBC) silicon solar cells that has demonstrated a conversion efficiency of 23.3%. Work will now focus on developing a large-area and production viable cell and process steps.
Canadian Solar has supplied over one quarter of the modules for a recently completed 10MW solar project in Cavriglia, Italy. The system’s 40,000 modules – including 12,465 of Canadian Solar’s CS6P-P series – were installed by Coop Cellini Impianti Tecnologici and connected to the grid in October.
Verified by the Fraunhofer ISE Institute, CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenid) thin-film manufacturer, Solibro a subsidiary of Q-Cells has reported a CIGS test module has achieved a new world record conversion efficiency of 17.4%. Earlier this year Solibro produced a record full-module reading of 14.7% in series production.
Solar manufacturing giant Suntech Power has appointed Pawel Nowotny as the new head of its European marketing team. Nowotny will be based out of Suntech’s European headquarters in Schaffhausen, Switzerland and responsible for implementing the company’s long-term brand-building strategy across Europe.
Vertically integrated manufacturer ET Solar has supplied 2.56MW of its mono-crystalline modules for a PV project in France. ET Solar was project developer Classic Energy’s sole module supplier for the array, which was installed on an agricultural greenhouse rooftop in the southern French commune of Cruas. Tritec was contracted as system integrator and the project was grid connected last month.
Photon Energy is stepping up its efforts to break into the expanding Eastern European solar market by building Poland’s largest rooftop array. The 311kW system will be installed on a building owned by water utility Górno?l?skie Przedsi?biorstwo Wodoci?gów (GPW) in the city of in Ruda Slaska and is due to go live in mid-2012.
Tata Steel and Dyesol are continuing with their progress on the production of what they hope will be the world’s largest dye solar cells modules (DSC). The team has been constructing a DSC 20m2 roof array that will be tested at the Sustainable Building Envelope Centre
(SBEC) test facility in Shotton, Wales.
Mage Solar has supplied Deichmann Logistics Centre in Soltau, Germany, a 605kWp PV system. Over 2,600 polycrystalline Mage powertec plus modules will cover 11,600 square metres of a flat roof area.
€100 million have been invested into Solar21, the Irish renewable energy fund, for PV solar farms across Europe, focussing on economies with the most attractive long-term guaranteed FiT rates.
Activ Solar has completed Phase III of its Perovo Solar Power Station, adding a further 20MW to the system’s size. The total capacity of Perovo now stands at 60MW, and, with ramping up still ongoing, it looks set to be one of the largest PV projects in Europe.
