The Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) has reported using half-cut, p-type PERC solar cells in a large-area PV module that achieved a record 20.2 % module efficiency and peak power output of 303.2W.
Schmid`s APCVD (Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology allows for a variety of doped and undoped films to be deposited inline that can boost solar cell conversion efficiencies for a wide range of solar cell architectures for high-volume production such as PERC and PERT.
China-based PV manufacturer and PV project developer Hareon Solar Technology is raising around US$300 million in a private placement of new shares to expand PV manufacturing capacity and enter the LED market through an acquisition.
Major Taiwan-based solar cell producer Gintech Energy Corp ended a period of around six months of flat sales due to capacity constraints, posting December sales up 18.14%, compared to the previous month.
Taiwan-based merchant solar cell producer Motech Industries has reported December, 2015 sales reaching a new record high, the fourth consecutive month of record sales.
Collaboration by the U.S. Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and at the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) has set a certified record conversion efficiency of 29.8% for a III-V/Si solar cell.
PV module equipment specialist Valoe Corporation, formerly Cencorp has secured €4 million in new funding from Finland’s funding agency for innovation, Tekes.
Specialist PV manufacturing equipment supplier Amtech Systems said its subsidiary, Tempress Systems has secured new orders totalling around US$22 million, primarily from a major solar cell producer in Asia.
The PV industry has notched up another year of strong growth in 2015, with more in prospect for 2016. The PV Tech team looks back at the big stories that have defined the past 12 months in solar.
