Manufacturing
ABB to Produce PV Inverters for South Africa's Solar Market
23 May 2013POSTED IN Business News
ABB plans to start production of central inverters in South Africa to support the rapidly growing local photovoltaic (PV) market and local content requirements.
Old Microwave Synthesises CZTS Nanocrystals in Minutes
22 May 2013POSTED IN Research
Researchers at The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah (US) have used a discarded microwave oven to produce CZTS nanocrystals from cheap, abundant and less toxic metals than other photovoltaic semiconductors. Now they want to optimise this potentially fast, large-scale production method for commercialisation.
Lux Research Report Forecasts Photovoltaics Market to Reach $155 Billion in 2018
21 May 2013POSTED IN Business News
The solar photovoltaic (PV) market is poised to rise from the ashes of its 2011 crisis to grow to $155 billion in 2018, as market forces engineer a turnaround to a healthy 10.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), says Lux Research.
SNEC 2013: DEK Launches Fine Line Stencil
21 May 2013POSTED IN New Products
DEK Solar aunched the Fine Line Stencil at this year’s Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNEC) Photovoltaic Power Expo in China, which took place from the 14th to 16th of May.
SNEC 2013: Manz features PV production equipment
14 May 2013POSTED IN New Products
Manz AG, which specialises in production equipment for solar cell and panel, display, and lithium-ion batteries, will spotlight integrated solutions at SNEC this week in Shanghai. Being shown are solutions for manufacturing crystalline solar cells as well as its turnkey production line for thin-film solar panels, the Manz CIGSfab.
SNEC 2013: DEK showcases new products
09 May 2013POSTED IN New Products
DEK Solar, a provider of print process solutions is showcasing its latest innovations at the solar industry’s premier event in Shanghai this month. The 7th Annual Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNEC) Photovoltaic Power Expo, which takes place 14th to 16th May, 2013 will see the launch of a brand new DEK Solar product as well as live demonstrations of DEK Solar’s Apollo, Eclipse (shown here) and PV1200+ print platforms alongside our Process Support Products such as mesh mount stencils.
Nanostructure-Coated Black Silicon Solar Cells Via ALD
09 May 2013POSTED IN Research
Aspiring to improve photovoltaic energy conversion efficiency by using latest advances in nanotechnology, researchers at Aalto University, Finland, are combining “black silicon” with the method of atomic layer deposition (ALD). As a result, the nanostructures fabricated by plasma dry etching minimise sunlight reflection. Moreover, a conformal, thin passivating layer, deposited onto the nanostructures through ALD, prevents charge carriers from recombining at the surface.
DEK Opens Suzhou Technology Centre in China
07 May 2013POSTED IN Business News
As a specialist in solar metallization technology and processes, DEK Solar continues to illustrate the company’s dedication to photovoltaic innovation and on 17 May, will welcome guests as it officially opens its state-of-the-art Suzhou Technology Centre in China.
SNEC 2013: InnoLas Systems Laser PERC solar manufacturing solution
07 May 2013POSTED IN New Products
InnoLas Systems demonstrates a laser PERC solar manufacturing system at SNEC PV Power Expo in Shanghai, Booth E3 398.
Intersolar North America 2013: PV fab manager's forum
03 May 2013POSTED IN Applications News
SEMI formally announced the conference program for the fourth annual SEMI North American PV Fab Managers Forum to be held at Intersolar North America 2013 in San Francisco, California (US) on 8 July, 2013.
SNEC 2013: BTU Metallization drying and firing
29 April 2013POSTED IN New Products
BTU International, Inc., a leading supplier of advanced thermal processing equipment for the electronics and alternative energy manufacturing markets, will present its new Metallization Firing Furnace in Booth E3-595 at the 2013 SNEC 7th International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference & Exhibition, scheduled to take place 14 to 16 May, 2013, at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in China.
Royal DSM Expands Manufacturing of Solar Coatings
22 April 2013POSTED IN Business News
Royal DSM, a global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, has opened its newly constructed manufacturing plant for KhepriCoat anti-reflective coating at the Chemelot site in Geleen (Netherlands). The need for additional coating supply is a direct result of the fast growing market for solar energy.
Trends in Solar PV Coatings
22 April 2013POSTED IN Applications Features
One of the key technological challenges for the solar industry is the need to improve solar cell efficiency. However, any sunlight that is reflected off of a solar module does not reach the solar cells and therefore does not contribute to energy output. Up to 4% of light is reflected on an untreated glass cover - and the bottom line is that this light is lost and cannot be converted into electrical energy.
Krannich Solar Partners with Talesun Solar
15 April 2013POSTED IN Business News
Krannich Solar USA announced a supply partnership with Talesun Solar USA.
IDS Solar Develops Battery Management and Charge Controller System
10 April 2013POSTED IN Applications News
IDS Solar Technologies, Inc. announced the completion of the company's first Battery Management and Charge Controller System (BMCCS) specifically designed for use with Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP).
Sol Voltaics' Nano Process May Boost Solar Efficiency 25%
10 April 2013POSTED IN Applications News
Sol Voltaics unveiled SolInk, an economical nanomaterial that promises to increase the efficiency of crystalline silicon or thin film solar modules by up to 25% or more, leading to solar power plants and rooftop solar arrays that will generate far more electricity than today's best commercially available systems.
Bottom-Up Growth Key to 4.9% Efficient QD Solar Cells
09 April 2013POSTED IN Research
New research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts (US), shows that bottom-up-grown one-dimensional nanostructures can significantly improve the performance of colloidal quantum dot (QD) solar cells. In fact, the MIT team demonstrated a solar power conversion efficiency of 4.9%, which is among the highest reported for zinc-oxide-based quantum dot photovoltaics (QDPV).
EnergyTrend: China's PV manufacturers investing in solar
08 April 2013POSTED IN Business News
According to EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, Chinese PV manufacturers are greatly interested in cooperating with Taiwanese manufacturers. Recently, first-tier manufacturers have come to Taiwan not only to exchange marketing ideas but also to resolve concerns and maintain their existing relationship with related industries.
Materials Matter in Reducing Risk in Solar Installations
07 April 2013POSTED IN Applications Features
Solar continues to make significant inroads as a key element of the world’s overall energy mix; the expected annual growth rate is 20% over the next several years.
Maintaining this rate of growth depends on solar being an attractive investment for owners and investors. System reliability and viability can greatly impact investment returns, and therefore become key in reducing risk.
Chinese Government Cuts Import Duties on Solar Cell Equipment
03 April 2013POSTED IN Politics and Policy News
China's Ministry of Finance has cut import duties as of 1 April on solar cell and other technical equipment, in an attempt to help struggling manufacturers.
