Materials
GT Solar's Largest Single Order to Date
03 June 2011POSTED IN Business News
GT Solar International, Inc., a provider of polysilicon production technology and sapphire and silicon crystalline growth systems and materials, today announced that it has received an order for its advanced sapphire crystallisation furnaces totalling $460.4 million (USD) from a new market entrant in China.
Reduced Costs Biggest Incentive for Adoption of New Solar Materials
01 June 2011POSTED IN Business News
In a race to improve margins and expand market share, solar manufacturers are seeking to discard all unnecessary costs from their photovoltaic (PV) modules.
Fraunhofer Uses RASIRC Steamer in Making Solar Cells
26 May 2011POSTED IN Applications News
RASIRC, the steam purification company, announced that its RASIRC Steamers were found by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) to yield 20.2% efficiency in the production of back-contact silicon solar cells.
Laser World of Photonics: Mobius Announces Prototype Feiber-Based Laser Source
18 May 2011POSTED IN New Products
Mobius Photonics, an innovative producer of short pulsed fiber laser sources (IR, green, and UV laser), has developed a novel prototype laser source for super-resolution microscopy applications that can be used in material processing in solar cell manufacturing.
Sabic Polycarbonate Expansions in Asia Support Solar and Other Markets
18 May 2011POSTED IN Business News
Sabic announced that it is adding new production lines of the company's world-renowned Lexan polycarbonate (PC) resins and films in Shanghai and Nansha, China: additions that are part of the company's strategy to support the dynamic growth of key plastics sectors in this region, particularly the consumer electronics, electrical, solar, security and automotive industries.
New Hot Trap and Dry Vacuum Pump for Solar Film Deposition
16 May 2011POSTED IN New Products
Edwards, a supplier of vacuum and abatement equipment and services, today introduced a patented hot trap, designed to thermally decompose the liquid diethyl zinc (DEZ) used in depositing some transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films in thin-film solar manufacturing, and the iXH harsh process dry pump, which is optimised for the photovoltaic (PV) device manufacturing process.
Targray and Dow Renew Distribution Agreement for Solar Film
09 May 2011POSTED IN Business News
Targray Technology International and The Dow Chemical Company announce the renewal of their Master Distribution Agreement that allows Targray to be the exclusive distributor of Dow’s ENLIGHT Polyolefin Encapsulant Films.
Krayden, Inc. Opens New Warehouse in Canada
03 May 2011POSTED IN Business News
Krayden, Inc., a leading distributor of engineered materials, has opened a new warehouse in Toronto, Canada, which is the company’s third expansion in the last two years.
Solar-Thermal Flat Panels Could Generate Residential Power
02 May 2011POSTED IN Research
Researchers from Boston College and MIT used nanotech materials to obtain seven to eight times higher efficiency than previous flat-panel solar thermoelectric generators, opening up solar-thermal electric power conversion to residential and industrial use.
Solutia Produces EVA Encapsulants in China
28 April 2011POSTED IN Applications News
Solutia Inc. announced today the opening of its new Vistasolar ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) manufacturing center in Suzhou, China.
DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions Hosts Swiss Open Innovation Day
28 April 2011POSTED IN Applications News
DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions recently hosted representatives from 25 photovoltaic (PV) start-up companies and six key investment companies from across the European region for its Open Innovation Day at its European Technical Centre in Meyrin, Switzerland.
The PV Industry Goes Green
27 April 2011POSTED IN Newsletter Features
The photovoltaic (PV) industry appears to be green, as its end products can decrease our need for fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gases. The irony, however, is that many key components as well as end products in PV are environmental pollutants. Good news: With some help, and pressure, we’re making progress.
BioSolar Launches BioBacksheet Volume Sampling Program
26 April 2011POSTED IN Applications News
BioSolar, Inc., developer of a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, reported that the company recently launched a volume sampling program intended to shorten the preparation time for PV panel manufacturers prior to submitting their PV panels for Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) certification or recertification under UL1703.
Master Bond Epoxy Passes Outgassing Tests
21 April 2011POSTED IN New Products
Formulated with a special blend of polymeric and inorganic materials, Master Bond EP30LTE-LO features dimensional stability and sets new standards of performance for bonding, sealing, casting and coating applications in the aerospace, electrical, electronic, chemical, optical, and computer industries.
Applied Nanotech's New Non-Contact Solar Ink Manufacturing Line
20 April 2011POSTED IN New Products
Applied Nanotech Holdings, Inc. announces the official launch of its new non-contact solar ink pilot manufacturing line.
Applied Materials Receives Intel Preferred Quality Supplier Award
19 April 2011POSTED IN Business News
Applied Materials, Inc. (US), which supplies semiconductor manufacturing equipment and support services to Intel Corporation, has been chosen to receive one of Intel's Preferred Quality Supplier (PQS) awards for its performance in 2010.
Dow and Oak Ridge Lab to Develop Cool Roof Technologies
15 April 2011POSTED IN Applications News
The Dow Chemical Company is pleased to announce that the USDepartment of Energy (DOE) will fund key lab research as part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between Dow and DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to accelerate the adoption of cool roof technologies in the US.
Sparton to Acquire 80% of Rentian Vanadium Project in China
12 April 2011POSTED IN Business News
Sparton Resources Inc., announced today that its 74.2% owned subsidiary in the British Virgin Islands, VanSpar Mining Inc., has executed an exclusive option agreement to acquire an 80% interest in Jiangxi Rentian Mining Co. Ltd. in Xiushui County, Jiangxi Province, China.
Polymers in PV 2011: Lightweight Film Solutions for c-Si PV Modules
12 April 2011POSTED IN Applications News
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, a manufacturer of sustainable materials and engineered renewable energy solutions, will present new data on its LightSwitch portfolio of fluoropolymer film solutions for lightweight crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) modules at AMI's Polymers in Photovoltaics 2011 Conference (12-14 April 2011) at 11:40 a.m. on 13 April in Cologne, Germany.
Silicon Update: Polysilicon suppliers call the shots
12 April 2011POSTED IN Business Features
Polysilicon is the essential raw material for crystalline PV. Its price can fluctuate wildly in response to changing supply and demand; and has a strong effect on costs and margins throughout the industry. Concerns that supply will fall short of the PV industry’s demands in the future are regularly voiced by many through the PV market, which is understandable with quarterly PV installation growth rates swinging wildly (from -70% at the start of 2009 to more than 200% during mid-2010). Supply of polysilicon is not the only thing under pressure: given that government incentives in most major markets are falling fast, the industry needs prices all along the supply chain to fall as well.
