PV Cells and Modules
Munich Re, Yingli Announce Performance Warranty
11 December 2012POSTED IN Business News
Munich Re will provide performance warranty insurance for large-scale commercial and utility solar PV projects that use Yingli Solar modules, according to an agreement the two companies today announced.
Yingli Supplies 25MW of US Solar Farm
10 December 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Yingli Green Energy has supplied 25MW of solar PV modules to Arizona’s (US) Queen Creek Solar Farm.
The project is owned by PSEG Solar Source, and was developed and built by Colorado-based engineering, procurement and construction contractor, Juwi Solar.
PV Installation Tools and Techniques
10 December 2012POSTED IN Applications Features
Just as a chef requires special tools to grill, bake, or fry a chicken – all with the goal of preparing delicious food – there are various tools available to solar PV installers who strive for successful installations on multiple types of PV systems. Pitched-roof, flat-roof, and ground-mount arrays each have unique characteristics that require specific tools.
India Energy Group Issues Tender for 1GW Solar Projects
07 December 2012POSTED IN Business News
State-owned Indian energy group Tamil Nadu Generation Company (TANGEDCO) has issued a tender for solar projects in 2013 with a total capacity of 1GW.
Natcore to Produce Second AR-Box Solar Cell Processing Station
05 December 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Natcore Technology has commissioned the construction of an upgraded AR-Box solar cell processing station that will include black silicon capability.
Solar Canada 2012: Conergy "Distributor of the Year"
05 December 2012POSTED IN Business News
The Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA), a national trade association representing approximately 650 solar energy companies throughout Canada since 1992, hosted a new event at this year’s Solar Canada 2012 Conference – the 2012 Game Changer Awards Gala. At this inaugural awards ceremony, held Monday evening, Conergy Canada was named the 2012 “Distributor of the Year.”
Silevo Achieves 22% Solar Cell Efficiency
29 November 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Silevo, Inc., a solar cell innovator and photovoltaic (PV) solar module manufacturer, today announced that its proprietary tunneling junction cell architecture has achieved 22.1 percent cell conversion efficiency, as measured by Sandia National Laboratories with Silevo’s production materials and full-size substrates. This measurement validates that Silevo’s Triex® PV modules demonstrate one of the highest energy densities in the industry. Moreover, it validates Silevo’s roadmap and plan to achieve 24 percent conversion efficiency in mass production over the next few years.
Self-Arranging Titania Nanotubes Promise Ultra-Low-Cost Solar Cells
05 December 2012POSTED IN Research
Researchers at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts (US) have developed self-arranging titania nanotube arrays that could be advantageous in solar panels or fuel cells. The one-dimensional architecture and the large effective surface area of the nanotube arrays could provide better solar harvesting capability as well as improved charge transport.
Solar3D Announces 2013 Commercialization Plan
04 December 2012POSTED IN Business News
Solar3D, the developer of a three-dimensional solar cell technology to maximize the conversion of sunlight into electricity, today announced its 2013 commercialization plan.
In light of the current political environment and an industry shakeout that may be coming to an end, the company’s management says that its next-generation solar cell may be entering the market at the ideal time.
SunPower Systems Save California Agencies $5.3 Million
04 December 2012POSTED IN Applications News
SunPower today announced that the company has installed solar power systems at 26 water agencies and districts in California that it estimates have saved the state’s public agencies a cumulative total of approximately $5.3 million over the last 12 months.
Yingli Solar Powers 24MW Project in Puerto Rico
03 December 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Yingli Green Energy Americas has supplied 24MW of solar PV modules to a 138-acre solar project in Guayama, Puerto Rico.
Yingli to Supply 200MW PV to Centinela Solar Project
28 November 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Yingli Green Energy today announced that its subsidiary, Yingli Green Energy Americas, has entered into the company’s largest project supply agreement to date.
Yingli Americas was selected to supply 200MW-dc of utility-scale solar PV modules for the Centinela Solar Energy Facility Project. The project is segmented in two phases, each phase with a separate release notice, currently pending notification for the second phase.
Solar Cost Comes Down, Down, Down
27 November 2012POSTED IN Business News
The average cost of going solar in the US continued to decrease significantly in 2011 and through the first half of 2012, according to a report released today by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Solar advocates noted that these findings are the latest indicator that solar is an important and growing part of America’s new energy economy.
Emerging Markets Predicted to Bring Solar Stability
27 November 2012POSTED IN Business News
Emerging markets are forecast to help bring stability to the solar industry, with up to 12GW of new photovoltaic capacity added in 2017, up from just 1.6GW in 2012, according to an IHS solar report.
The study, which evaluated the potential for PV additions in 40 countries around the world, found that up to 30GW of cumulative PV capacity will be added in emerging markets over the next four years, helping to stabilize the industry amidst incentive cuts in core European markets.
Madico Protekt Backsheets Secure JET Certification
26 November 2012POSTED IN Business News
Madico, a PV solar module backsheet manufacturer, today announced its Protekt backsheet has been granted certification from Japan’s Electrical Safety & Environment Technology Laboratories (JET).
Hanwha SolarOne Opens Israel Office
26 November 2012POSTED IN Business News
Hanwha SolarOne today said it has opened its first office in the Israeli market.
The office is based in Modiin, near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and will be managed by Eran Kopel, Hanwha SolarOne’s new sales and marketing director for Israel.
Solar Donated to Power Malaria Research
19 November 2012POSTED IN Applications News
The multinational company Proinso has donated 10kWp solar modules and a 10kW hybrid inverter INGECON Hybrid donated by the company Ingeteam, for a PV-diesel hybrid energy system to be installed at the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU), based in Mae Sot, Thailand.
Legal Challenges in the Solar Industry
19 November 2012POSTED IN Business Features
Legal issues affect practically all areas of the PV value chain, from world trade cases as they are currently conducted by European and Chinese manufacturers alike, to more practical but no less important issues such as local and domestic laws regarding the acquisition of land to build free field installations. However, until now the most important legal challenge for the PV industry around the globe remains the level of governmental subsidies given for PV installations; be it through a quota system or a FiT. Here, also the reliability of the government plays an important role, as the suspension of all supports for PV systems in Spain early this year has proved.
Breakthrough 2D Semiconductor Possible Next-Generation Solar Cell
18 November 2012POSTED IN Research
Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have successfully synthesized single-layer MoSe2 (molybdenum diselenide), which has ideal band gap values for solar harvesting. The team discovered that while 2D MoSe2 presents a direct band gap, bulk MoSe2 is an indirect band gap semiconductor when it is few-layers thick. The band characteristics are manipulated through temperature. With its advantageous band gap and great photoluminescence characteristics, this two-dimensional semiconductor offers flexibility and new options for solar applications.
Alpine Power and Mage Solar Complete 135kW Commercial System
15 November 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Alpine Power Systems, a Mage Solar customer with nearly 50 years of experience in energy management systems, has completed a 135 kW commercial flat-roof PV-system in Atlanta.
