Solarfun has entered into two photovoltaic module supply contracts, which together total 12MW. The first is with GranSolarGhella for 6MW in southern Italy; this order will be delivered in the second half of 2010. The second 6MW contract is with T.R.Z. Tozzi Renewable Energy, which will be delivered to central Italy in the third quarter of 2010.
The Omni Hotel in San Francisco was home to the first ever Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association (SEMA) meeting, held on the last day of Intersolar North America. A selection of solar professionals from around the world gathered to establish the mission statement, goals and basic structure of the association.
Sunfilm has set a world record of 9.6% total-area efficiency for a module of 2.6m x 2.2m. Sunfilm's Model F achieved a maximum stabilized output power of 546Wp, achieved during a recent process optimization run on the company's production line. The thin-film deposition rate was the same as the one used for Sunfilm's normal high-volume production.
Joining the likes of JA Solar, on its quest to improve solar cell efficiency, Yingli Green has signed a technology, research and production collaboration agreement with Innovalight - the privately-held firm selling a platform of silicon ink-based high efficiency solar cell materials and technology.
Thin-film solar panel manufacturer, Stion, who recently announced a US$70 million Series D financing round and has begun expanding its San Jose, CA, manufacturing facility to 100MW, has appointed Duston Williams as audit committee chair on its board of directors.
S.A.G. Solarstrom is to construct a 48MWp ground-mounted photovoltaic power plant in region of Veneto, in the municipality of Canaro, northern Italy. This is the largest project to be planned by S.A.G Solarstrom to date.
IMS Research has reported that from Q4'10, module shipments are due to take a downturn, declining by almost 10% quarter-on-quarter in Q1'11. This contradicts the shipment increases which have been apparent for six consecutive quarters since Q1'09.
SunPower and Solar Ventures have signed a contract to design and build three solar power plants in the Piedmont region of Italy, totalling 11.1MW over 30 hectares. Construction of the plants will begin in late July, with the aim of completing the project by the end of the year.
Solarbuzz's latest report, "United States PV Market 2010," reveals that the U.S. solar market grew 36% in 2009. These results rank the country's solar photovoltaic market third largest in the world, behind Germany and Italy.
Researchers at Dow Corning and The University of Toledo (UT) have signed an MOU to engage in collaborative discussions on photovoltaic solar research and development efforts to help bring down the cost of solar energy. "Both Dow Corning and UT want homes and businesses throughout the world to take advantage of clean, renewable energy from the sun," said Gregg Zank, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Dow Corning. "It is essential that businesses, academics and the government collaborate in order to accelerate the advancement of solar technologies."
