In an update to its business divisions trading conditions, REC Group didn’t have much positive to say. Its polysilicon production ramp at Silicon III, which had initial ramp problems will struggle to meet full year output targets, while its wafer division is having to further revise pricing for 2010 due to the weak market, impacting profit margins. On the solar module front, REC noted that prices are expected to have fallen 35% in 2009 as the glut in finished products continues.
Italian state-operated energy agency, GSE has told Reuters that photovoltaic module installations reached 173MW for the first 8-months of the year, taking the cumulative capacity to above 630MW. The agency expects its target of 900MW cumulative capacity for 2009 to be exceeded, though did not provide a new projected figure.
Amorphous silicon thin-film start-up, NexPower Technology is to be supplied bulk nitrogen requirements for its 100MW plant by Air Products San Fu Co., under a long-term contract. Nexpower’s plant is based in the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) in Houli, Taichung, Taiwan and will use Air Products' pipeline network in the CTSP.
A small midcap South Korea-based leather manufacturer, Uni-Chem, would appear to be the first customer under Spire's ‘Come to America’ campaign with an agreement to set up a 60MW crystalline silicon cell and a 50MW turnkey module production line in the U.S. The two companies will also partner on the solar system integration arm of Spire, with Uni-Chem purchasing a 51% stake in Spire Solar Systems. Earlier this year Spire and Gloria Solar of Taiwan disbanded their joint system integration business, which became Spire Solar Systems.
In attending the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, held in Hamburg last week, Manz Automation has said that it has secured orders and orders of intent worth €5 million. Manz expects the orders to be recognized in revenues and earnings in the coming fiscal year. This year, EU PVSEC was expected to have attracted over 40,000 attendees.
China State-owned start-up Xi'an Huanghe Photovoltaic Technology (Huanghe PV) has recruited former Isofoton S.A. Chief Operations Officer and photovoltaics expert, Emiliano Perezagua Gil as its Chief Councillor. Huanghe PV expects Gil to aid in its efforts to expand internationally, especially in Europe, while advising on technology, product quality control and marketing.
Green Energy Technology (GET) has been running its ingot and wafer production facities in both Taiwan and China at full capacity throughout the third quarter of 2009, prompting the company to announce plans to expand capacity further by the end of the year.
Although yet to be independently verified, Sunovia Energy Technologies and partner EPIR Technologies have claimed a dramatic increase in the performance of cadmium telluride (CdTe) based solar cells.
Solar-Fabrik has announced that its founder and former CEO, Georg Salvamoser has died. The solar-pioneer was 59. Salvamoser had continued to consult for the company since stepping down as CEO in 2006, for health reasons. He was also the Chairman of the German Solar Industry Association.
Tigo Energy’s ‘Maximizer’ System which is a power output enhancer that can improve output by 20% in a PV array and is currently ramping to full production has achieved compliance to the UL1741 as certified by CSA.
