In a sub-contracted OEM arrangement, China Sunergy is supplying NUE PTY Ltd, an Australian-based PV distributor with 10MW of mono-crystalline solar modules through early 2010. Shipments were said to have begun in June, 2009.
In its bid to lower operating costs while expanding production of its String Ribbon solar cell technology, Evergreen Solar with contract manufacturing partner, Jiawei Solarchina have started construction of an initial 100MW manufacturing plant in Wuhan, China. A ceremonial Groundbreaking event was held on August 29, 2009, although the plant’s construction began in July of 2009. Construction is expected to be completed by spring 2010.
The rapid decline of conventional crystalline based solar modules due to weak demand and massive over-capacity throughout the supply chain has forced CPV manufacturer, Emcore to take a long hard look at its terrestrial CPV business model. In its most recent quarterly conference call company executives said that they would concentrate on solar cell receivers with 1,000 times concentrated reflected optics development and supply while licence and partner on complete systems.
PV shipments which include solar modules and inverters in IMS Research’s latest assessment of the PV industry have rebounded strongly in the second quarter of 2009, with over 1GW of PV shipments. However, for the first six months of 2009, shipments were down 34% compared to the same period last year. The collapse of the Spanish market was at the root of the decline, the market research firm said.
Independently tested by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), Suntech’s ‘Pluto’ cell technology has been used in multi-crystalline silicon PV modules to set a new world record in this classification of 15.6% conversion efficiency. The previous record (15.5%) had been set 15 years ago by Sandia National Labs. Suntech’s Pluto cells have a conversion efficiency exceeding 17%. The company also noted that the new world record was set using the framed area, without which Suntech believes it would achieve a conversion efficiency of well over 16%.
The continued weak demand for both residential and commercial rooftop installations in conjunction with the lack of project finance available for utility-scale solar plants are forcing major module manufacturer Solon to undertake a further round of restructuring. Solon plans divestments, a reduction in its temporary workforce, and part-time work among other cost saving measures. Solon also said it would review a potential spin-off of the Austrian production company, Solon Hilber Technologie.
Shaanxi Tianhong Silicon Industrial Corp. in Xian City, China, has successfully started polysilicon production at its 1,250MT plant, according to turnkey plant provider centrotherm photovoltaics. The plant was planned and developed by centrotherm SiTec, a subsidiary of centrotherm formed out of centrotherm’s acquisition of SolMic and from its former subsidiary centrotherm SiQ. This is the second turnkey plant the company has successfully completed.
Carefully citing the longer-term demand for polysilicon from the photovoltaics industry, Tokuyama Corp. has doubled the planned capacity of a new polysilicon plant, originally announced in November 2008. Instead of a planned 3000MT capacity, the facility's nameplate will be boosted to 6000MT. Full capacity is expected in 2013. Construction of the plant is estimated to cost approximately ¥65 billion.
Henning Wicht, iSuppli's senior director and principal analyst for photovoltaics market research, has become increasingly bearish on the photovoltaics industry due to the severe overcapacity throughout the supply chain. In a new report, Wicht projects that PV module production--which is still expanding--will reach a capacity of 7.5GW in 2009, however installations will only reach 3.9GW. This means that nearly half of all solar panels produced in 2009 will remain unsold and a massive inventory build will persist until 2012.
Based on results from its own pilot line, centrotherm photovoltaics has said that it has achieved CIGS (copper indium gallium diselenide) thin film module (0.1 m² size) efficiencies of 13% and expects its first customer for its turnkey system to achieve 12% efficiencies with 1.5 m² sized thin film modules, in 2009.
