The simple answer is yes. Certainly enough modules and inverters were sold, and if installations really did hit 7.5GW in Germany then this would undoubtedly mean that at least 26GW was installed globally last year, with Germany retaining its position as the largest market, followed closely by Italy. We’re still finalising our data for 2011, but we now estimate up to 26.5GW could have been installed last year following the phenomenal year-end rally in Germany. This would have meant an incredible 10 GW was installed in the last quarter of the year – the first time this has ever happened and more than the whole amount installed in all of 2009!
GreenPeak Technologies, a fabless semiconductor company, has introduced a wireless monitoring and control system solution for solar panel installations that will allow individual panel parameter tracking and control.
News that Norsk Hydro has sold its stake in CIGS thin-film wannabe, Ascent Solar, for US$4 million, to another investor, TFG Radiant Investment Group, may not help the struggling firm with sorely needed cash injections. Nevertheless, it would indicate a level of ‘trust’ in the firm to help ride out the current industry-wide challenges.
centrotherm has introduced a new fast firing furnace tool, c.FIRE for metallization of front and rear contacts of solar cells. It is suited for all common sorts of metallization paste and comes with an integrated and versatile dryer. Emphasis in the design was also placed on a compact footprint and maintenance systems in order to reduce the operating costs for solar cell producers.
AMETEK Programmable Power will be offering a fully automated EN50530 test solution that utilizes three core ‘Surround the Inverter’ elements: the TerraSAS Solar Array Simulator, MX/RS Grid-Simulator and CTS Compliance Test System. The programmable power products and systems simulate the output of solar arrays, the loads applied to the output of the inverter, and the interface with the grid, providing a comprehensive and energy efficient means of testing PV inverters.
It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Winston Churchill was referring to Russia, but his much-reused quote could just as easily apply to India’s nascent solar industry. Shrouded in secrecy, the state of play on the subcontinent is exciting as it is confusing.
Singulus Technologies had launched the ‘SINGULAR ICP-PECVD’ platform for the development and production of high efficiency silicon solar cells, requiring passivation layers for R&D and production applications. The platform has been applied at research centers and institutes in Europe, America and Asia.
For extremely high product quality and productivity for treatment of silicon bricks, Arnold Group has introduced the type 72/865 machine, which is a high-end combination of a surface and chamfering machine. Arnold claims that it now has a balanced production range in the grinding field with this high-end grinding machine which can serve the most different requests of customers. The improvements and further developments of this high-end grinding machine, 72/865, are also integrated in the surface grinding machine 72/860 and chamfering machine 72/852. Furthermore they influence the combination machine, now available as 72/855.
The photovoltaic-TPA (Thermo Plastic Applicator) from Bystronic glass group is a machine designed for the encapsulation and sealing of thin-film photovoltaic modules. The machine is claimed to be the first machine of this type that is capable of working in 24-hour operation without any interruption.
Saint-Gobain Solar has launched its ‘SolarBond’ Membrane materials for module lamination process in two models, SolarBond Membrane Standard and SolarBond Membrane Premier. The membrane is designed to protect the module and the lamination equipment in extreme temperatures.
