Partner blogger Ed Gunther from Gunther Portfolio has provided this blog. A tale of two Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Towers generating no electricity? A funny thing happened on the way to Victorville for the Victor Valley College Solar Power Plant Celebration. I decided to stop in Lancaster, California, to benchmark the eSolar, Inc. CSP project I highlighted earlier this year. As can be seen in my photos over two days, one of the Sierra SunTowers is missing the thermal receiver enclosure nacelle, ample or not, and is out of operation. The second tower has an anemic amount of sunlight focused onto the thermal receiver by the heliostat field although it was late in the day.
Product Briefing Outline: Reis Robotics has launched a new High Speed Module Taping System that handles tape application by a single robot. This newly developed system could substantially increase the process stability compared to the former systems available on the market.
Product Briefing Outline: KACO new energy has launched new inverter models within its XP series. The new Powador XP200-HV and Powador XP250-HV TL central inverters complement the 100 and 350-kilowatt inverters currently on the market. These two new models have output power ratings of 200 and 250 kilowatts. Two XP250 units can be integrated into a lightweight steel enclosure for the new 500-kilowatt station.
Product Briefing Outline: StellarNet has introduced a new SpectroRadiometer system designed to characterize and evaluate light emissions according to industry standards used for solar simulators and a variety of applications.
Product Briefing Outline: KUKA has introduced the ACS 600 process tool, which is an advanced Cell Stringer system. The system has an output of 750 cells per hour and can process both polycrystalline and monocrystalline cells, from 160 µ to 220 µ in thickness, with two or three bus bars. The alignment accuracy range is less than ±0.2 mm, while the breakage rate of the cells is less than 0.5%.
Product Briefing Outline: GT Solar International has launched the ‘DSS450HP,’ a high performance ingot growth furnace with a thermally optimized, second-generation hot zone for improved throughput while delivering industry-leading crystal quality. Because the DSS450HP has the same dimensions as the DSS450, current users can easily migrate to the new DSS450HP with a field upgrade kit.
Product Briefing Outline: Schiller Automation’s TS 3600 high-performance tester & sorter is claimed to set a new benchmarks for cell throughput, yield and reliability. With 3,600 cells per hour with an assured good part yield of 97.3% and a guaranteed operational availability of 95% make the TS 3600 a leading high-performance and reliable cell tester and sorter of its type.
Product Briefing Outline: Solon has developed the ‘SOLON Black 220/16’ mono-crystalline module including a service package for large-scale projects, thus providing a module that is a safe and highly profitable investment. This move is in keeping with Solon’s commitment to meet the special conditions of the project business.
The German solar industry’s research and development efforts into advanced solar cell technology will be given a boost of €100 million, after Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet approved plans, according to Reuters. The move was made, according to the report, to weaken resistance by members of the lower house of parliament (Bundesrat), particularly from eastern states such as Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, to a proposed 16% extra solar feed-in tariff cut. There are a a significant number of PV manufacturers located in these regions, and many have openly opposed the FIT cut suggested by Merkel’s government.
Product Briefing Outline: RASIRC has made several new improvements to its RASIRC Steamer '02, which handles controlled and purified water vapor that can then be delivered into most carrier gases for film growth in furnaces. Users of the RASIRC Steamer are claimed to have obtained improved oxide growth rate, film quality, and reduced operating costs.
