New South Wales’s defunct Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in-tariff (FIT) programme is to blame for an AUD$A12 a year expected increase in household electricity bills from 2013, according to coalition government politicians – a finding met with incredulity by the Australian Solar Energy Society (AUSES).
Canadian Solar is to present at Susquehanna Financial’s Fifth Annual Beijing Management Summit on September 15. The PV company’s senior vice president and CFO, Michael G. Potter, and the director of investor relations, Ed Job, will present at the financial firm’s summit, which takes place at the Grand Hyatt Beijing Hotel. Investors will also be able to meet with Canadian Solar’s management at the summit.
Thin-film PV module manufacturer NexPower has begun mass production of its new 155W tandem-junction thin-film silicon module. The latest member of the Taiwanese company’s silicon NT-series, the new module will be renamed Xtreme+, along with all further NT-series modules to reach over 155W of nominal power.
On August 15, Tsumkwe, a small village in Northern Namibia was able to receive its first, around-the-clock electricity supply in three years thanks to a hybrid solar system completed by juwi Solar. The 200kW system, consisting of a 1MW battery storage unit and three integrated diesel generators, is claimed to be one of Africa’s largest off-grid solar systems and supplies Tsumkwe’s public buildings and 100 private households with electricity.
The world record holder for monocrystalline screen-printed solar cell efficiency, Schott Solar, will unveil further new lightweight modules and efficient prototypes at this year’s EU PVSEC in Hamburg.
Belgian research centre imec has announced the development of its new organic PV cell. Developed in conjunction with Pennsylvanian technology company Plextronics and Belgian chemical company Solvay, the polymer-based single junction cell achieves an efficiency of up to 6.9%. A module using the same polymer achieved an efficiency of 5% across an area of 25cm2.
Canadian silicon metal producer Timminco has promoted its executive management team following the recent resignations of President and Chief Operating Officer, John Fenger, as well as Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Rob Dietrich.
Taiwanese PV module-manufacturer Neo Solar Power (NSP) today announced the launch of its Black19 solar cell. The 6-inch monocrystalline cell can achieve an efficiency of over 19%, according to NSP, with 60 and 72 cells generating 260W and 310W respectively.
Fraunhofer ISE is showcasing future cost reductions and higher cell efficiencies using industrially feasible galvanic processes, primarily copper at the 26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition from 5-9 September in Hamburg (Hall A4, Stand C11). ISE has demonstrated 21.4 % efficiency cells (2x2 cm²) with long-term-stable copper metallization and is now working on migrating the results to industry standard wafer sizes.
Calisolar is making its move to become high-volume low-cost silicon solar wafer producer with plans to build a 16,000MT silicon production facility in Lowndes County, Mississippi at an estimated cost of US$600 million. A pioneer of enhanced UMG-based wafers, Calisolar is bring silicon material production in-house to significantly lower costs and have greater control over material quality. When fully operational, the plant is said to employ 951 full-time workers.
