A new 44MWp module assembly plant in the De Vernejoul industrial park in Porcelette, Eastern France will assemble SunPower’s Maxeon solar cells into modules to meet demand in France, Italy, Germany and Belgium. Total and SunPower said that its 3,300-square-metre plant is equipped to produce approximately 150,000 high efficiency (20% conversion efficiency) modules per year. This is the first such plant SunPower will operate in Europe, having the majority of its production in the Asia-Pacific region.
Hoku Corporation released a statement advising of the current state of the company, which included a confirmation that it had stopped all construction activity for its Hoku Materials polysilicon production site, which is not yet in commercial operation. As of March 31, the company estimates that it had nearly US$7.7 million in cash and US$278.8 million in liabilities, including US$74.4 million in accounts payable at Hoku Materials.
centrotherm photovoltaics advsied that it had begun industrial-scale production of its high-efficiency centaurus solar cell for customers in China and Europe. Over 50MW of the centaurus technoloy are in ramp-up mass production with the company noting that it has received interest from various of its existing customers.
eSolar and Sanmina-SCI advised that they had entered a partnership that will combine the companies’ proficiency in solar thermal energy solutions, local content-optimized component design and manufacturing for utility-scale power plants. Sanmina-SCI noted that it plans to work with eSolar to enhance the company’s solar collector system product offering, which is currently being used in operating CSP facilities.
BISOL’s polycrystalline and monocrystalline PV modules have been officially accredited by the Australian Clean Energy Council to meet with the requirements to be sold in Australia. The modules comply with the Australian Standard AS5033.
Having formed a joint venture firm in March, PV CIStems, Solar Frontier and BELECTRIC have connected what they claim to be the world’s largest CIS thin-film solar power plant in Bochow, Brandenburg, Germany. The project’s investor is CommerzReal and the financing is provided by HypoVereinsbank (HBV) /UniCredit.
First generation PV thin-film adopters are falling like flies as Berlin-based Inventux files for bankruptcy. Inventux was a customer of Oerlikon Solar and an early adopter of its micromorph silicon turnkey technology. A temporary insolvency administrator has been appointed by the local court in Berlin-Charlottenburg, which is understood to be looking for new investors and secure some of the 200 jobs at risk at the company.
In anticipation of others to follow suit, Taiwan-based Motech Industries will be offering a ‘Solar Cell Certificate of Origin,’ to customers wanting to avoid the newly imposed import tariffs on Chinese solar cells and modules. Motech makes c-Si solar cells in Taiwan, which are excluded from the import duties as well as having a module assembly plant in Newark, Delaware.
Ascent Solar has entered into a development agreement with Shenzhen Radiant Enterprise and the Third Railway Survey and Design Institute (TSDI), the company has announced. Under the agreement, the three companies aim to install Ascent solar panels into already existing as well as future railway stations in China. TSDI has been involved in designing over 50,000km of Chinese railways, as well as the design of the Beijing South railway station.
Expecting the PV equipment market to continue to slow this year, GT Advanced Technologies advised that it would be broadening its product lines with a new furnace that makes silicon carbide crystals. The company is aiming to diversify its product line in the midst of what it calls a global downshift in demand for its systems that make polysilicon and PV wafers. As reported by Bloomberg, CEO of GT Advanced, Tom Gutierrez, is looking its R&D this year by 50% to over US$65 million with sales expected to grow 6% to between US$925 million and US$975 million.
