Less than a week after shutting down manufacturing operations, Solyndra followed through on its announced intention to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The beleaguered CIGS thin-film PV firm said it hopes to reorganize and find a buyer and would like to avoid liquidating its assets.
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.
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.
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.
Following the successful implementation of fluorine technology at Schüco TF’s 40MW Osterweddingen site, the company has signed a significant long-term supply contract with Linde Gases for the delivery of onsite fluorine (F2) to its new thin-film module mass production site in Großröhrsdorf, eastern Germany.
The US Export-Import Bank will provide First Solar with $455.7 million of loan guarantees to construct a pair of solar PV power projects in Ontario, Canada. The bank will guarantee a $236.7 million loan for a 50MW plant to be built near Amherstburg, Belmont, and Walpole townships, and another $219 million loan for a 40MW farm slated for construction in St. Clair. The debt will be repaid over 18 years.
Serious issues over the viability of thin-film technologies and the companies using them were brought forward with the shutdown and looming bankruptcy of Solyndra this week. However, at EU PVSEC on Tuesday, September 6, at 11:30 am, CIGS turnkey equipment provider Manz is holding its CIGSforum, which is open to register for attendance.
Inventux Technologies has extended its product warranties for its micromorph-silicon thin-film PV systems from five to 10 years. The offer includes system components such as modules, inverters, and mounting systems and is being provided at no additional cost.
A significant leap forward in advanced screen-printing for solar cells has been touted by Applied Materials, which will be showcased at the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) in Hamburg, Germany from September 5-8. The new dual-lane ‘Baccini Pegaso’ screen-printer is said to enable novel, high-efficiency cell designs to be brought into mass production, effectively ‘future-proofing’ the platform due to its modular architecture. Early customer adoption includes Gintech Energy.
