As costs fall, the importance of solar power to senior executives is rising. Is there a downside to the continued ascent of our industry? The shifting sands of the global economy might suggest so… The economics of solar power are improving. It is a far more cost-competitive power source today than it was in the… Read more »
One significant news story that has almost gone unnoticed relates to India’s likely emergence as a global leader in solar power. A new World Bank report positions the country as the potential global leader in solar power and as one of the lowest cost destinations. PES investigates… The World Bank report ‘Paving the way for… Read more »
About the companyE3/DC is one of the top three energy storage system suppliers in Germany (EuPD 2013) and has brought 850 systems in private households since 2012. The products offered are inverters, energy management and remote control software. Integrated in various types of integrated storage systems, the units are used for solar, Cogeneration, grid services… Read more »
It’s not often that I begin an Editor’s Note by urging readers to ignore what I’m about to write, but I’m tempted to in this issue of PES. The fact is, our lead feature is a game-changer and if you read nothing else in this issue, then that’s where you should be heading. Right now…. Read more »
A PV-focussed company that is attracting significant awareness outside the industry – thanks to its innovative solutions and recently announced Innovation Partnership with the Infiniti Red Bull Racing Formula One team – FLIR is a shining light in the sector. We spoke to Ruud Heijsman. PES: Welcome back to PES. Would you like to begin… Read more »
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE are working on a new generation of multi-junction solar cells in an industrial project with the French firm Soitec. These have the potential in the future to attain efficiency levels of over 47 per cent under concentrated sunlight. PES takes a look… A bright summer’s… Read more »
PES presents an illuminating despatch from Fronius International GmbH that explores the challenges presented by Smart Grids and how these challenges can be met with integrated inverters. As the number of decentralised energy generators grows, also the need for an intelligent power grid rises. In the Smart Grid of the future, the parties of the… Read more »
• Martifer Solar has completed an 11 MW utility-scale PV plant in Ginasservis, France for Eco Delta, the project’s developer and operator • The project was built within only 10 weeks, which attests to the reliability and swift construction times of one of France’s leading EPC contractors • The PV plant will produce sufficient clean… Read more »
• International logistics company Katoen Natie counts on green energy Sulzemoos, Germany, 2 June 2014 / Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd, the Singapore based subsidiary of Phoenix Solar AG (ISIN DE000A0BVU93), an international photovoltaic system integrator that is listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, has been commissioned to plan, deliver and build… Read more »
Augsburg / Frankfurt a. M., 02.06.2014 – meteocontrol GmbH, a leading vendor of professional remote monitoring for photovoltaic systems, has entered into an alliance with viasys, a global provider of security solutions, services and technology. The aim of the strategic alliance is to integrate the video portal from viasys into the Virtual Control Room (VCOM)… Read more »
Paris and Luxembourg 22nd May 2014 – Thomson and ASTAR EnR announce the agreement between the two companies to ensure the production and distribution of PV modules of the French brand in Asia. While the future of the European PV sector is instable, the directors of both companies define a production and sales structure for… Read more »
Tigo Energy’s SMART Module Platform Can Now be Modeled in PV*SOL Tigo Energy, the market leader in smart module technology for the solar industry, recently announced that the newest release of PV*SOL premium includes new capabilities to model Tigo’s SMART Module platform. System designers, installers, and financiers utilizing SMART Modules will now be able to… Read more »
Solarion AG has initiated volume manufacturing of their flexible solar modules, SOL45Flex and SOL90Flex, in which the cells are encapsulated in a flexible solar film package. The SOL Flex combines the features of the innovative roll-to-roll deposited CIGS thin-film technology with the market requirements for lightweight, flexible solar modules. The flex modules can be offered… Read more »
• Martifer Solar and Citelum have entered into a strategic partnership to provide the municipality of Izamal, Mexico with clean energy • The Girasol project will make Izamal the first municipality in Mexico to have a solar PV installation generating energy to supply power for a public LED lighting project • The project will consist… Read more »
When European electricity sellers want to sell electricity with an EKOenergy ecolabel, they pay a contribution to the EKOenergy Climate Fund. The first money of the EKOenergy Climate Fund will now be used to finance a solar project in Tanzania. The project is implemented by the Italian NGO Oikos, in cooperation with SunEdison, an international… Read more »
Meyer Burger Technology Ltd (SIX Swiss Exchange: MBTN) announced today that it is further advancing the focussing process at its Roth & Rau AG technology and product centre in Hohenstein-Ernstthal in order to decisively align its core technologies of heterojunction (HJT) and Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) technologies for the photovoltaic industry and its plasma… Read more »
Augsburg, 22 May 2014 – meteocontrol GmbH presents their new product family of data loggers at this year’s Intersolar in Munich from 4th through 6th June 2014 for the first time. With presentations at every full hour the specialist for quality services and remote monitoring informs about the topic “Monitoring – second generation” in hall… Read more »
InnoLas Solutions GmbH establishes its new Innovative Laser Applications (ILap) Demo Centre Asia in Taiwan In order to support the developments of new laser processes for high efficiency solar cell concepts of its Asian costumers, InnoLas Solutions GmbH will open a laser laboratory in Hsinchu, Taiwan in July 2014. The ILap (Innovative Laser Applications) Demo… Read more »
World-class photoluminescence and 100% automated inspection technologies predict final wafer efficiency and improve production yield and savings Integrates most advanced inspection capabilities, providing industry’s highest review accuracy of wafer quality SHANGHAI, May 20, 2014 – At the SNEC 8th International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference & Exhibition held this week in Shanghai, Applied Materials, Inc. today… Read more »
21% efficiency with monocrystalline cells Savings in the two-digit million Euro range during ramp-up Freudenstadt / Germany. In less than one year the SCHMID Group has increased the efficiency for its turnkey production of monocrystalline PERC cells from 20 to 21%. The reasons are backside passivation progress, the multi-busbar cell architecture and the silver-free rear… Read more »
At the leading PV trade fair, SolarMax presents new inverter and self-consumption solutions Biel, May 20, 2014 – Self-consumption and energy storage devices are again the central topics of this year’s European photovoltaics trade fair, Intersolar. The Swiss inverter manufacturer Sputnik Engineering (SolarMax) will exhibit the P series inverters optimized for self-consumption with new energy… Read more »
The leading global provider of power and thermal management solutions will demonstrate its expanded solar inverter product line at Intersolar Europe in June. The new inverters from Delta will enable PV plants ranging in size from a single solar module on a residence all the way up to MW-scale solar parks.At Intersolar this year Delta… Read more »
Chinese manufacturer signs sales agreement for 40MW cell production Freudenstadt, Germany. The SCHMID Group announces the conclusion of a contract concerning a turnkey production with a Chinese PV manufacturer. The customer, who wants not to be mentioned, will produce high efficiency mono PERC cells with selective emitter (SE). The production line with a capacity of… Read more »
Amsterdam, Netherlands, May 15, 2014 – Dutch company Mastervolt is going to showcase a new, modular solar storage system at Intersolar 2014. The system is compatible with PV inverters from all manufacturers, which makes it particularly suitable for retrofitting existing photovoltaic installations. All components, including the MLI Ultra lithium-ion batteries, are developed and manufactured by… Read more »
Intelligent microchips bring significantly higher yields Munich/Germany, May 15, 2014 – Scandinavian-German manufacturer Innotech Solar (ITS) has developed a new photovoltaic module that uses in-laminate integrated circuits (IC) to deliver yields that are up to 20 percent higher than those supplied by standard modules. The ‘SmartPlus’ module exploits the full potential of an installation, even… Read more »
Ingeteam’s photovoltaic inverters have now been installed in the power supply system for the airport at Baltra, one of the Galapagos islands in Ecuador. Until now, the electricity supply to the main airport for the Ecuadorian archipelago was exclusively from two diesel generators, which generated 1200 GWh/year. The solar plant has now been operating since… Read more »
NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., May 14, 2014 – BTU International, Inc., a leading supplier of advanced thermal processing equipment for the electronics manufacturing and alternative energy markets, will highlight the company’s new Stacked Wafer Inline Furnace Technology (SWIFT), ultra-high throughput technology for solar cell diffusion, in booth E3-210 at the 8th SNEC Power Expo 2014, scheduled… Read more »
Berlin/Munich, May 13, 2014 – Intersolar 2014 will see Milk the Sun GmbH present an online sales tool that allows EPC contractors, project developers and other companies to optimize the way in which they sell their existing solar installations, turnkey systems and project rights. The tool allows companies to upload and update details of the… Read more »
Low-pressure diffusion creates precondition for industrial manufacturing of high-quality emitters Highly-efficient bifacial n-type silicon solar cells in mass production PECVD process for aluminum oxide coating Blaubeuren, May 13, 2014 – Both continued cost pressure and the necessity for efficiency improvements will comprise the main topics at next week’s SNEC PV Power Expo trade fair in… Read more »
The multinational has supplied over 38MWp in horizontal solar trackers in Mexico. * MECASOLAR is attending the 3rd edition of Solar Power Mexico on 28 and 29 May, the leading solar power event for trade members, which PROINSO is also attending.* Travelling to Mexico once again this year, MECASOLAR wants to strengthen its presence and… Read more »
Coating Machine for Rear Side Passivation of PERC: with the SINGULAR XP cell efficiency increased by up to 1 % New PERC cells with higher efficiency levels announced TENUIS Development Machine for Buffer Layer Deposition shown at the booth Proven CIGS Production Systems Kahl am Main, May 13, 2014 – SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES (SINGULUS) displays a… Read more »
Jan von Schuckmann steps down from Management Board after successful restructuring Hans Autenrieth to become new Speaker of the Management Board Blaubeuren, April 30, 2014 – Jan von Schuckmann is to step down from the Management Board of centrotherm photovoltaics AG at the end of today by way of amicable agreement with the Supervisory Board…. Read more »
Produces 1 kW of electrical power during solar operation EN-HAROD, ISRAEL, and OGDEN, UTAH, USA – April 30, 2014 – Qnergy, a world leader in the development and manufacture of Stirling-based engines and systems, today announced a major breakthrough in solar thermoacoustic power generation. The company recently set a new world record, using acoustic waves… Read more »
Valentin Software GmbH, located in Berlin, will be presenting its new planning software PV*SOL premium at the world’s largest trade fair for the solar industry for the very first time. With a new intuitive user interface, PV*SOL premium will succeed the company’s simulation program PV*SOL Expert starting in June – it will help users plan… Read more »
Due to high levels of direct sunlight, governmental support schemes and solid economic growth, Mexico offers ideal conditions for investments in photovoltaic solutions. Local business partners are key to tapping a new market successfully. The “Intersolar Summit Mexico”, hosted on the 15th of May at the Mexico City Marriott Reforma Hotel, enables its participants to… Read more »
Munich, April 29, 2014 – This year for the seventh time, the world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry is holding the Intersolar AWARD ceremony, which pays tribute to innovative industry solutions in the categories of Photovoltaics and Solar Projects in Europe. It is accompanied this year for the first time by the electrical energy… Read more »