Cells and Modules

New approach aims to slash cost of solar cells

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Solar-powered electricity prices could soon approach those of power from coal or natural gas thanks to collaborative research with solar start-up Ampulse at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Update: More details on Apple's NC solar farm

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:26:00 GMT

One month after revealing plans for a big solar project at its new data farm in North Carolina, Apple has opened the kimono a bit more to show the project's planned output, ready date, and one of the key partners.

Thin-film solar PV suppliers unite under "PVThin" banner

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:53:00 GMT

A half-dozen firms are promoting thin-film solar PV's "social, economic and environmental benefits." Silicon need not apply.

UAE's Microsol buying Solon's assets

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:46:00 GMT

Another facet to the solar sector's ongoing consolidation: Solon has agreed to be bought by Microsol, a solar cell manufacturer based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for an undisclosed amount.

Performing plastics: New marks for polymer solar cells

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:03:00 GMT

New benchmarks are still far from commercial power generation, but consumer apps are a low-hanging fruit.

How to survive solar's unhealthy consolidation

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:56:00 GMT

As the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry plows through the current consolidation, here's a list of things to understand and remember about pricing, costs, markets, and just getting along.

Why Solar Flagships' peril won't derail PV in Australia

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:25:00 GMT

Australia's Solar Flagships program was meant to pave the way for large-scale solar power development, but recent problems illustrate why the market has moved on without it.

First Solar's 4Q11 takeaways: Warranty woes, and a radical idea

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:18:00 GMT

First Solar's (FSLR) fiscal 4Q11 and 2011 results came with a couple of unexpected surprises -- including a big nasty one related to performance issues -- and industry watchers are raising their voices calling for what could be a radical shift in the company's business.

Surprise: Chinese suppliers dominate solar PV module rankings

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:59:00 GMT

Try not to act surprised that the familiar Chinese suppliers still sit atop the list of solar PV module shipments in 2011, though one is making a stronger push to keep up with the others.

Chinese solar financials show ups and downs in 4Q11-1Q12

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:03:00 GMT

The latest quarterly financial updates now coming in provide a clearer view of the solar PV supplier landscape. Here's what the top Chinese PV module suppliers are saying, and what the analysts are taking away.

Germany's new solar containment policy

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:44:00 GMT

Severe and sudden changes to Germany's feed-in tariff program cause 'sturm und drang,' but aim for higher goals.

China's solar master plan sets goals for production, efficiency, pricing

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:52:00 GMT

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has posted a plan that calls for certain polysilicon producers to reach 50,000 tons of annual production capacity by 2015, and for solar cell makers to reach 5GW of annual capacity by the same time frame.

Germany slashes FIT subsidies to rein in solar power installations

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:19:00 GMT

Following an unexpectedly giant surge in solar capacity, German leaders have announced the most seere wave of subsidy cuts since the government began supporting solar energy nearly a decade ago.

NREL, New Energy build largest organic PV device

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:21:00 GMT

New Energy Technologies and NREL say they have created a working organic photovoltaic (OPV) module 170-sq-cm in size, 14x larger than previous NREL-made OPV devices, on a glass substrate.

Chinese Tier-2 modules offered below $1/W

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:13:00 GMT

Prices for crystalline-silicon (c-Si) solar photovoltaic (PV) modules fell below the $1/W mark in January 2012, and in some cases well below even that, marking the first time that global average prices have fallen below this milestone, according to IMS Research.

Solar PV equipment replacements to ramp from 2013-2016

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:36:00 GMT

After a punishing 2011 and expectations of a tough 2012, there will be a surge of demand for upgrading solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing equipment over the next few years, says IMS Research.

Stop the solar industry's self-destruction over grid parity

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:59:00 GMT

Downward price pressure has haunted the solar industry from the outset -- but cost and efficiency improvements, and reasonable margins, are needed at all levels of the value chain. Paula Mints explains why the lure of grid parity need to change.

Surviving our solar winter of discontent

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:40:00 GMT

2011 was a rough year for the solar industry, leading into a 2012 solar winter of discontent -- but spring and a glorious summer are coming, says Paula Mints.

Suntech, DuPont to collab on solar backsheets, supply-chain improvements

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:15:00 GMT

A new partnership between Suntech and DuPont will focus on backsheet materials that protect solar panels, their construction and how that affects their longevity, and how backsheets might even improve the module's power output.

Miasolé claims 17% efficient CIGS device, 14% in production

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:57:00 GMT

Miasolé says it has created a 17.3 percent "champion" thin-film copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) solar photovoltaic device, and has started making 14 percent efficient modules in production.