REC's polysilicon production base in the United States put into operation

REC silicon production base the company's new "Silicon III" was put into operation early last week. Washington State is located in the United States is responsible for the base poly-silicon production, follow the flow reactor melting machine ( "FBR"). 2009 is expected the second to the third quarter, the plant will achieve production capacity. Under this expansion plan, the annual output in 2009 will reach 10000-11 000 tons.

REC Group's business a wide range, covering the area of the entire solar power value chain. It is said that the Group's REC Silicon and REC is the world's largest chip polysilicon and solar wafer manufacturer. REC Solar energy is the production of solar cells and the template, at the same time selectively in the market for PV project development.

Source: windosi.com Apr. 3, 2009

SANYO HIT solar cell conversion efficiency reached 21.4%

April 2, according to Nikkei BP news agency reported that Sanyo Electric in the "Applied Physics 56th United speech-related" (March 30 ~ April 2, Tsukuba University) announced that on, HIT (heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer) solar cell thickness of only 85μm, reduced to the original 1 / 2 of the following, and about 10cm square (103.3cm2) unit can still receive up to the conversion efficiency of 21.4%. The company in September 2008 held in Spain "23rd EU PVSEC" once released on similar results.

Help to achieve the reduction of thin silicon material costs. Products for mass production, if the high efficiency and low cost will enable both of, HIT can significantly improve the competitiveness of solar cells.

A new type HIT solar cell open circuit voltage higher to 739mV. Short-circuit current for 37.3mA/cm2, form factor (FF) was 0.776.

Sanyo Electric has developed a previous conversion efficiency of 22.3% for HIT solar cells. However, the solar cell is about the thickness of 200μm. Although the thickness of the cut, but almost no lower conversion efficiency, open circuit voltage than the original 725mA/cm2 improved.

Source: windosi.com Apr. 2, 2009

EPIA States announced in 2008 the volume of solar cells into place

March 31 message, the revitalization of the European solar cell groups - European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) published the solar cell market in 2008 findings.

Survey, in 2008 the global import volume of solar cells reached 5.5GW, with 2.4GW of 2007 compared to achieve a doubling of growth. By country, Spain's import volume of more than a country such as Germany, the highest in the first place. Japan was the United States, catch up with Korea and Italy, fell to sixth place.

The top ten countries to import the volume are as follows. Spain 2511MW, Germany 1500MW, the United States for the 342MW, Korea for the 274MW, Italy 258MW, Japan, 230MW, the Czech Republic for the 51MW, Portugal for the 50MW, Belgium for the 48MW, France 46MW.

Source: windosi.com Mar. 31, 2009

Suntech monocrystalline silicon PV cells reached 19% conversion efficiency

Mar 30 message, the world's third largest manufacturer of PV modules Suntech recently claimed that the Pluto technology has been used to achieve conversion efficiency of silicon cells 19%, polycrystalline silicon 17%.

This is sent to a number of recently adopted Tak Pluto technology to the PV cell samples of the German Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, a world-renowned third-party certification bodies only after the publication of results. Fraunhofer Institute test results are of single crystal silicon solar cell conversion efficiency reached 18.8%, polycrystalline silicon 17.2% reached. At the same time, two types of batteries that Tak has Pluto in its production line in the batch output 34MW, and this is the use of the general class of solar silicon wafers to achieve results.

Wenham Suntech technical Explorer doctor said that with the usual efficiency of solar cells, monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon cells of 16.5% compared to 15.5%, Suntech's Pluto technology to achieve a new breakthrough. Wenham doctor also pointed out that the use of Pluto technology Tak battery modules can be mass-produced the world's most efficient one of polysilicon solar cells.

Patents pending in the Pluto technology is developed by the University of NSW Australia PERL technology, in the laboratory has achieved a record efficiency of 25%. Suntech is expected in the next 2 years Pluto technology is the goal of the conversion efficiency of monocrystalline silicon cells reached 20% and the efficiency of polycrystalline silicon 18%.

Source: windosi.com Mar. 30, 2009