Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

GCL-Poly subsidiary, GCL Silicon Material Technology Development Co., Ltd. has ordered CHF160 million (around USD$192.3 million; €133.6 million) worth of new photovoltaic equipment from Meyer Burger Technology Ltd.

Siemens has acquired around a 16 percent share in high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) module manufacturer Semprius, for an undisclosed amount. The move will help Semprius scale up its activities to production levels by 2012.

Anwell Technologies Limited’s subsidiary, Henan Sungen Solar Fab Co., Ltd., is planning to ramp up its thin film production capacity in China after securing long-term funding.

JinkoSolar has established a new research and development center, which will exclusively focus on increasing solar cell efficiency and next generation photovoltaic technology.

According to IHS iSuppli, crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic module costs are set to fall to USD$1 per watt by the first quarter of 2012.

Supporting the statement in one of our Intersolar blogs earlier today that batteries and storage technologies are the buzzwords at this year’s trade show, Sony has unveiled its new lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.

The Oscars of the solar industry honored the most innovative today at the fourth Intersolar Awards ceremony. The nominees were all deserving having made breakthroughs, cut costs, increased efficiencies and impressed the jury.

Following negotiations, Spain-based Isofoton and Hong Kong company HKSilicon are to build what they say is one of the world’s biggest polysilicon factories.

GCL-Poly (Suzhou) New Energy Limited and Goldpoly New Energy Holdings Limited will build a 300 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic wafer plant in Quanzhou, China.

Q-Cells SE has achieved a polycrystalline solar cell efficiency of 19.5 percent. The results have been confirmed by the Fraunhofer ISE Institute for Solar Energy Systems, based in Freiburg, Germany.