Manufacturing

DuPont says it is collaborating with utility company Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd. (HK Electric) to support the building and operation of the largest thin film photovoltaics (PV) rooftop project in Hong Kong.

Spain’s Ministry of Industry has presented a decree to the country’s Council of Ministers against the so-called “Fraude Fotovoltaico” or “photovoltaic fraud.”

Speaking to pv magazine, Manz Automation AG CFO, Martin Hipp underlined four strategic aims the company intends to achieve in the next few years under its new partnership with Würth Solar GmbH & Co. KG and the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW – Center for solar energy and hydrogen research).

SolarEdge Technologies has announced its partnership with Greece-based photovoltaics (PV) project developer Enolia Solar Systems SA, under which SolarEdge will provide Enolia with 1.5 megawatts of solar power harvesting equipment to be installed in Greece.

The Sharp Corporation has said it will double its annual production capacity for crystalline solar cell modules to 500 megawatts (MW) at its U.K. production base, the Sharp Manufacturing Company of U.K. (SUKM), this December.

The Sanyo Electric Company, a major player in the photovoltaics (PV) industry with its HIT (crystalline silicon) solar cell, has announced Japan-based Panasonic’s plans to buy the company out. A spokesperson has told pv magazine the deal has not yet been confirmed, however. Panasonic currently owns a 50.05 percent share in Sanyo.

Hitachi Cable has invested around 500 million yen (roughly USD$5.7 million; €4.4 million) in a new production facility for photovoltaic (PV) wire at its Hitachi Cable (Johor) of Malaysia plant, in response to growing demand. Full-scale operations are expected to start next month.

Germany-based CIS thin film manufacturer Sulfurcell GmbH has signed supply agreements with new customers in India and China in excess of 16 megawatts (MW). CEO and company founder Dr. Nikolaus Meyer also states that the company is hoping “to help shape the building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) segment with expertise and innovations” in the next few years.

Propelled by aggressive research and development (R&D) activities, third generation photovoltaics (PVs) are poised to take a huge leap forward, says Frost & Sullivan in a new analysis. The exploratory mass production of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC)-powered consumer durables is likely to alter the future course of research in this segment, says the company.

Solarmer Energy, Inc. has recently achieved a new world record of 8.13 percent for its organic photovoltaic (OPV) cell efficiency, which has been certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).