Researchers at the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL, Golden, Colorado, US) have developed a low-cost etching technique that has the potential to increase solar photovoltaic (PV) cell efficiencies while eliminating the use of potent greenhouse gases and reducing costs in the manufacturing process. A research team led by NREL Researcher Howard Branz has developed a new method for creating "black silicon" wafers using an inexpensive wet-etch process, which NREL says can reduce cell reflection to under 2%. Read more...

According to the German government's foreign trade and inward investment promotion agency, Germany will remain the world PV market leader in 2010, with 3GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity already installed in the nation in the first half of this year. Germany Trade and Invest has made a number of other statements as to how the nation's PV market is adapting to ongoing cuts to its feed-in tariff, and has announced that it will send representatives to the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference & Exhibition in Valencia, Spain, from September 6-9, 2010. Read more...

Oerlikon Solar on September 7th, 2010 launched today the new production line "ThinFab" for manufacturing of thin film silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules, which due to the producer will achieve record breaking production costs of € 0.50 per Watt peak (Wp). Furthermore, Oerlikon Solar developed a new champion "Micromorph" lab cell in cooperation with Corning Incorporated with 11.9 percent stabilized efficiency confirmed by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Read more...

Researchers at MIT have discovered a way to mimic plants' ability to repair the chemical devices that convert sunlight to energy. Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering Michael Strano and his team have created a solar photovoltaic (PV) system composed of organic structures that can self-assemble and convert sunlight to electricity at 40% efficiency, with no loss of efficiency recorded over time due to the self-repairing mechanisms of the proteins used. This research was first published in the journal "Nature Chemistry" on September 5th, 2010. "We’re basically imitating tricks that nature has discovered over millions of years... reversibility, the ability to break apart and reassemble", said MIT Associate Professor Michael Strano. Read more...

The funding of solar electricity in Italy is to be reduced in three phases starting from 2011. This announcement has just been made by the Conferenza Stato e Regioni - the Italian Committee of Representatives of Italian regions and the central government. Following the entry of this amendment in the Gazzetta Officiale, the state registry, it is deemed official and effective as of December 31st, 2010. Nevertheless, the Conto Energia III still offers a high degree of investment security despite the moderate reductions made in line with current market conditions, the market research company and consultancy, EuPD Research (Bonn; Germany) reports in a press release. Read more...

Climate Change and the perspective of fossil fuel scarcity have strengthened the need to strongly promote renewable energies. As the deployment of photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity can help the European Union meet its crucial climate and energy targets, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association advocates sustainable policies with the goal of keeping the PV industry and market on an accelerated, yet sustainable growth path. In light of the fast evolution of the European PV market over the recent years and the evident need for a permanent monitoring of PV market dynamics, EPIA has decided to launch the "European Photovoltaic Observatory". Based on the analysis of existing policies in an increasing number of key countries in Europe, the Observatory identifies beneficial conditions for market development and best practices for sustainable development of PV, promoting market transparency and harmonization across Europe at the same time. Read more...

The solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer from Mainz, Germany, SCHOTT Solar, has developed a new technique that will allow for high-performance multi-crystalline solar cells to be manufactured on a large-scale industrial basis. The solar cells produced in an industrial environment achieve peak efficiency of above 18 percent, SCHOTT Solar reports in a press release. In combination with improved module technology, record efficiency of 17.6 percent was achieved on the surface of the aperture and confirmed independently by ESTI (European Solar Test Installation). Read more...

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC, San Francisco) on September 2nd, 2010 approved renewable energy contracts for Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), furthering the state's progress towards its renewable energy goals. Edison received approval of two 20-year power purchase agreements with First Solar, Inc. for generation from the "Desert Sunlight" and "Desert Stateline" projects. Both contracts resulted from Edison's 2008 Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) solicitation. The contracts concern a 250 and 300 megawatt (MW) facility that will utilize solar photovoltaic technology. Read more...

On the heels of German module manufacturers, German producers of solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters are now coming under pressure from Asian competitors. Though six out of 10 inverters sold worldwide are currently produced in Germany, the country’s leading position is endangered due to excessively high costs for components, indicates research by PHOTON International – The Solar Power Magazine. Market leader SMA Solar Technology AG due to PHOTON pays about twice as much for its components as lesser-known Korean manufacturer Dasstech Co. Ltd. The Korean company doesn’t keep production costs low by copying available inverter concepts, but rather by investing heavily in R&D efforts, Photon reports in a press release. Read more...

On September 1st, 2010, Salt Lake County in the US state of Utah announced that it has chosen NexGen Energy Partners, LLC (Boulder Colorado, US) and Bella Energy Inc. (Louisville, Colorado, US) to develop a 2.6MW rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) plant on the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. When complete, the plant will be larger than any rooftop PV plant currently in operation in the United States. Salt Lake County states that it expects construction to begin by the end of 2010. "Today the Salt Palace is setting a national example for renewable energy", said NexGen Energy Vice President Ted Rose. Read more...