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Solar News Archive - July 2006
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Chinese PV-Producer Suntech announces 10-Year Solar Wafer Supply Agreement
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (Wuxi, China,) according to own data one of the world's leading manufacturers of photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, on July 26th announced that it has
entered into a definitive agreement with MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. under which it will receive solar wafers from MEMC over a 10-year period. Under the agreement, Suntech will lock
up a 10-year wafer supply from MEMC. The total contract size is billion to billion over a 10-year period with significant growth trajectory of annual supply over the years. MEMC
(NYSE: WFR - News) is a global leader in the manufacture and sale of wafers and related intermediate products to the semiconductor and solar industries. MEMC has been a pioneer in the
design and development of wafer technologies over the past four decades, with R&D and manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe and Asia. A pre-determined fixed price
reduction curve will provide Suntech with competitively priced wafers as Suntech increases its output to meet market demand.
Wafer-based PV technology to dominate solar energy industry in the next decade
''PV technology is a proven clean-energy solution that is playing an increasingly important role in meeting the global challenge of ever-growing energy demand,'' said Dr. Zhengrong Shi,
Suntech's chairman and CEO. ''We believe that wafer-based PV technology will continue to dominate the burgeoning solar energy industry in the next decade. This agreement allows Suntech
to continue to maintain our products' cost competitiveness, expand our market share, and focus on our core competency of developing high-quality and low cost per watt PV cells and
modules. We are pleased to announce this agreement as it marks the formation of a close cooperation between our two companies.''
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (07/31/2006)
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BP Solar Introduces Mono2: New Silicon Growth Process to Yield Higher Efficiency in Commercial Cells and Modules
A pioneer in silicon casting for solar photovoltaic cell applications, BP Solar has developed a new silicon growth process that significantly increases cell efficiency over traditional
multi-crystalline-based solar cells. The new technique, named Mono2, enhances BP Solar's technological expertise in the silicon growth and wafering arenas where silicon ingots and
wafering technology are key to future growth, BP Solar reports in a press release. Solar cells made with these wafers, in combination with other BP Solar advances in cell process
technology, will be able to produce in excess of five to eight percent more power than solar cells made with conventional processes. This translates into an equivalent module power
increase and hence a substantial cost reduction at the installed system level.
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1MW "Green Garden Solar Project" in Shenzhen near Hong Kong. This BP solar power plant is spread across the roofs of four iconic buildings, each with solar arrays ranging in capacity
from 90 - 280kWp.
Picture Source: BP Solar
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First modules to incorporate Mono2 to be available in 2007
BP Solar plans to implement the Mono2 technique in its existing equipment at the Frederick facility (Maryland, USA) with the goal to achieve large-scale production. According to Eric
Daniels, vice president of technology for BP Solar, "BP Solar's implementation of this new growth technique will greatly improve wafer quality. This development is a great advance on
the pioneering work conducted by BP Solar scientists when the first successful multi-crystal wafers were introduced more than 20 years ago." The first modules to incorporate this
process will be available in 2007. The development of Mono2 is funded in part through a manufacturing contract with the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
BP Solar is a key business within BP Alternative Energy and a global company with over 2200 employees focused on harnessing the sun's energy to produce solar electricity. This includes
the design, manufacture and marketing of quality solar electric systems for a wide range of applications in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. With over 30 years of
experience and installations in over 160 countries, BP Solar is one of the world's largest solar companies and has manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Spain, India and Australia. To
learn more, visit www.bpsolar.com
BP Solar (07/20/2006)
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Online market place spothunter:
German PV demand restrained, stocks full
The German market for photovoltaic did not fulfil the expectations of many dealers and installers, the online market place "spothunter" reports in a press release. Due to a long
bad weather period and continuously high prices for solar modules not as much solar power could be sold as planned up to mid-year. "Stocks are full, the demand at the German
photovoltaic market is restrained" says Daniel Koepf, General Manager at Spothunter.com. "The market for large-scale installations in Germany did almost succumb. Institutional
and private investors put their activities due to a lower rate of return for this year on hold", Koepf adds.
"A majority of the investments flows due to more attractive conditions into Spanish large-scale projects" says Koepf. The market for single family houses seems to be almost stabile. A
way out for the second yearly half lies according to Koepf in export, because solar modules became world-wide an attractive trading good. Spothunter.com offers companies who have not
used export possibilities yet a broker service for solar components. So attractive positions up into the megawatt range could be obtained by world-wide contacts to manufacturers,
wholesalers and installers. Also for the search of solar modules assaulted or with difficulty available Spothunter.com is helpful. A network with international contacts will constantly
search for special quotas and residues.
Spothunter.com is a world-wide market place for electronics, heating and solar components on the internet. At the closed market place, only manufacturers, retailers, vendors and system
providers meet with installers from the electronics, heating, plumbing, air condition and solar industry. Registered members can trade rest- and overcapacities.
spotHunter Online-Marktplatz GmbH (07/12/2006)
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Grant of permit for 400 MW offshore wind farm in the North Sea
On July 5th of 2006 the Eos Offshore plc, a cooperative venture of innoVent (in Varrel near Bremen) and the WPD (in Bremen), was granted the construction permit for the offshore
wind farm "Hochsee Windpark Nordsee" by the german Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) in Hamburg. Ninety kilometres north of the island Borkum the Eos Offshore plc is
planning the erection of eighty wind turbines in a water depth of thirty nine meters with a total capacity of 400 megawatts. The site is situated relatively far away from the
coast, in order to avoid negative impact for the maritime traffic and the bird migration as much as possible. "Furthermore a discussion about the destruction of the characteristic
landscape will not arise", comments project manager Mark Schneider.
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Pleased with the permit for the offshore wind farm in the North Sea (from left to right): Charlotte Berg, Achim Berge (WPD), project manager Mark Schneider (innovent), Carolin
Abromeit (BSH) und Eckard Weise (innovent).
Images Source: WPD AG
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One billion Euros to be invested
Besides the concerns for the environment of the sea and the security of the maritime traffic the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency scrutinized the application forms according to
the German statute of environmental compatibility. In order to comply with the so called "Environmental Monitoring", about one hundred examination journeys were made within the planned
construction area. In addition to the permit procedure a participation of fifty-five responsible bodies of public concerns was accomplished before, so that now all obstacles related to
the permits have been removed. The investment volume will add up to one billion Euros.
WPD AG (07/06/2006)
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Applied Films provides solar cell production equipment
for Q-Cells
As already announced beginning of June, Applied Films has received a major contract for its micromorph thin film solar cell production equipment. Under the contract, Brilliant
234, a 100% subsidiary of Q-Cells, has ordered three integrated vacuum coating systems for the production of micromorph solar cells. The systems deposit the TCO front contact film, the
light-absorbing layer structure (a-Si/µc-Si) and the back contact. ,,With this order, Applied Films has achieved a major success for its path-breaking solar cell manufacturing
technology, which provides potential for significantly higher cell efficiencies and an opportunity the economic production of large area thin film cells“, the company reports in a
press release.
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SEM picture of a microcrystalline Si:H film.
Source: Applied Films
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Growth by commercialization of thin-film technologies
,,In Applied Films, we have found one key production equipment partner which clearly drives innovation in solar cell manufacturing“, states Anton Milner, CEO of Q-Cells. ,,We are
on an uninterrupted growth course, having reached global leadership in solar cell production in only five years. Continuous advancements in our technology and production processes are
the key enablers of our success. These include our core business of silicon-wafer-based solar cells but also the commercialization of thin-film technologies. The great expertise of
Applied Films in large area vacuum deposition processes will boost our drive towards our ambitious goals for the coming years“, Milner adds.
Applied Films is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange (NASDAQ symbol: AFCO) and has recently signed an agreement with Applied Materials (AMAT) to acquire
Applied Films.
Applied Films (07/05/2006)
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European consumers chose solar thermal over gas and oil
Sparked by the high prices for oil and gas, consumers more and more often chose solar thermal for domestic hot water and space heating, the European Solar Thermal Industry
Federation (ESTIF) reports in a press release on latest data on Solar Thermal markets in Europe. In 2005, almost 1.400 MWth of solar thermal capacity (2 million m2 of collector area)
was newly installed in Europe – 26% more than in the previous year. New installations more than doubled in France where 85 MWth were added in 2005.
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"We are very pleased with the development of the European market", says Uwe Brechlin, Secretary General of the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF).
Germany shares nearly half of the European Solar Thermal Market (47 %). Austria (12%), Greece (11 %), France (6 %) and Spain (5 %) share about on third.
Source: ESTIF
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Good developments in several high-potential markets
"The traditional lead markets – Germany, Austria and Greece – have all performed well in 2005 and we now see some very good developments in several of the high-potential
markets like France and Spain", Brechlin adds. At the end of 2005, the total capacity in operation in the EU (plus Switzerland) reached 11.175 MWth (15,9 million m2 of collector area).
ESTIF expects 20% growth or more in 2006
Based on recent market feedback, ESTIF estimates that 2006 will finish with another growth rate of 20% or more. It is with great pleasure the association reports that several European
governments have introduced new solar thermal support programmes. Spain has gone a step further by introducing an obligation to use solar thermal in nearly all new buildings. With this
decision, Spain creates stable framework conditions which are a prerequisite for strong long-term growth of solar thermal. For the heating and cooling sector, ESTIF encourages all
governments to support solar thermal in order to minimise the use of conventional fossil fuels.
ESTIF (07/03/2006)
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