http://www.pvgeneration.comNews from CVRC Ltd(c)CVRC Ltd 20105XsunX Inc. (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), a company that develops thin-film PV solar cell technologies and manufacturing processes, reports it has completed work on a co-evaporation processing chamber design that combines several thermal evaporation techniques in one unified process to produce the CIGS solar cell's absorber layer. "The completion of this chamber converges several operations that we have been developing separately, allowing all of the processes necessary to produce the CIGS layer for our cross-industry technology to work in unison," said Tom Djokovich, CEO of XsunX. "This development increases the rate with which we can develop this new technology towards our initial baseline commercialization goals." - www.pvsociety.comhttp://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=525Mon, 08 Mar 2010 www.pvsociety.compvgen_atk525Sharp, the biggest British maker of solar panels, is predicting a tenfold surge in demand in the next two years as a result of the Government's Clean Energy Cash Back scheme. General manager Andrew Lee predicts it will boost the number of homes with solar panels from 28,000 to about 250,000 by the end of next year. 'I'm confident that by 2014 there will be about 400,000 homes with solar panels,' he said, 'and the good news is that we believe it will create 30,000 jobs over that period.' The Department of Energy and Climate Change forecasts that more than 800,000 homes could have solar panels over 25 years. The upbeat prediction is a response to the unveiling by the Government last week of a generous feed-in tariff and a new system of loans that will enable thousands of homeowners to buy - www.dailymail.co.ukhttp://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=522Sun, 07 Mar 2010 www.dailymail.co.ukpvgen_atk522Konarka Technologies, a manufacturer of "Power Plastic" material that converts light to energy, reports that its current roll-to-roll process simplifies manufacturing scale-up, has significantly lower capital and labor costs than previous generations of solar cells and can be produced using existing coating and printing equipment. The two companies signed an agreement for full-scale collaboration for development and distribution of organic thin-film photovoltaics (OPV). Konica Minolta’s investment is of 20 million US-dollars according to the contract. The goals of the R&D efforts include higher conversion efficiency, longer life, lower manufacturing costs and the realization of mass production of next-generation PV. - www.instalbiz.comhttp://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=520Sun, 07 Mar 2010 www.instalbiz.compvgen_atk520There are maps you can buy which show how light pollution blocks out the night skies. Look at the map for the UK, and English star-gazers have it the worst. It would take a trip to a few scattered oases in Northumberland, East Anglia or the West Country to see the skies anything like our ancestors once enjoyed. We are more divorced than ever from the celestial backdrop that once held us in awe. But there is one astronomical event, perhaps the most precious wonder of the Solar System, where even the most dazzling night sky won't be an advantage. July 2009 saw the longest total eclipse of the Sun this century. It was always going to be a centrepiece moment for the BBC's new series Wonders of the Solar System, but deciding where to go to film it was a nerve-wracking gamble. - news.bbc.co.ukhttp://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=521Fri, 05 Mar 2010 news.bbc.co.ukpvgen_atk521Economies of scale in manufacturing are causing rapid reductions in costs and solar energy has a bright future George Monbiot's attack on solar energy and the government's "cash-back" solar photovoltaic (PV) market-building scheme paints a distorted picture of the industry I work in, and government policy towards it (Are we really going to let ourselves be duped into this solar panel rip-off?, 2 March). First, Monbiot gets the workability of solar wrong. He says: "The amount of power PV panels produce at this latitude is risible, [and] they also produce it at the wrong time." Those who buy panels, therefore, will own a mere "fashion accessory". The companies who manufacture solar PV in the UK have shown that putting solar panels on all available building surfaces would generate more electricity in a year, under typical cloudy British skies, than the entire electricity consumption of our energy-profligate nation. Some fashion accessory. - www.guardian.co.ukhttp://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=519Wed, 03 Mar 2010 www.guardian.co.ukpvgen_atk519Since the release of the feed-in tariff rates for the UK, Sharp Energy Solutions Europe has announced that it plans to significantly expand its resources in the region as the company expects a large amount of PV uptake within the next couple of years. "So far the UK solar market has lagged behind its European neighbors - but now Britain is taking the opportunity to bring about change in energy policy and simultaneously stimulate industry growth in the field of renewable energies. In our solar module factory in Wales in Wrexham, we have expanded the production capacity of initially 20 to now 280MW." Sharp also anticipates that the FiT rate, of up to 41.3p/kWh (€0.47.4), will draw in a large audience interested in boosting the UK market at Eco Build, the world's largest trade fair for sustainable building in London, running from March 2-4. - www.pv-tech.orghttp://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=516Fri, 26 Feb 2010 www.pv-tech.orgpvgen_atk516Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation will distribute XeroCoat Inc.’s antireflective coating solutions for solar modules in China and Japan to dominate both countries’ solar markets in the future. XeroCoat claims that its antireflective coating can lessen light reflection of solar modules from 4 percent to 1 percent. The coating can also improve the modules’ light energy absorption and conversion of the collected sunlight. Normally, regular solar panels allow only about 20 percent of accumulated solar energy to be converted into electricity, making solar power generation more costly compared with other power sources. This prevents the full-scale adoption of the renewable energy source. - www.ecoseed.orghttp://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=517Thu, 25 Feb 2010 www.ecoseed.orgpvgen_atk517Sharp are far and away the world leader in the evolution and production of the advanced technology to harness the sun's power through Solar PV cells. This global leadership comes from a long history of pioneering work in the development of solar cells that began as early as 1959, when few had the foresight to see the huge potential benefits. From this flying start we were able to quickly lead the way forward, reaching a significant landmark with the installation of what was the world’s largest solar power system at the Nagasaki lighthouse. - www.sharp.co.uk/Solar/Why-Choose-Sharphttp://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=513Tue, 23 Feb 2010 www.sharp.co.uk/Solar/Why-Choose-Sharppvgen_atk513Welcome to PV Generation. PV Generation has a long history in the Solar/PV industry originating from their involvement with Sharp Electronics UK. PVG has watched the growth of Solar/PV and following the announcement of the fairer UK Tariff system are happy to offer a full range of Solar products. We also provide a full install service using out BPEC Qualified fitters. We are happy to supply the award winning Sharp range. The world's leading supplier offer products which can not be matched on performance. Sharp's solar modules offer industry-leading performance and proprietary design. They boast a high conversion efficiency - the percentage of sunlight that is converted into energy for your use - to maximize your savings. Sharp's modules are ideal for multi-faceted roofs with many angles. Sharp offers 3 categories of solar module: Monocrystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules Polycrystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules Thin-film Photovoltaic Modules - Contact Ushttp://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=514Tue, 23 Feb 2010 Contact Uspvgen_atk514The capital cost to install a 20 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) facility by 2015 will be US$7981/kW, according to a report from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). That capital cost remains static until 2025, EPRI predicts in Integrated Generation Technology Options: Technical Update, November 2009 and the levelised cost to generate electricity will also remain static at US$456/MWh. The prediction assumes 10% efficiency for solar PV modules and a capacity factor of 26%. Solar thermal trough technology will cost US$4851-6300/kW by 2015, and will generate solar electricity at US$225-290/MWh. By 2025 costs remain static. The capital cost to install a 100 MW wind farm will be US$2350 by 2015 and also remain static to 2025, although the cost of wind energy generation will drop from US$99/MWh to US$82 over the decade. - www.renewableenergyfocus.comhttp://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=512Mon, 22 Feb 2010 www.renewableenergyfocus.compvgen_atk512“Worldwide installation of PV systems has been growing at a rapid pace in recent years, driven by a combination of government incentives and popular support for clean energy,” says the EPRI whitepaper Solar Photovoltaics: Status, Costs & Trends. “A key goal of the incentive programmes has been to drive down costs by increasing production volume.” Solar PV costs have declined substantially and “they show no signs of slackening the pace” beyond short periods of silicon shortages and economic downturns, and “many experts are predicting a blossoming of the US market over the next few years, as installed prices reach substantial parity with conventional alternatives and the true potential of the domestic solar resource is better appreciated.” - www.renewableenergyfocus.comhttp://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=509Thu, 18 Feb 2010 www.renewableenergyfocus.compvgen_atk509You wait years for plans to green Britain's energy supply, then two come along at once. A fortnight ago Ed Miliband, the Climate Secretary, confirmed generous payments for home solar panel and wind turbine systems (while removing grants for their installation). And this week the energy regulator, Ofgem, launched a certificate scheme for green energy tariffs. Both schemes could have transformed Britain's poor record on renewable power. At present only 5 per cent of UK power comes from renewable sources, while 2 per cent of energy customers are on "green" tariffs. So will these two initiatives lead to low-carbon power for the people – and what's in it for you? First, don't bother generating your own electricity or buying a "green" tariff until you have stopped energy leaking from your home; it's like pumping fuel into a car without fixing a hole in the petrol tank. - www.independent.co.ukhttp://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=507Sat, 13 Feb 2010 www.independent.co.ukpvgen_atk507