Industry of photovoltaic Solar Cells

" BP Solar is a global company with over 30 years of experience and over 2000 employees focused on harnessing the sun's energy to produce electricity.
BP Solar manufactures, designs, markets and installs 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 US, Spain, India and Australia... " more

"Kyocera is one of the world's largest vertically-integrated producers and suppliers of solar energy products. Our American solar division is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, with regional sales affiliates in the Americas and Australia. Kyocera Solar, Inc. (KSI), our North American solar products subsidiary, serves thousands of customers in both the developed and developing worlds.
Around the globe people are enjoying a better lifestyle because of solar electric systems provided by Kyocera. These systems make it possible for families to light their homes and utilize a telephone or experience a broadcast program for the first time. Solar electric solutions provided by Kyocera enable people to drink clean, uncontaminated water where sources were unsanitary, hard to access, or nonexistent. Systems designed and integrated by Kyocera allow industry to expand their capabilities beyond the constraints of the traditional electric grid. ... " more

"SCHOTT Solar - a tradition of quality
Our company has a strong shareholder: SCHOTT AG, Mainz. SCHOTT AG is a world leader in the manufacture of glass for special applications. Our shareholder has already been in the market for over 100 years and has established a solid international presence. We tap into the forty years plus of experience acquired by our predecessor firms: AEG Telefunken began researching and producing sophisticated solar cells for use in space as long ago as 1960. Over 300 satellites have been equipped with those products. Research, development and innovation have played a primordial role in our operations for over 40 years." more

"ARISE Technologies Corporation, based in Waterloo, Ontario, is dedicated to becoming a leader in high-performance, cost-effective solar technology.

The company operates through three divisions.

• The PV Cell Division manufactures PV (photovoltaic) cells at its first manufacturing plant opened in April 2008 in Bischofswerda, Germany. The division is developing proprietary technology with a target of achieving a step-by-step progression to a high-efficiency level of greater than 20 percent.
• The PV Silicon Division is using a proprietary method to produce silicon at 7N+ high-purity (99.99999 percent purity) for PV cell applications, based on a simplified chemical vapor deposition process. The division is focusing on scaling up its process to provide ARISE with control over its supply, costs, and quality.
• The PV Systems Division provides complete turnkey PV solutions for solar farms and rooftop installations under the Ontario Standard Offer Program."

Day Star Tech

DayStar is positioned to become the world's leading manufacturer of low-cost, high performance, CIGS thin film photovoltaic products for converting electricity from the sun. Founded and staffed by a team of leading scientists, experienced thin film equipment and solar cell manufacturers, photovoltaic industry experts, and top management from the semiconductor industry, DayStar was formed to:

• Capture proven photovoltaic science
• Create proprietary manufacturing processes & tool sets
• Manufacture CIGS solar cells and modules
• Commercialize new and emerging photovoltaic products
• Access markets through strategic relationships

Our first 25 Megawatt manufacturing line, producing CIGS on glass modules, is being designed and built around our unique and proprietary one-step sputtering deposition process. This process is highly scaleable and will achieve cost and performance metrics that, when operating at commercial volumes, will position our CIGS products as the thin film photovoltaics leader in the race toward cost parity with fossil fuel electricity generation. " more

" Power Solutions using EMCORE Concentrator Photovoltaic Arrays (CPV)
Using optical lenses and mirrors we concentrate the sunlight onto a very small, highly efficient Multi-Junction solar cell. For example, under 500-sun concentration, 1 cm2 of solar cell area produces the same electricity as 500 cm2 would, without concentration. This is particularly significant when considering the inherent efficiency advantage of the Multi-Junction technology over Silicon solar cells The use of concentration, therefore, allows substitution of cost-effective materials such as lenses and mirrors for the more costly semiconductor PV cell material.

" HelioVolt's FASST^TM technology produces high-performance solar thin-film with pioneering time and materials efficiencies. 10 to 100 times faster than current processes. 100 times thinner than traditional silicon. Factor in the flexibility of custom shapes and sizes. Plus easy adaptability to multiple construction materials ' glass, steel, metal, composites and some polymers. The result? Another industry revolution is born.
HelioVolt's FASST^TM technology produces high-performance solar thin-film with pioneering time and materials efficiencies. 10 to 100 times faster than current processes. 100 times thinner than traditional silicon. Factor in the flexibility of custom shapes and sizes. Plus easy adaptability to multiple construction materials ' glass, steel, metal, composites and some polymers. The result? Another industry revolution is born.
Rapid and revolutionary:

• Our patented solar 'printing' process is a high-speed, large-area method for manufacturing silicon-free thin-film photovoltaics for commercial-scale production. Many times faster than other thin-film technologies, the real advantage of FASST^TM is its unique ability to nano-engineer solar thin films.
• Flexible and customizable: HelioVolt can print directly onto multiple construction materials ' glass, steel, metal, composites and some polymers. Mindful of architectural aesthetics, our method enables customization in a range of shapes and sizes. The market opportunity: a new breed of seamlessly solarized building materials, architectural modules and building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products ' what we call PV 'power buildings. " more CIGS

"Honda is a leader in developing innovative new approaches to creating sustainable energy, including solar cells that convert energy from the sun into electricity.

It's a technology whose time has come - thanks to next-generation solar cells developed by Honda that use thin film made from a compound of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS).

So we started a whole new company, Honda Soltec Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kumamoto, Japan, to produce and market the next-generation thin film solar cells developed by Honda.

Honda's next-generation thin film solar cells achieve approximately a 50 percent reduction in the amount of energy consumed during the manufacturing process. This makes the new solar cell more environmentally responsible by reducing the amount of CO2 generated even from the production stage." more

"International Solar Electric Technology (ISET) is a private California Corporation with a wide range of expertise in next generation thin film solar electric products and systems. ISET has carried out extensive R&D work in the area of photovoltaic's (PV) - the technology for direct conversion of sunlight into electricity. Major research breakthroughs involve development of novel, low-cost manufacturing alternatives for fabrication of "printable" high efficiency solar cells which are unique to the entire solar energy industry.

ISET has developed an ink-based process for manufacturing thin-film CIGS solar cells and modules on both rigid and flexible lightweight substrates. This patented technology offers fundamental improvements over existing solutions for both terrestrial and space power applications. Current development efforts deliver a prospect for commercial application that will produce thin-film PV modules for a cost of less than $1.00/watt.

ISET offers technology transfer, customized PV products, PV system design services for both stand-alone and grid-connected systems and general consulting services relating to PV technologies. " more

"Solaicx is developing breakthrough manufacturing technology yielding low-cost, high-efficiency silicon wafers for the photovoltaic (PV) industry. By designing and building equipment optimized for the high volume, continuous manufacture of high-performance, single crystal silicon ingots, Solaicx creates significant competitive advantages, in terms of cost and quality, which are then passed through the value chain of the entire silicon-based solar cell manufacturing market.

The resulting single crystal wafers are manufactured and sold to meet the growing demands of the photovoltaic industry's major solar cell and module manufacturers, helping to further satisfy rapidly expanding end-user demand currently growing by 35 percent per year. Because the Solaicx system is designed for very high volume materials handling..." more

"Our unique cell multiplication technology leverages semiconductor- and optics-industry expertise to multiply the energy yield of silicon material

Using a proprietary singulation and packaging process, we deliver the high-efficiency, improved system performance, and kW/h cost reduction crucial to market growth.
As solar markets evolve, we are harnessing our unique packaging technology to push the limits of cell and module architecture for further gains. Our partnership with the industry's largest cell manufacturer, Q-Cells, provides us with access to new cell technology as we continue to pursue these innovations on an industry scale.

Our Manufacturing Process
We start with standard crystalline silicon solar cells. Using advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes, the cells are singulated into strips, packaged, and attached to an optical front cover.

Innovation at the Cell Level
Our front cover captures and guides incoming light, maximizing the energy output of the singulated silicon strips. Each new cell matches the form, fit, and electrical performance of a standard silicon cell." more

"The SoloPower Advantage lies in a unique approach to manufacturing technology. SoloPower's proprietary electrochemical process for CIGS solar cell formation is uniquely differentiated from Si-based PV and alternate thin film PV technologies. SoloPower technology enables the cost-effective fabrication of devices that yield high voltage, good carrier collection and high conversion efficiency

The SoloPower electroplating method provides near 100% materials utilization in a low cost, roll-to-roll process. High materials utilization and low cost equipment coupled with high efficiency cells with extremely thin active layers result in substantial competitive advantage to SoloPower technology over alternative materials and techniques.
Some of the key advantages of the SoloPower approach are:

• Capability to deposit films on large areas as well as a variety of shapes and forms
• Continuous processing with high throughput using low cost equipment
• Excellent compositional control
• High material utilization
• Minimal waste generation

SoloPower's unique and proprietary technology is a major break-through in low-cost, high-quality, high-volume manufacturing and commercialization of CIGS-based photovoltaics. " more

StarSolar
Improving Solar Cells Through Photonics

" The biggest problem facing solar power today is the high cost of solar electricity compared to conventional sources. StarSolar's patent-protected technology solves this problem by significantly increasing the efficiency of solar cells, which is the single biggest driver in solar cost reduction. These improvements are achieved through innovative light trapping technology that enhances infrared light absorption by a factor of seven, thus increasing overall power generation by 37%.

We use nanoscale full-wave optics to achieve superior light trapping. Proven to work in simulations, supported by experiments. "

" Zomeworks Corporation Incorporating over two decades of experience with tracker design and more than three decades of innovation of new products, Zomeworks has introduced the F-Series Track Rack^TM Passive Solar Tracker to our line of UTR Universal Trackers. This tracker is our most popular design. It features an integral early morning rapid return system, is shipped partially assembled, is easy to install, and is module specific.

Simplicity and Elegance
The sun's heat moves liquid from side to side, allowing gravity to turn the Track Rack^TM and follow the sun - no motors, no gears and no controls to fail.

Universal
Six standard UTR and UTR-F Track Racks^TM fit all common photovoltaic modules.

Easy to Transport
The Universal Track Rack^TM is "knocked down" and packaged in one to four (depending on the size of the rack) easy-to-handle boxes that fit conveniently into a pickup truck." more

" Pacific SolarTech is the world leader in developing and manufacturing concentrator photovoltaic (PV) modules, for applications from utility-scale solar power plants to remote-power and grid-connected power systems. PST offers a line of products with the MicroPVTM moniker. The concentrator PV module (MicroPVTM made by PST) is a milestone in the concentrator PV industry. This successful breakthrough in concentrator PV module manufacturing makes the dream of affordable solar power a reality.

The affordable solar power era is coming. PST uses advanced dome-shaped lenses to concentrate sunlight 10 times onto small area solar cells (only one tenth of the lens size). For every 7 watts produced the solar cell consumes only 1 watt. This technique greatly reduces the requisite amount of silicon. It offers needed relief in today's high-priced, silicone-short environment. PST is able to use semiconductor-level silicon, which is highly competitive with that of the semiconductor industry

Pacific SolarTech is working relentlessly to develop highly productive, environmentally friendly, and energy-efficient processes and protocols, which should result in more technologically refined, lower-cost products in the future... " more

"Suntech is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of innovative solar energy solutions for a wide variety of customers and applications. Our R&D team in Wuxi, China continues to pioneer technology advances in solar power generation products. We are expanding our capacity by building more factories and installing cost effective equipment to make solar energy a practical solution for more customers around the globe. We have sales offices and installation partners in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Every day, demand for energy is accelerating and becoming a central environmental issue with implications for the entire world. At Suntech, we see solar energy as a clean, reusable and affordable solution that is increasingly being recognized as the leading alternative energy source for the 21st century.

As one of the largest solar energy companies in the world, Suntech is passionately committed to delivering alternative energy choices through lasting partnerships in order to build a brighter, sustainable future" more

"solar technology does not employ silicon, and the material used is only 1/200th of the thickness of crystalline silicon solar cells.We have more than 40 years of experience in adapting crystal growth in electrodeposition manufacturing technique.

Our process doesn't require high vacuum and high temperature. Hence we can manufacture solar cells much faster. On top of that, we can deposit solar cells in different substrate material. It allows us to make flexible and rigid solar cells using the same set up.Our technology is completely modular and scalable. We can make solar cells custom to the voltage and amperage as required by different applications.

Current photovoltaic technology is based on crystalline silicon. In the near future, CIS thin film is an excellent alternative.

Advantages of CIS thin film:

• uses less than 1/200 active material vs crystalline silicon, making it potentially cheaper
• absorbs a wider spectrum of light thus providing stabler power delivery all through the day
• has the highest transformation efficiency among different thin film material ... " more

"Photovoltaics allow for direct conversion of light (photo) into electricity (voltaics). OptiSolar's solar photovoltaic modules and systems are specifically designed to responsibly, reliably, and inexpensively deliver solar electricity on a large-scale.

Most commercial solar cells use a special form of crystalline silicon to convert sunlight to electricity. The solar industry's production capacity is restricted by the limited availability of crystalline silicon.

By depositing an extremely thin film (far thinner than the thickness of a human hair) of amorphous silicon, we are able to create solar PV panels requiring only about 1% of the silicon used in crystalline systems. Combined with OptiSolar's proprietary manufacturing process, this thin-film technology both lowers module costs and removes the limitations of crystalline silicon availability." more

" Signet Solar is a global company, founded to design and manufacture large area, low cost, thin film silicon Photovoltaic (PV) modules. Signet Solar's mission is to accelerate the adoption of solar PV by rapidly expanding manufacturing capacity and significantly reducing the cost of solar modules through innovations and manufacturing excellence.

Led by executives with extensive experience in thin film technology, technology commercialization, semiconductor manufacturing, and global operations, Signet Solar is poised to become a premier player in the fast growing solar energy market." more

CIS Technology The second solar cell generation

CIS stands for the elements copper (Cu), indium (In), and selenium (Se). In coating processes borrowed from glass production, AVANCIS applies these materials in a layer construction of around 2 μm. Two thousandths of a millimeter is all it takes to absorb sunlight. That's an outstanding performance that defies comparison.

EFFICIENCY - OUR OBLIGATION.

Studies by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) show that CIS is the most efficient thin film technology. CIS has already attained efficiency levels of around 20% in the lab, comparable to the efficiency of multi-crystalline silicon cells.

CIS IN LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS.

Because CIS modules use a relatively broad spectrum of light, and because we make extremely low-defect layers in our production process, we achieve a high energy yield even in poor weather conditions and with low light levels. So even when the light is low, the technology is still very cost-effective... more