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Total articles in category: 14
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2010: Quo Vadis (German) Solar Industry?
The photovoltaic industry is increasingly under pressure: On the one hand, additional capping of feed-in tariffs become more and more probable while on the other hand Chinese suppliers are beginning to crowd the German market with inexpensive yet technically superior modules. Can German manufacturers still hold their ground?
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A journey through PV history
Due to an increased sensitivity to environmental concerns and limited access to fossil fuels, production systems have been developed that use natural reusable sources to create energy. One of the most common methods uses photovoltaic glass to convert solar rays into energy. more »
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Closer links with photovoltaics
On the occasion of solarpeq/glasstec the glass and solar energy sectors agree on closer co-operation.
The glass and solar systems sectors might considerable benefit from each other, though they have not really met thus far. Now solarpeq, the new fair affiliated to glasstec, will pave the way to closer co- operation and synergies. more »
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Glass: an energy collector
Since the first photovoltaic panel was developed in 1954, the efficiency of solar cells has risen steadily and at the same time prices have fallen consistently. Photovoltaic glass was first used in space because the only source of energy in space is the sun. Today photovoltaic technology can be used to replace construction materials on buildings and transform solar radiation into energy at the same time. more »
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Green Economy and Photovoltaics: Anticipated Growth
Thinking of a Europe united for clean energy would have seemed like a utopia until a few years ago, but now a project is taking form which could network nine major European countries with the common desire to meet the objective of 20% energy from renewable sources by the year 2020. more »
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Helios project
The new solar plane named Helios has reached an altitude of 100.000 feet and set a new record for sustained flight at that altitude. Take a closer look at this new NASA plane with the following article. more »
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Leading Countries in PV Industry
PV industry is generating a lot of noise for quite some time, its not the noise alone, it is attracting investments in hordes , particularly in last two to three years. Hitherto the PV industry was more confined to Western Europe and USA and to some extent in one or two nations in Asian region, but its gaining importance all across the globe now, and many countries and a host of companies are getting attracted to this abundant source of power, we will have a look at selected important countries in this industry.
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Nieuwland - the Solar City
Whether you are sceptical or enthusiastic about photovoltaic technology, you are certain to be impressed by the 1 MWp Nieuwland project. more »
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Photovoltaic in Architecture
Arch. Lavinia Chiara Tagliabue
Principles and Problems of Integration
Photovoltaic modules are components used for the production of electricity from solar energy and, thanks to their morphological and constructive configuration, are suitable for integration in the external skins of buildings. more »
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Photovoltaic in Architecture (second part)
Arch. Lavinia Chiara Tagliabue
Materials used to produce photovoltaics cells
The most frequently used material for the photovoltaic cells is silicon, even if other materials such as gallium arsenide (GaAs), cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium diselenide (CulnSe2), are also used, above all for the realization of thin films, which differ mainly because of their production and doping process. Moreover, plastic cells are now in the experimental phase, with rather limited yield at the moment, but if improved could become competitive from the cost point of view. more »
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Photovoltaics: The Future Energy Source
The term photovoltaic comes from the Greek word “phos” meaning light and the word “voltiac” meaning electricity, the combined word means, electricity from the light. When sunlight hits a solar cell, the sun’s energy activates electrons. Though this effect was originally discovered over 164 years ago by Edmund Becquerel and initially turned into a working solar cell by Charles Fritts about 124 years ago in 1884, but as a serious source of energy, this technique has gained attention and momentum in recent years. more »
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Robots on the Advance
With cost cutting in mind the photovoltaics industry increasingly relies on automation expecting it to bring about sustained high product quality and increased productivity.
Industrial robots feed and discharge solar cell production lines and sort the finished components by pick-and-place processes. They handle glass panes, cut films and foils and assemble frames around solar modules and have recently even started installing junction boxes. Be it at Q-Cells in Bitterfeld, at Conergy in Frankfurt/Oder or Bosch Solar Energy in Erfurt – most production lines in the solar sector are highly automated these days. more »
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Solar Production to become Greener
“Triple Green” is the new motto in photovoltaics: for modules that generate clean energy, that are recycled and – what’s more – ecologically produced. This is how the solar power industry can build its image and sustainably cut costs. However, this perfect triad is difficult to implement because “green factories” require high initial investment. more »
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Thin film solar cells on low cost glass substrates
The progress obtained so far, and the future trends for the two most successful thin film solar cells, namely CulnGaSe2/CdS and CdTe/CdS, are described in this article. The construction of a solar production plant, located near Varese, northern Italy, expected to produce 15 MW/year, will also be reported. This plant, based on CdTe thin film deposition onto 0,6 x 1.2 square meter glass modules, is being built with the scientific support of Parma University. more »
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