Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

Solon’s Velocity MW utility-scale solar systems are built up from identical, one megawatt clusters to achieve high energy output with performance, short construction cycles, improved reliability and reduced overall project risk.

Zimmermann and Schilp has introduced a non-contact gripper that is based on ultrasonic sound for module glass substrates. In order to create a safe transport system, the system maintains the balance between the attracting and repelling forces.

Trumpf is set to introduce its TruMark Series 6000 at this year’s EU PVSEC.
It consists of six different, special lasers, which have one common trait: a high power and beam quality combined to produce a laser light of high brilliance.

The new metallization line by Dek Solar, the Eclipse platform, is said to be very flexible according to the company.

The PIA Nova is Von Ardenne’s universal composition, a machinery platform for sputtering contact and precursor layers for solar cells.

Rehm Thermal Systems has a new series of drying and firing systems for solar cell metallization. The Solardryer RDS 2100 and RDS 3000 are drying processes of a combination of five IR zones and one central convection zone.

Henkel is to present its new hotmelt adhesive the Terostat MS 500 for framing crystalline solar modules at the EU PVSEC. The patented adhesive technology based on modified silane polymers has a high initial bond strength directly after assembly.

Germany-based Conergy has announced it is the “world’s first” solar company to offer Europe-wide output insurance, which is designed to provide customers with, among other things, ten-year protection against output decreases stemming from components or configuration defects, degradation and the delamination of modules. It is only available to Conergy customers.

DuPont has announced production of polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) polymer resin – a “critical” raw material used to make the company’s Tedlar polyvinyl fluoride film – has begun at its Fayetteville Works facility in the U.S. The film is used for photovoltaics (PV) panel backsheets.

Scientists at the Zentrum fur Sonnenenergie-und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg, Germany (Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research, ZSW) say they have achieved a new world record for copper, indium, gallium and diselenide (CIGS) solar cell efficiencies. At 20.3 percent, the Stuttgart researchers state that the new results should “significantly” improve the cost-effectiveness of CIGS thin film photovoltaics (PV) over the medium term.