Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to site search
  • Home
  • All articles of topic Wafer

All articles of topic Wafer

One of the pv Europe experts: Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar.

Expert analysis: Is the market optimism justified?

-

Increasing production, price fluctuations, and stricter regulations are influencing the solar market on a global scale. We spoke with Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar, about the latest developments and their impact on the industry.

 LONGi presents several innovations at Intersolar Europe 2024, starting tomorrow at Munich trade fairgrounds.
Intersolar Europe 2024

LONGi presents enhanced back contact PV modules

-

LONGi launches new solar module innovations based on back contact technology and introduces rectangular M11 wafer with improved performance at Intersolar Solar Europe 2024 this week.

 AIKO and GCL Tech jointly launch high-efficiency ABC solar module with a low carbon footprint at Intersolar Europe in Munich.
Aiko/GCL

ABC solar module with low carbon footprint launched at Intersolar

-

Aiko and GCL Tech have unveiled a high-efficiency module with a low carbon footprint, featuring n-type ABC (All Back Contact) technology and embedded granular silicon genes, at Intersolar Europe.

 According to Longi the new silicon Tera wafer has several benefits among a higher efficiency.
Technology

Longi: New Tera silicon wafers

-

Longi announced the launch of its newly developed Tera silicon wafers for the mass market in September. They are suitable for the currently prevailing solar technologies such as Topcon, heterojunction (HJT) and back contact cells (BC).

 Overview of Meyer Burger's PV module production in Freiberg/Germany.
Manufacturing

End of European PV production?

-

The PV market is booming. But European manufacturers are in crisis mode due to the overwhelmingly favourable competition from China. Companies such as Meyer Burger are threatening to close down module production. They are calling for resilience bonuses, among other incentives.

The costs of silicon PV modules will more than half by 2040, Rethink Energy predicts.
New report Rethink Energy

The cost and efficiency screw for PV modules continues to turn

-

Rethink Energy has published a new report analyzing the cost breakdown of silicon solar modules through to 2040, with particular detail given to usage rates pf polysilicon, high-purity quartz, and silver paste, as well as technological improvements in the Czochralski Process and wafer production.

NexWafe’s high-throughput epitaxy tool that the company is currently commissioning in Freibur/Germany. It’s chamber size equals the actual size of the production tool NexWafe will commission in the first commercial facility in Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt.
Manufacturing

NexWafe reinforces management team

-

NexWafe strengthens its management team with the appointment of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Rick Schwerdtfeger and André Seemaier as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Recently the company has broken grund on ist first wafer production facility in Bitterfeld/Germany.

Hybrid power plants with PV, wind and battery storage are in vogue in Europe, but the dependency especially on Chinese imports of key components and raw materials is very high.
Manufacturing

Resilience of supply chains as Achilles' heel

-

The resilience of supply chains for key technologies for the energy transition, such as photovoltaics and wind power, is in a poor state in Europe. Import dependency, especially on China, is immensely high. A study shows this and gives recommendations.

Our guest author, Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar.
Financing

Solar modules: Market prices remain low

-

The market prices of solar cells, wafers and panels currently follow the same pattern as energy prices. "The prices are 7 to 8 euro cents per watt peak lower than a year ago, why wait any longer", asks Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar.

In wet chemistry, the wafer is prepared for processing.
Manufacturing

Meyer Burger and NorSun: long-term supply of solar silicon wafers made in Europe

-

Wafer manufacturer NorSun and Meyer Burger Technology AG enter into a supply agreement for silicon wafers, thus strengthening the independence of European solar supply chains.

To strengthen the European PV supply chain and PV manufacturing „made in Europe“ is crucial.
Manufacturing

Call for support of European PV manufacturing

-

In an open letter, 13 CEOs of leading European solar organisations urge the European Commission to take bold action to boost investment in Europe’s solar PV industrial base, in order to reinforce the Commission’s solar deployment and energy security ambitions.

Dr. Jochen Rentsch, Head of Department "Production Technology: Surfaces and Interfaces“, Division Photovoltaics,, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), Freiburg/Germany.
PV manufacturing Europe

"Scaling up is key"

-

The PV manufacturing chain in Europe is almost entirely dependent from China. There are first attempts for a renaissance of European PV production. But not all national governments recognize its strategic importance. Jochen Rentsch, Fraunhofer-ISE, comments in an interview.

Solar module production in Freiberg/Germany.
PV manufacturing

Meyer Burger secures silicon wafers from European production

-

Meyer Burger has signed a binding supply agreement for silicon wafers with the Norwegian manufacturer Norwegian Crystals. The polysilicon used to manufacture the wafers is of European and U.S. origin.

The new Coop goods terminal in Eskilstuna, Sweden, will soon boast a clean, 6.1 MW rooftop PV array courtesy of Qcells and Soltech.
Qcells:

Sweden: Low carbon footprint panels to power 6.1 MW PV rooftop

-

Swedish solar power developer Soltech will build a 6.1 MW solar system at Coop Sverige AB's new goods terminal in Eskilstuna, Sweden, using Qcells' certified CfP modules, made with recycled and low-carbon polysilicon.

Solar cells connected with SCR(TM) connectors.
International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV):

High-efficiency modules and large formats with higher market share

-

High-efficiency modules and large module formats achieve higher market share and larger wafers are established,  the 13th edition of the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV) states.

Based on its strong 600+ Watt Photovoltaic Open Innovation Ecological Alliance with leading companies along the industry chain, Trina Solar is driving BOS compatibility with its next generation 210mm silicon wafer Vertex modules.
Systems compatibility:

Leading the charge for compatibility in the Ultra-High Power era

-

Trina Solar continues to drive collaboration across the entire value chain to achieve full compatibility with Vertex 210mm silicon wafer modules, designed to enable 600+ watts of output.