The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved the first loan from the Clean Energy Business Financing Program (CEBFP) to Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Calisolar, which was awarded a $5 million loan to purchase equipment to expand the manufacture of multicrystalline photovoltaic cells.
The CEBFP is using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to provide up to $30.6 million in 2.75% low-interest loans to private businesses that improve or expand their energy efficiency or renewable energy manufacturing facilities in California.
Using these stimulus and private funds, Calisolar’’s project will expand solar cell capacity production from 60 MW annually to 75 MW annually by December. The is expected to create and/or retain approximately 181 full-time equivalent jobs when operating at their maximum production levels. Calisolar is providing $20,716,00 in leveraged financing for the project’’s total $25,716,002 cost. The loan will be repaid in 84 monthly payments .
Advanced Battery Tech announced that it signed a 5.7 million U.S. dollars of the battery supply contracts with Guangdong Province Hengmin Opto-electrical Tech , accounting for 9% of revenue in 2009, the company will begin shipping within 30 days. Hengmin mainly supplys lithium battery box device Dian production and marketing power management system.
In recent years, many thin film solar battery companies are committed to copper indium gallium selenium (CIGS) materials, and the California AQT companies stand out.
AQT company’s first production line of CIGS thin film solar battery capacity is 15MW, investment is only 10 million U.S. dollars, Intevac Inc. contract in the thin film production line.
AQT company uses technology to produce CIGS thin film sputtering, and then made into standard photovoltaic modules, photovoltaic conversion efficiency of the battery by 14%, after the module assembly into the photoelectric conversion ,the efficiency is 12%.
ugust 22th, China’s first lithium iron phosphate cathode materials for vanadium battery production line was built Baokang County in Hubei Province which was designed by the Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences No. 43 Castle Peak Energy Research Institute.
Vanadium lithium iron phosphate battery cathode material is heart of the electrochemical reaction of the lithium iron phosphate vanadium.Compared Vanadium with iron phosphate lithium iron phosphate cathode materials for production of vanadium lithium iron phosphate lithium battery with the traditional batteries, in the capacity , charge and discharge efficiency, security, stability and so on,its performance is significantly improve and the parameters are met or than “lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicle” standard.
Beijing time on August 23th, Zevi LDK announced today that the company’s second 5000-ton polysilicon production line commissioning phase has been completed and started the commercial production.
The second production line is located 15,000 tons of magnitude Mahong a polysilicon plant in Xinyu City in China,in the next 3-6 months time to reach its before designed annual production , the results can improve the LDK’s polysilicon facilities to meet the effect of lower production costs and help achieve the company’s annual production target.
Singulus Technologies provides leading-edge technology solutions for the crystalline silicon solar cell products. Singulus Company and its subsidiaries Stangl common crystalline silicon solar cells a key step in the production technologies: screen printing technology, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition PECVD technology, PSG removal technology and anti-reflective layer technology.
PN section technology diffusion steps are provided by its partners. Singulus cutting-edge systems technology company has already been a European solar battery manufacturers to use, and on July 9th 2010 has been successful in both wet chemical bed and a Singular PECVD tool on the application.
Also at the 25th EU PVSEC Valencia, Spain hosted the exhibition, the company also demonstrated its anti-reflective layer of crystalline silicon cells, the concept of this innovative tool is based on primary production in the process of electrostatic binding of the transparent Primary transmission of the lining of the static electricity generated.
Oriental Sunrise (300 118) on the 20th starting at road shows held in the Panorama web, director, chief financial officer, said Cao Zhiyuan, China’s solar battery production cost has dropped significantly, which the domestic solar market to grow and mature and has played a decisive role on the reality and integration of international PV market which is significant.
United States, Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists have discovered a method of manufacturing carbon nanotubes, which can combine the battery and super capacitor and produce, export large quantities of energy power storage which provide a kind of ideal solution for the electric bus.
At present, the car usually include a lithium power storage battery (or Ni-MH battery) or super-capacitor. Lithium and Ni-MH battery can be long-term electrical storage, but full of power time consuming and can not quickly get a lot of energy. On the other hand, the super capacitor can quickly obtain the release of large quantities of energy, but not long electrical storage.
The fundamental difference between these two technologies is the battery is chemical energy storage media and the energy storage capacitor is a physical medium. MIT researchers think that can be manufactured by using a mixture of carbon nanotubes to retain the characteristics of two media, which can store and quickly release the power. MIT hopes that the study by the prototype theory and has started testing for the various needs of the energy input from outside and release energy to provide a better battery for vehicles.
August 17th report, president of Magna, said : Magna (Magna) electric car battery factory site will be selected within two weeks between Spain and Austria.
The report quoted Magna Electric Vehicle Systems CEO Peter Reif saying that Magna is working with an electric car partnerships in the final stages of negotiations, the two companies in the electric vehicle battery joint venture factory site may be announced by the end of August.
The media also said that Magna may be the Japanese partner Mitsubishi Motors. Currently, Mitsubishi Motors is considering investing in Vigo, Spain 400 million euros (about 512 million euros) to set up a battery factory. Therefore, the media speculated that Magna electric battery plant will be the final location in Spain.
Sanyo Electric Philharmonic has been acquired by Matsushita Electric ,it in Shanghai yesterday launched a new generation of general environmental rechargeable battery. Sanyo relevant sources said, environmental protection batteries and solar batteries will be its major business in China.
According to Panasonic the acquisition program, in January 2012, Matsushita will implement a business system restructuring, the basic idea is, in the consumer, components, solutions and other three business areas, the implementation of the three companies are the cause of re-integration of the sales department. Sanyo’s rechargeable battery and solar businesses are classified as components business.
Panasonic integrated reorganization plan, the principles of the brand on to the “Panasonic” consider the direction of unification. This means that Sanyo Electric brand or will become the history.