Solar Production Technology

2007 was a record year for German manufacturers of glass-making machinery.

Röttgen gets out his red pencil

  Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen wants to considerably reduce solar rewards.
Röttgen gets out his red pencil - more...

Europeans on a Course for Innovation

  Photovoltaic manufacturers begin the race to catch up with Asian forerunners.
Europeans on a Course for Innovation - more...

More CIS for Solar Performance

  Companies are gearing up for the series production of modules based on copper, indium and selenium.
More CIS for Solar Performance - more...

Cell Surface in Focus

  Selective emitters increase efficiency.
Cell Surface in Focus - more...

Laser for More Capacity

  New manufacturing techniques increase efficiency and reduce costs.
Laser for More Capacity - more...

Printed Light Collectors

  Photovoltaics still are not able to compete with conventional energy sources. Solar cells in which energy is generated by nanoparticles printed on aluminium foil should considerably reduce the production costs. The technology is now entering the market.
Printed Light Collectors - more...

Chinese Conquer the Solar Market

  Among local solar producers, worries are growing: The new Federal government wants to reduce the compensation paid for electricity fed into the grid.
Chinese Conquer the Solar Market - more...

Energy from a Thousand Suns

  Since the desert energy initiative Desertec, solar heat has been the word on everyone’s lips: in the Sahara, power stations are intended to convert an enormous degree of solar heat into power for millions of Europeans.
Energy from a Thousand Suns - more...

Researchers Olympus of Germany

  While the German photovoltaic manufacturers worry about their leading role due to increasing competition from China and the USA, local research into solar power is in the fast track: Innovations develop rapidly, efficiency records fall constantly.
Researchers Olympus of Germany - more...

Energy from the Print Shop

  Nano solar cells could make photovoltaics unrivalled in price. They manage without expensive semiconductors and can be produced like newspapers in a roll-to-roll procedure:
Energy from the Print Shop - more...

Light-concentrating Solar Modules

  After silicon and thin-film modules, a third solar technology is now entering the market: Systems, which initially intensify the sunlight and then use the concentrated power to produce energy.
Light-concentrating Solar Modules - more...

More Absorbers for Higher Capacity

  Higher efficiencies and lower costs are the objective of the solar industry. Standard cells convert a maximum of approximately just 20 percent of sunlight into energy. Now, engineers have found a way to considerably increase the efficiency:
More Absorbers for Higher Capacity - more...

Electricity Suppliers Discover the Sun

  Produce clean energy with solar power stations – until now this was too uneconomical for traditional energy suppliers. However, the crisis-related decline of module prices is causing them to re-think the matter:
Electricity Suppliers Discover the Sun - more...

Green Light for the Gigafab

  Solar factories as big as car plants – what was still just a bold vision a few years ago, could soon become reality: Experts believe that photovoltaics could develop into one of the most important energy sources.
Green Light for the Gigafab - more...

New Silicon Cells Provide More Energy

  The decrease in sales in the photovoltaic sector has also been beneficial: The solar industry is focusing increasingly on innovations. There are major advances in classic silicon solar cells:
New Silicon Cells Provide More Energy - more...

Enough Glass for Scores of Gigawatts

  In spite of the crisis, the photovoltaic industry is increasing production and therefore requires solar glass en masse—manufacturers are keeping up with the expansion tempo.
Enough Glass for Scores of Gigawatts - more...

Race for the Best Thin Film

  Except for the cadmium telluride technology of the American company First Solar, thin film modules have only been niche products up to now. However, experts are forecasting a boom in the slim-line power generators: Innovations are developing quickly;
Race for the Best Thin Film - more...

The Sun is Rising for Machinery & Plant Manufacturers

  Strong component suppliers have established themselves in the solar manufacturing environment. Thanks to their production technology, photovoltaic factories are becoming more flexible and streamlined.
The Sun is Rising for Machinery & Plant Manufacturers - more...

The Light is in Sight again

  The drop in demand and excess production are causing the prices for solar modules to sink rapidly. The consumer is happy with this development. However, it is causing companies severe hardship: Profits are melting away, bankruptcy is threatening.
The Light is in Sight again - more...

For faster manufacturing of solar modules

  Buerkle, the German equipment maker, presents its Ypsator® at Glasstec 2008. This world novelty, a multi-layer laminating unit significantly increases manufacturing speeds of crystalline solar and thin-layer modules.
For faster manufacturing of solar modules - more...

Innovative technology makes solar power cheaper

  German glass machine manufacturers are announcing that the use of innovative manufacturing technology and the world’s first laminate-free, thin-film solar module will make electricity produced by photo-voltaic systems much more competitive.
Innovative technology makes solar power cheaper - more...

Solar industry needs glass machines

  The growing significance of climate protection and the increasing costs of fossil raw materials have for several years been promoting and accelerating the positive development of the solar energy market.
Solar industry needs glass machines - more...