The TÜV Rheinland confirmed that all PV modules manufactured by Kyocera on the European site production Kadan (Czech Republic) have the right to be marked “Made in Europe”. This certification of the production site is particularly interesting for Italian investors: through directives applicable to the promotion of solar energy, the new Italian tariff regulation “Conto Energia IV”, which came into force on 1 June, is to installers an additional attraction encouraging them to buy solar systems manufactured in Europe.

Be aware that the use of modules marked with “Made in Europe” provides a supply price amounting to 10% more. Kyocera solar modules meet the guidelines and requirements for traceability and identification of plants, as the basis for the bonus.

In addition, since early October, Kyocera announced that the product warranty is now extended to 10 years, double the previous period. This guarantee has been certified by the Japanese Institute JET accordance with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

Indeed, Kyocera makes every stage of manufacture on its own production. This vertical integration ensures a particularly high standard of quality. With effect from 1 October 2011, the product warranty Kyocera modules, distributed in Europe and intended to be connected to the electricity grid, has been doubled from five to ten years. Kyocera also offers a 20 year warranty on the power rating of the modules.

Testing corrosion resistance in salt spray, passed

Finally, as the continued growth and development of photovoltaic technology is becoming more extensive, internationally recognized standards become a guarantee for manufacturers, but also for customers and investors. Kyocera solar modules have now been successfully tested by the “Japan Electrical Safety & Environment Technology Laboratories,” JET. JET certification – the Japanese equivalent of the German TÜV – confirmed the corrosion resistance of photovoltaic modules in salt spray in accordance with IEC 61701. Kyocera solar modules have passed this test successfully.

In May 2011, German researchers at the University of Bayreuth (Bavaria) have developed a method to measure the absorption of light by a molecule, which is a major advance for the field.

In July 2011, the materials scientist Michael Grätzel who received the Award of Excellence from the Gutenberg University of Mainz (Rhineland Palatinate), for his work on photovoltaic cells stained using the principle of photosynthesis. Sunlight is converted by the cell (known by the researcher “Grätzel cell”) into electricity, using organic dyes. The allocation of €20,000 should be used by Swiss-German scientists to continue their research at the university and the laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Finally, the foundation of Baden-Württemberg, a German foundations of the most invested in scientific research, has announced a budget of €3.5 million to support six research projects in the field of Organic photovoltaics. The program “organic cells and cells stained” aims to increase the efficiency of these cells and improve production processes.

A joint project (“Initiative colored cells”) of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg, the University of Ulm and University of Technology and Economics (HTW) in Aalen, was chosen to work also on the quality of the electrolyte. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) for his work on the industrialization of the manufacturing processes of these solar cells, including the inorganic chemistry and nanotechnology. What consolidate orientation towards renewable energy as the foundation of the Land Baden-Württemberg.

Through this new and efficient technology, the cost of a solar PV could be reduced by half, also shortening the period of return on investment.

“Using HyperSolar in the upper layer, manufacturers may use less producing cells in the panels, lowering the cost per watt of electricity,” says HyperSolar. “We believe this is a revolutionary way to manufacture solar panels.”

HyperSolar based his invention in four innovations:

* Micro Hub – An array of small, efficient solar concentrators collect the maximum sunlight during the day from a wide range of angles, without requiring monitoring mechanisms.

* Routing photon of light – An innovative photonic network, built under the Hub, transports light from the collection points to the points of production in the base. This is a very thin layer.

* Separation photon of light – the separation of light in different ranges of the spectrum is achieved by applying innovative techniques in the photonic network, which direct the light to different types of cells at the base.

* Management warming – solar cells only absorb part of the spectrum of light to produce electricity, the rest of untapped light is converted into heat which degrades the cell performance. HyperSolar technology filters and reflects part of the light spectrum not used by sending the maximum usable light inside and avoid therefore the overheating.

Cells thin-film amorphous silicon represent a cheaper alternative to crystalline silicon cells that dominate the market (90% modules sold), but whose production cost is higher. However, their conversion efficiency is much lower (7% to 9% in industrial cons 15% to 20% for crystalline silicon cells). They are currently manufactured by chemical vapor deposition assisted by plasma (method for depositing thin films from a gas). The development of a production method by coating would reduce production costs and thus increase interest in technology.

With this in mind that the team of JAIST and JSR headed by Professor Tatsuya Shimoda, worked to develop a mode of production from liquid silicon. To do this, she first developed a “silicon ink”, by dissolving the polysilane (SiH 2 chain) in a special solvent. She then developed a coating technique that allows to form regular layers and flawless polysilane on a substrate. The heating of these layers is used to extract hydrogen and obtain solid layers of amorphous silicon.

By this technique, the team managed to produce three inks silicon, a pure silicon, boron doped another and a third doped with phosphorus. The successive use of these three inks helped produce a photovoltaic cell with thin film silicon pin type, ie consisting of a positively doped layer (p), a layer of pure silicon (i – intrinsic) and a negatively doped layer (n).

The conversion efficiency of this cell is still low (0.51%). However, researchers believe they can improve performance by increasing the thickness of the intrinsic layer (currently 120 nm against 250 nm for a cell fabricated by chemical vapor deposition).

As reported in a statement, the system is to harness the heat energy accumulated in the pavement by solar radiation, by transporting a fluid through pipes beneath it. This method of energy use could be considered “a solar sensor built into the pavement.”

That system can be implemented on any paved surface exposed to solar radiation, such as roads, parking lots, or airports. Asphalt pavements can become heated to 70 degrees Celsius for days of strong sunlight. Given the large paved surface available energy recovery “has great potential,” said Tecnalia.

Integrating the system developed with thermal storage and heat pump, the accumulated thermal energy can be used in low temperature applications such as air conditioning in buildings, gymnasiums, swimming pools, or hot water.

Another potential application of the system is its use in winter to keep the asphalt temperature above freezing, preventing the formation of ice on roads. “Besides the benefit to road safety, it also decreases the amount of salt used for this purpose,” he detailed.

The system involves a reduction in fossil fuel consumption and a drop in emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, using a renewable energy source. In addition, it reduces the necessary maintenance on roads. Both winter and summer temperature has a strong stable, which reduces the formation of cracks and grooves in the pavement, with a consequent reduction in their maintenance.

The Construction Unit is investigating Tecnalia thermal and mechanical properties of the system through simulations and experimental measurements in order to optimize its configuration in terms of its application. System performance will be studied after the construction of a prototype.

This feature has been imitated by a team of Japanese scientists to create a special coating for photovoltaic cells, which increase the electrical efficiency of these systems in more than 5%.

A team of Japanese scientists has succeeded now mimic the microstructure of this coating to generate a type of film for coating solar cells or solar panels.

In tests, the researchers showed that this film can reduce the amount of light reflected by the solar panels, increase the amount of solar energy captured and, consequently, improve their energy efficiency.

In an article published in Optics Express, the magazine of the U.S. Optical Society (OSA) researchers describe how the film created improved the performance of photovoltaic modules, both in tests in laboratory and field tests conducted in Tokyo (Japan) and Phoenix (Arizona).

According to scientists, these results show that this film could increase the performance of solar cells deployed in large areas of these regions, chosen for the tests have different annual rates of sunshine (Phoenix is a hot city, which receives large amount of direct sunlight each year, while Tokyo falls annually on a high rate of diffuse solar radiation).

Specifically, the researchers estimate that the coating inspired by the sight of the moth could improve the annual efficiency of photovoltaic cells by 6% in Phoenix and 5% in Tokyo.

One of the authors of the study, the scientist at the University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan, Noboru Yamada, said in a statement issued by OSA that “we may assume that this improvement is very small, but the efficiency of  PV systems  is the same as the rates of fuel consumption of vehicles, every bit helps. ”

In any PV module, the emitting surface reflections are an essential loss. The reason is this: When light hits a solar cell can be reflected or absorbed, but only the light that is absorbed to produce electricity, while the reflected light is lost.

Hence the importance of anti-reflective coatings in these systems: the less light it reflects a solar panel produce much electricity.

Yamada, in collaboration with scientists from Mitsubishi Rayon Co. Ltd. and Tokyo Metropolitan University, found his inspiration for this new technology a few years ago, after spending time looking for omnidirectional antireflection structure and broad wavelength nature. The eyes of the moths was the best we found.

Yamada notes that the difficulty lay in developing the technology to design a high performance process for nanoimprint of the film. This problem was finally solved by the scientist Hideki Masuda and colleagues from Mitsubishi Rayon Co. Ltd., which in future will make these coatings on a commercial scale.

Scientists are now working on improving the durability of the film created, and optimize for various types of photovoltaic cells. Furthermore, Yamada and his colleagues believe that this solution could be applied as anti-reflection coating also in windows or computer screens.

This development would be a step in the development of solar energy technology, according to a study published in 2007 by the World Energy Council, will be the 70% of energy consumed worldwide in 2100. According to reports from Greenpeace, the PV can provide electricity to two-thirds of the world population in 2030.

Executives at the office supply giant decided, however, that any method they chose, improve efficiency, change operations, or buy low-carbon energy, the effort also had to make financial sense. At that time, nobody could argue that the purchase of solar panels were a good investment, since capital recovery periods were much higher than today.

But a startup called SunEdison contacted the company and made them an offer they could not refuse, using a financial model that could give solar energy the edge you need to get to provide a significant part of the world’s energy.

Under the plan of SunEdison, Staples would get solar panels on the roofs of their stores with no upfront cost and no monthly fee for the equipment. Instead, Staples agreed to pay to SunEdison a rate preset by power-generating solar panels for a period of more than 20 years. “The conclusion is that we have the option to purchase the solar energy that comes from our rooftops for a price lower than the electricity from the network,” said Mark Buckley, vice president of environmental affairs for Staples.

Currently, Staples has installed about 10 megawatts of solar capacity by more than three dozen sites, the equivalent of approximately 2,000 solar systems in a typical residence. The SunEdison plan benefits go beyond the monthly savings in the cost of electricity from the grid, and also eliminates the typical risks of ownership. Staples does not have to worry that the panels may not work well enough or they are not damaged. “If our solar system is not working properly, then you pay nothing,” said Jigar Shah, founder of SunEdison.

SunEdison is who plays it. “All the risk goes down on a third party, and received the only attribute that probably really want that clean energy is ideally results in a reduction in electricity bill,” said Nathaniel Bullard, a solar energy analyst Bloomberg New Energy Finance. However, as the amount of sunlight in a particular place during a period of 20 years is very predictable, the risk is not as great as it might seem.

This plan also helps Staples to limit its exposure to increases in electricity tariffs and charges of distribution utilities. SunEdison customers pay a rate increase but does so in a predictable and more slowly than it has historically electricity network. Network prices rise along with inflation, according to the Energy Information Administration of the U.S.. However, the pattern may change and may move to raise rates independently, especially if at some point in imposing a regulation on CO2 emissions. “We are thinking about solar energy as a way to provide a defense in the long term price certainty,” says Buckley of Staples.

The model has been running well in the market. SunEdison has installed more than 125 megawatts of solar energy companies such as Anheuser-Busch and Kohl’s and government agencies like the Department of Energy U.S. Thanks to this promising growth, Jigar Shah in 2009 sold for 315 million U.S. dollars SunEdison to MEMC, a manufacturer of semiconductors and solar panels based in Missouri. Shah has moved on and now runs an organization called Carbon War Room, founded by the chairman of Virgin Group, Richard Branson.

SunEdison’s success that has already come out rivals. Solar City, a company headed by the famous entrepreneur Elon Musk, has taken the model one step further by aggressively applying for homeowners and small businesses. The concept may be even more attractive for small businesses than for large, since they are more difficult to attract cheap loans and have less staff to handle the large amount of paperwork required to collect government subsidies. “We have eliminated most barriers to the adoption of solar energy,” says Solar City CEO Lyndon Rive. Thousand employees The company has installed solar panels on more than 10,000 locations, with about 25 major installations in progress at Wal-Mart.

It is clear that solar energy is still far from able to compete with conventional electricity in most markets, especially in places where there is sun and cheap power is available from dams and power stations. However, this financial model has made it easier to attract funding for solar energy. “Right now, there is more money chasing solar energy projects solar energy projects seeking funding,” says Shah. In turn, this could lead to better loan terms and cheaper solar energy that no longer require government incentives.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently carried out a demonstration of several technologies are still at the prototype stage that have been subsidized by the Italian company Eni, engaged in the oil business.

One of them has been a solar cell that has the thickness of a sheet of paper. During the exhibition, one of these cells was able to supply enough energy to power an LED display.

This technology is based on the use of multiple layers of solid material deposited on a substrate of paper, each has a different function from the absorption of light to transport the energy generated through the release of electrons to generate electricity. Power generation can be done, unlike other techniques, at low temperatures.

According to project managers, this technology could be ready for the market within five years. Its use can be extended to a large scope of projects, from its location on roofs, portable enclosures, windows, etc, and it is a non-rigid panels.

Electric vehicle with lithium batteries do not emit CO2, provided that electricity comes from renewables such as wind, solar photovoltaic and solar thermal or thermal. Wind turbines can supply electricity to electric vehicles, which in future will also serve to store and regulate the electricity intermittent wind energy sector.

The European Commissioner for Energy, Günther Oettinger, will open the conference.

The integration of energy markets is seen as a critical element of future energy cooperation in the Mediterranean and between Europe and North Africa.

The potential for electricity generation in desert areas, the demands on the electricity networks of the future and funding issues are also central to the discussions. The socio-economic outlook for the MENA region, and the creation of an appropriate regulatory framework and tools to promote electricity from the desert will also be discussed at the annual conference of Desertec Industrial Initiative (Dii).

“Our goal is to establish a bridge between Africa and Europe using renewable energies. That is why our conference will bring together representatives of all major parties interested in the concept Desertec. This event will provide the ideal forum for open and meaningful dialogue between future-oriented Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. We will discuss all political and economic issues of solar power and wind in the desert and we will discuss, inter alia, the crucial question of how to market in the future this form of electricity at competitive cost, “said Paul van Son, CEO of Dii.

Founded in July 2009, has meanwhile Dii 17 shareholders and 25 content partners. This initiative demonstrates that the international industrial market players are ready to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, sustainable development and begin to generate new business potential.

On October 30, 2009, the Dii was legally founded as a GmbH (limited company) governed by German law.

Composition of shareholders: ABB | Abengoa Solar | Cevital | DESERTEC Foundation | Deutsche Bank | Enel Green Power | E. ON Flagsol | HSH Nordbank | Munich Re | M + W Group | NAREV Holding | Red Electrica de Espana | RWE St. Gobain Solar | SCHOTT Solar | Siemens

Associated Partners: 3M | MCO | Audi | Bearing Point | Bilfinger Berger | Bosch Rexroth | Commerzbank | Concentrix Solar Conergy | Evonik Industries | First Solar | FLABEG | Fraunhofer Gesellschaft | IBM | ILF | Italgen KAEFER | Lahmeyer International | Maurisolaire | Morgan Stanley | NUR ENERGIE | OMV Schoeller Renewables | TERNA ENERGY | TÜV Süd

In addition, Oerlikon Solar has developed a new laboratory cell Micromorph® Champion in collaboration with Corning Incorporated with a stabilized efficiency of 11.9% confirmed by NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory). The two world records reinforce the competitiveness of the technology of silicon thin Micromorph® Oerlikon Solar and confirm its potential.

“Our work could be a breakthrough technology for silicon thin film of Oerlikon Solar,” said Michael Buscher, President and CEO of Oerlikon Group. “We are proud that our new ThinFab offers a highly competitive production line on the solar market and to have confirmed the superior potential of our technology.”

• The new channel ThinFab incorporates a wide range of improvements with a head start on the technology roadmap of Oerlikon Solar:

• The new generation equipment based PECVD, TCO and Laser

• Structures with thinner cell degradation and reduced gas consumption

• A stabilized module efficiency of 10% (143 Wp per module)

• A new module design, low voltage equipment based on a new simplified backbone

The chain ThinFab reduces the payback period of energy modules of silicon thin film less than a year, with the lowest energy production plants photovoltaic sector.

“Our skills are integrated into our new string ThinFab and will change the perception of the technology of silicon thin film. The efficiency of 10% of our modules environmental non-toxic, combined with production costs the lowest ever made, offers entirely new opportunities in the solar sector. On the other hand, our cell champion at 11.9% efficiency stabilized further confirms the potential of the technology of silicon thin film, “says Dr. Jurg Henz, CEO of Oerlikon Solar. “In addition, our technology offers the energy payback time lowest compared to other technologies and crystal is not based on limited resources.

Oerlikon Solar says in conclusion, that these existing customers will benefit many technical improvements and (it) gradually introduce updates, improving performance, performance, and efficiencies of its existing production lines.

The new plant, whose construction was completed in March and whose production line has already been tested, becoming the largest production site of the group in Japan and will be dedicated to the production of polycrystalline solar cells with high efficiency. Indeed, the new plant in Yasu uses a sophisticated production line that will come out of a solar cell efficiency of 16.9%, one of the world’s highest for cells produced in large numbers.

In combination with the existing plant Kyocera Shiga Yohkaichi, also in Japan, the new plant should contribute to achieving the annual target of producing 1 GW of solar cells that Kyocera has set for March 2013.

In Japan, the market for solar energy for individuals has grown through the reintroduction of state subsidies for photovoltaic electricity last year, and a doubling of the purchase price of surplus property energy. In the U.S., the required rate of renewable energy (Renewable Portfolio Standard, RPS) are in force in some regions and, with the return of the application, a future market growth is expected. If, on the other hand, the European market earlier high growth rates have been reduced purchasing guaranteed in July in Germany , Kyocera, however, presupposes that countries such as France and Italy will take the baton and help grow the global market for solar energy.

According to the idea that the more heat, the less efficient photovoltaic solar panels tend to be, researchers have developed a process known as photon enhanced thermionic emission, or PETE, who theoretically could use waste heat to improve photovoltaic efficiency up to 50 percent.

PETE solar cell unites in one component quantum mechanism of solar cells, where the photons excite the electrons, with the thermal mechanism, which uses concentrated sunlight as a source of energy to produce electricity indirectly through a heat engine.

Scientists who tested cesium gallium nitride coated PETE device inside a vacuum chamber are also studying other conductive materials such as gallium arsenide.

Many photovoltaic solar cells become less effective under conditions of greater than 100 degrees Celsius. But Pete reaches its maximum efficiency in more than 200 ° C, the researchers said. This bodes well for the potential of PETE and solar concentrators, such as parabolic trough collectors.

The country has thus be given a grant of 100 million dollars from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for the construction of a solar power plant with a capacity of 100 MW at Kom Ombo, north of Aswan.

A total cost of about $500 million financed by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, the central sun meets the objective of the Egyptian government is to produce 20% of its energy from renewables in 2020.

Egypt is one of the leading African countries in terms of developing clean energy. It is currently developing a solar power project in partnership with the Desertec group with a power of 150 MW and with nearly 2000 sensors.

Investments of Egypt in the field of energy designed to support its demand for electricity driven by sustained global economic growth (+4.7% growth in 2009 and +5.8% in Q1 2010).

The Association of European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA), in collaboration with Solar Design-Build held recently in Madrid, in the Ministry of Housing, under the framework of the Solar Decathlon, a day aimed at explaining the integration of PV in buildings, which have addressed both the latest market trends in this sector and the regulatory framework and economic force in Spain and other European countries. The day had more than 170 participants, among them architects, installers and representatives of the renewable energy industries and construction.

The integration of photovoltaic solar energy in buildings offers enormous potential for development, both the photovoltaic industry and the various sectors of the construction as well as photovoltaic systems to help improve the energy performance of the building and person electricity production, serve the same function as the traditional materials used in construction as thermal and noise insulation, protection against weather, change of light, etc.

During the day, Virgilio Navarro, Vice President and CEO of EPIA ATERSA, explained that “Spain has a unique opportunity to develop the market for building integrated photovoltaic systems, which also contribute to the achievement of the decentralized nature of the generation of Photovoltaics allow the stimulation of thousands of jobs secured, the local economy, which many would benefit from the construction industry.”

Adel El Gammal, EPIA General Secretary, explained that “it is necessary to introduce favorable conditions throughout Europe to support the widespread deployment of systems integration of photovoltaics in buildings and will have a major impact on the future development of the same in Europe. From 2012 onwards, the EU Member States have to transpose the recently adopted Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings which stipulates that by 2020 all new buildings will be energy consumption buildings near zero. Photovoltaic solar energy will be a key technology to achieve a goal so crucial and ambitious.”

The 1263 photovoltaic modules not only generate electricity, but provide the added value of improved insulation and heat balance of the building. In this hotel semitransparent modules have been used, manufactured using thin film technology in which solar cells are integrated into the laminated glass, which have been installed along the front line. Have overlapped one over the other and are attached by a hidden mechanical elements.

“The whole maintains an aesthetically pleasing, modern, suitable for an urban site, without overwhelming the park annex and excess contrast in the outskirts of Pamplona’s old town,” explains Jose Luis Arranz, Director of Production of the installation company, Acciona Facilities.

Once the installation on the main facade, is planned to install other modules 674 on the rear facade of the building.