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April 29, 2009...First Solar, a maker of CdTe solar cells based in Tempe, Arizona USA,
reports that it will supply photovoltaic (PV) modules to Solar Shop Australia, Pty Ltd. (Solar Shop), for a 1 megawatt (MW) DC rooftop project. The solar power system will be installed on six separate buildings at the Adelaide Showground in South Australia. According to First Solar, the installation will be the largest PV installation in the country. The Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia commissioned the rooftop system.
Solar Shop, is an alliance partnership with building and engineering company Build Environs Pty Ltd., will design and construct the 1 MW installation. Construction is anticipated to begin immediately and is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2009. The electricity from the installation will be used predominantly at the Adelaide Showground site, displacing power generated from conventional sources.
First Solar boasts that it has produced 1 gigawatt of its PV modules since beginning commercial production. In addition, First Solar says it has the lowest manufacturing cost in the industry. According to the company, it has reduced its manufacturing costs to a mere 98 cents.
John Carrington, First Solar executive vice president of marketing and business development said, "This project will take one of Australia’s most abundant resources, sunlight, and convert it into clean, affordable electricity."
Carrington added, "Australia’s policy initiatives have set the stage for the growth of affordable renewable energy, and First Solar’s advanced, cost-effective solar technology is a perfect fit."
First Solar News Release
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Science Foundation Arizona Announces $4 Million Investment in Solar
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 29, 2009...The Science Foundation Arizona announced $4 million total funding for 5 solar projects. A portion of the money will also help open the Solar Technology Institute (STI).
STI will collaborate with industry and researchers of the University of Arizona and Arizona State University. Richard Powell and Robert Annan, two industry pioneers will lead STI as co-directors. The Stardust Foundation has also added its financial support.
Researchers at University of Arizona (UA) and Arizona State University (ASU) are collaborating on low-cost solar reflectors that can be used in solar concentrator systems.
Global Solar, General Plasma, Prism Solar, ASU and UA are teaming up to improve thin film solar panel performance. Advalue, All Optronics, Aerospace Corporation, and Nanovoltaix will also collaborate on the project to reduce the cost of electricity from these solar panels.
ASU and UA are working with Tucson Electric Power, and TUV-Rheinland, to expand the ASU Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory to conduct more rapid product certification and testing of solar products, and help developing better performing solar products. Other partners include: Sandia National Laboratories, Reliasoft, Salt River Project, Arizona Public Service, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Spire Solar and Solan AG.
Southwest Solar Technologies, the U.S. Geological Survey, UA and ASU, Simmons, Nanovoltaix, and Eusthatia are developing compressed air solar storage technology for when the Sun is not shining.
Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, ASU and UA will also partner with: Viasol, Bright Source, Creatasoft, and Tucson Electric Power to develop smart electrical grid management software. Science Foundation Arizona News Release NEC Electronics and Renesas to Merge
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 27, 2009...NEC Electronics, Renesas Technology Corp. (Renesas), Hitachi, Ltd., and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation today agreed to enter into negotiations to integrate business operations at NEC Electronics and Renesas. The resulting company will be labeled NEC. NEC Electronics and Renesas provide a wide variety of semiconductor solutions, primarily specializing in microcontroller units (MCUs). NEC notes that it and Renesas have agreed to explore the possibility of business integration in order to further strengthen their business foundations and technological assets while increasing corporate value through enhanced customer satisfaction.
NEC says that it and Renesas will continue to focus on the field of system-on-chip (SoCs) products. NEC Electronics is a leading producer of SoCs for digital consumer electronics, while Renesas is a well established manufacturer of SoCs for mobile phones and automotive applications. NEC says that by reinforcing the each company's respective strengths and development resources the new company will provide globally competitive SoC products.
According to NEC, the integrated company, which will become the world's third-largest semiconductor business,
will reportedly have three major product groups, MCUs, SoCs, and discrete products.
NEC says that it and Renesas will each execute structural reform plans before the merger in order to strengthen their business frameworks. Then, the companies will integrate their operations to achieve synergies and boost profitability. NEC Electronics News Release
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EpiWorks to Add MOCVD Capacity and Double Cleanroom Space
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 27, 2009...EpiWorks, a supplier of 6-inch HBTs based in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois USA, reported that it has begun Phase I of its production facility expansion.
The company indicated that after the expansion it will be able to produce 100,000 6-inch wafers per year. This follows the 2007 Phase I expansion that boosted 6-inch HBT production capacity to over 50,000 wafers per year. The company notes that phase II of its expansion includes doubling its clean-room space and adding MOCVD capacity to produce over 100,000 6-inch wafers/year. EpiWorks reportedly offers 4-inch and 6-inch electronic wafer production and 2-inch, 3-inch, 4-inch, and 6-inch optical wafer production.
"Because we offer leading technology, quality and customer service while focusing on top-tier customers in a variety of markets, we are optimistic about our customers and our future business together. Thus, EpiWorks is now preparing to meet continued demand beyond 2009," said Dr. David Ahmari, Executive Vice President at EpiWorks. Company News Release Ascent Solar Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Bye Aerospace
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 24, 2009...Ascent Solar of Littleton, Colorado USA has reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding with Bye Aerospace to incorporate thin film photovoltaic (PV) technology into aircraft platforms under development.
George Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, commented, “We are planning to utilize multiple sources of energy, and Ascent Solar’s PV technology is an ideal solution for capturing valuable solar energy.” Bye indicated that his company is working in conjunction with its subsidiary company, Bye Energy, Inc., which hopes to adapt alternative energy technology for aviation. “We hope to begin bench testing with Ascent Solar’s thin film PV technology before year end,” Bye said.
Dr. Joseph Armstrong, Chief Technical Officer of Ascent Solar, stated, “Applications such as those being developed by Bye Aerospace are able to utilize the many advantages of our high-performance CIGS on polyimide PV technology such as monolithic integration, low mass and flexibility for conformal installation. These advantages allow our product to adapt to many applications, from aerospace to building integrated PV (BIPV), portable power and consumer electronics, and our work with Bye represents one of many development agreements we have to meet customer needs. Products to support Bye Aerospace will be manufactured from our existing 1.5MW production line.”
Ascent Solar News Release Chinese HB-LED Maker to Use Veeco MOCVD Systems
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 22, 2009...Veeco of Plainview, New York USA, reports that Shandong Raysun Huaguang Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. (Huaguang) of China has qualified Veeco's K465 and E450 MOCVD systems. The optoelectronics company indicated that the gallium nitride (GaN) and arsenic phosphide (AsP) MOCVD systems would be used for high volume production of red and blue high-brightness light emitting diodes (HB-LEDs).
Zheng Tiemin, General Manager of Raysun Huaguang said, "Huaguang is one of the first companies dedicated to the R&D and mass production of LEDs in the Mainland of China. In the past several years, we have gained significant expertise on Veeco's MOCVD systems, and are satisfied with the efficiency and stability of the tools. The LED market is growing quickly, and Veeco will be an important supplier as we expand our LED product line."
Bill Miller, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, General Manager of Veeco's MOCVD Operations commented, "Veeco's TurboDisc® K465(TM) and E450(TM) MOCVD Systems were qualified for production in a short period of time, enabling Huaguang to ramp their production quickly. We are pleased to be supporting Huaguang's volume production needs." Veeco News Release iSuppli Predicts Major Solar Market Decline for 2009
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 22, 2009...Not surprisingly, the solar industry is not immune to the troubled economy.
Market research firm iSuppli Corp, now expects a major decline in the photovoltaics industry in 2009. The company cites massive overcapacity, plunging prices, and weak demand for solar as a consequence of the global economic recession.
The company projects that worldwide PV installations will decline 32 percent from 5.2GW in 2008 to 3.5GW in 2009. iSuppli predicts that revenues from all photovoltaics worldwide will drop to $18.2 billion from $30.5 billion in 2008, an enormous decline of 40.2 percent. iSuppli notes that a 12 percent reduction in the average price per solar watt will also lower revenues.
Dr. Henning Wicht, Senior Director and Principal Analyst for iSuppli, believes the impact will continue into 2010, limiting global revenue growth to 29.2 percent for the year.
Dr. Henning Wicht, senior director and principal analyst for iSuppli commented, "An ever-rising flood of market participants attempted to capitalize on this growth, all hoping to claim a 10 percent share of market revenue by throwing more production capacity into the market. This overproduction situation, along with a decline in demand, will lead to the sharp, unprecedented fall in PV industry revenue in 2009."
The company expects the good will not return until 2011 and beyond. iSuppli News Release Strategy Analytics: GaAs Industry Downturn Not as Bad as 2001
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 20, 2009...Research firm, Strategy Analytics asserts in its report, "GaAs Industry Downturns 2001 vs. 2009," that the downturn in the gallium arsenide (GaAs) industry will not be as severe in 2009 as it was in 2001. The company also reiterates previous projections of a 5-6 percent drop in GaAs revenues.
SA contends that the global economic slowdown finally caught up with the handset market-and other end markets-in which GaAs technology is used.
According to the company, this slowdown lead the GaAs industry to hit a wall in Q4 of 2008. However, Strategy Analytics predicts that the expanding demand for bandwidth coupled with better managed inventory corrections will save the industry from seeing the precipitous 25 percent drop suffered in 2001.
"As we move into the second quarter, the GaAs industry will see an uptick in orders although admittedly, in some cases, it may simply be a restocking exercise," observed Asif Anwar at Strategy Analytics. "However, the pockets of growth that we are seeing support the Strategy Analytics view that excess inventory in the GaAs industry supply chain is not a roadblock to recovery this time."
Mr. Anwar concluded, "Assuming no other surprises from broader global macroeconomics, we should expect to see the market return to growth in the second half of 2009 moving into 2010." Company News Release Our news features are reported
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