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Yingli Demos Revamped Ingot Manufacture

Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. has completed trial production of monocrystalline ingots using a carbon-carbon (C-C) composite material. Typically, such ingots are produced using traditional graphite crucibles.

According to Yingli, the production graphite crucibles used in monocrystalline ingot production are prone to cracking during the heating process, resulting in wastage or some percentage of substandard products. C-C composite crucibles, the company says, have higher thermal resistance.

Yingli says transitioning to C-C composite crucibles will reduce the per-unit cost of furnace crucibles, improve the stability of crystal pulling and increase the utilization rate of monocrystalline silicon ingots by approximately 3%. The company estimates that the new material could reduce manufacturing costs by nearly $0.01/W.

Yingli: yinglisolar.com

 

First Solar Hits 21%
Efficiency For Thin-Film

First Solar Inc. claims to have achieved 21.0% efficiency for its new cadmium-telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic research cell, as certified by Newport Corp.’s Technology and Applications Center.

First Solar says the record rating has been documented by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The record exceeds a previous CdTe rating of 20.4% that the company marked in February and also exceeds copper indium gallium diselenide-based solar cells at 20.9% and multicrystalline silicon at 20.4%.

First Solar says its research and development efforts are transferable to its commercially produced thin-film modules, which posted a module efficiency of 14.0% in the second quarter of the year.

First Solar: firstsolar.com

 

Sharp Introduces Energy Management System

Sharp Electronics Corp. has launched its SmartStorage energy management system in California.

Developed in the Camas, Wash.-based Sharp Laboratories of America, SmartStorage is intended to cut utility demand charges for commercial and industrial buildings. SmartStorage operates as a stand-alone system or paired with a solar electric installation.

Over the past 18 months, Sharp says, SmartStorage has undergone quality assurance testing, including a pilot deployment at a commercial building in San Diego.

The system is expected to be rolled out elsewhere in the U.S. in the second half of the year.

Sharp: sharpsmartstorage.com

 

Imergy Flow Batteries Recycled Waste

California-based Imergy Power Systems has developed a process for producing flow batteries with recycled vanadium from mining slag, oil field sludge, fly ash and other forms of industrial waste. The company hopes to use this process to reduce the cost of battery-based energy storage systems.

Imergy says its process enables it to produce flow batteries with vanadium at a 98% purity level that can be harvested from environmental waste sites, as opposed to the 99% purity typically used with mined vanadium. By extracting vanadium from slag, Imergy says it will lower the cost of obtaining and processing the material by 40% relative to competitors.

As a result of this technology and other developments, Imergy says it will be able to lower the cost of its flow batteries from the industry’s current benchmark of $500/kWh to under $300/kWh.

Imergy’s strategy is to work with oil and mining companies to develop a supply of raw materials for its flow batteries. Thousands of tons of vanadium brought to the surface through worldwide petroleum operations every year end up in sludge deposits, the company says. Also, tons of vanadium accumulate in copper mine tailings.

Imergy: imergypower.com

 

ATI Unveils
New Racking Systems

Array Technologies Inc. (ATI) introduced new utility-scale racking for frameless thin-film solar modules on its DuraTrack HZ single-axis trackers. The company says its patent-pending technology is unique in the industry and enables developers to incorporate thin-film photovoltaic modules into their projects using ATI trackers.

ATI has also announced a new utility-scale version of its fixed-tilt DuraRack product. The racking system will now accommodate module installation in the field at 0°. The company says this capability will allow installers to work without ladders on fixed-tilt design configurations.

ATI’s residential division is releasing its DuraRack SP single-pole fixed system, intended for sites with limited available land. The racks can support up to 12 standard 60-cell modules per foundation.

Array Technologies: arraytechinc.com

 

IronRidge Adds
To XR Rail Family

California-based IronRidge Inc. has expanded its XR Rail family of solar mounting products.

Replacing the current XRS and XRL rails, the new line consists of three rail sizes: XR10, XR100 and XR1000. IronRidge says the new rails feature the family’s curved profile shape intended to improve structural performance while reducing material cost.

IronRidge also introduced Slotted L-Feet and T-bolt Grounding Lugs peripherals. The Slotted L-Feet feature a serrated face to enable a high-friction connection to the rail. The T-bolt Grounding Lug mounts in the top slot of the rail in any direction and forms a bond by tightening the nut and washer.

The company has updated its Design Assistant Web-based design tool to support the new products. In addition, Design Assistant now uses the ASCE 7-10 methodology for its structural calculations.

IronRidge: ironridge.com

 

Dow Expands Solar
Shingles Range

Dow Chemical Co. subsidiary Dow Solar is making its Powerhouse solar shingles available commercially in Delaware and Hawaii. The system is already available in 15 other U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Canada.

The company is positioning the solar shingles as an alternative to rack-mounted solar panels for residential rooftop installations.

Dow Solar: dowpowerhouse.com