LDK Solar Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of multicrystalline solar wafers and PV products, today announced that it has expanded its vertical manufacturing by successfully completing the installation and trial runs of the first production line of solar cells in its newly installed manufacturing facility in Xinyu City.

Rising concerns about the need to reduce CO2 emissions and increase the use of renewable energy sources worldwide will stimulate the global photovoltaic market.

Heraeus Global Business Unit Manager Andy London announced the recently implemented capacity expansion has already resulted in major production enhancements.

Solar module manufacturers are now bracing themselves for further price declines and stiffer competition.

Heraeus has released SOL9383, specifically formulated for n-Type monocrystalline cells. This new silver paste is specially formulated and designed to make excellent contact on P+ surface of N-Type Cells.

The new record-breaking solar cells from ZSW are made of extremely thin layers of copper, indium, gallium and diselenide (CIGS). This saves materials and costs. The new results should significantly improve the cost-effectiveness of CIGS thin-film photovoltaics over the medium term.

Silicon solar cell maker E-Ton Solar Tech incurred net losses of NT$3.011 billion ($91.6 million) for the first half of 2010, equivalent to a net loss per share of NT$12.65.

Aggressive government incentives are set to trigger booming growth in solar installations in Ontario, Canada, in 2010-but regulations requiring the use of locally sourced photovoltaic (PV) products will cause the expansion to slow dramatically in 2011, according to market research firm iSuppli Corp.

Between 2000 and 2009, global PV demand grew at an average annual rate of 51 percent, rising from 170 MW to 7,059 MW. Despite this impressive rate of growth, the past two years have witnessed a fundamental and difficult market shift for manufacturers.

Neo Solar Power recently held a ground-breaking ceremony for a 3.4GWp solar cell production plant, which, when completed, is expected to be the world's largest solar cell facility.

Our European Editor, Pete Starkey, gives an excellent review of the Institute of Circuit Technology's recent symposium held in Birmingham, England. He offers detailed information presented by seven industry experts on topics ranging from the photovoltaics market to the OPCB project currently underway at University College London.

IPC APEX Expo will be bustling with more attendees, more than 300 exhibitors and more ways to discover the latest in electronics manufacturing, including six free educational forums taking place on the show floor.

With new research now available, lead-free implementation issues and solutions will be featured at the IPC APEX Expo Technical Conference, April 6-8, 2010, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As 2010 approaches, I-Connect007's European Editor, Pete Starkey, decided to take a look back at the year's top technical articles--compiling a list of the most popular articles across the site.

Visiting the circuit board section of productronica this year can be likened to visiting an old friend who has not been at all well.

It was surprising for most (for sure, for me) in the audience to hear someone so close to the solar industry express so much cynicism. That's just what Paula Mints, Principal Analyst for market research firm PV Services, which has focused on the solar industry for the past 20 years, delivered to the audience.

President Obama recently stated that the economic recession was at the beginning of its end. He could be correct--the electronics industry may have found its bottom during the first quarter of this year.

The surging interest in printed electronics, from the deeply involved to the mildly curious, has driven the subject to the forefront of corporate consideration. Now, major players in the consumables market have put together dedicated teams to discover what benefits printed electronics can bring to the table.

If you know what the future will bring, you can change it. That was the theme of Herbert Meyer's keynote address as he kicked off the IPC Executive Market Technology Forum at the Gaylord Palms Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

The "cost per watt" wars will roast many of those venturing into solar. The opportunities may seem great on the surface, but they aren't a match for most PCB, PCBA or EMS companies.

Our European Editor, Pete Starkey, gives an excellent review of the Institute of Circuit Technology's recent symposium held in Birmingham, England. He offers detailed information presented by seven industry experts on topics ranging from the photovoltaics market to the OPCB project currently underway at University College London.

Suppliers and manufacturers of photovoltaic cells estimate the total cost of devices can be lowered and that a huge market share can be attained down the road by passing on these savings. The plan looks good on paper; unfortunately, it may never come to fruition.

Materials companies are back to the basics, and are promoting products with minor improvements using existing materials. A few of these include electrically conductive adhesives, an anisotropic conductive paste and photosensitive conductive ink.

NEPCON World is still successful compared to other exhibitions that are not doing so well during this long recessionary period. Why? Could the show be a barometer for the industry and signaling a rebound for the electronics segment?

Numakura considers market research firms to be no better than fortune tellers. He says market research analysts tend to state the obvious--just like a fortune teller--and provide safe answers that are not too far "out there."

As 2010 approaches, I-Connect007's European Editor, Pete Starkey, decided to take a look back at the year's top technical articles--compiling a list of the most popular articles across the site.

Many solar projects share a common problem--high start-up costs. The initial electricity produced has fixed costs that are more than double that of electricity generated by traditional power plants. Engineers are optimistic about the next generation of solar cell technology and expect a significant reduction in cost over the next few years.

I am all for free, reusable and environmentally friendly energy sources. If we can successfully complete heart transplants, aren't we smart enough to come up with some sort of way to harness the energy from the sun?

It was surprising for most (for sure, for me) in the audience to hear someone so close to the solar industry express so much cynicism. That's just what Paula Mints, Principal Analyst for market research firm PV Services, which has focused on the solar industry for the past 20 years, delivered to the audience.

President Obama recently stated that the economic recession was at the beginning of its end. He could be correct--the electronics industry may have found its bottom during the first quarter of this year.

Our European Editor, Pete Starkey, gives an excellent review of the Institute of Circuit Technology's recent symposium held in Birmingham, England. He offers detailed information presented by seven industry experts on topics ranging from the photovoltaics market to the OPCB project currently underway at University College London.

Suppliers and manufacturers of photovoltaic cells estimate the total cost of devices can be lowered and that a huge market share can be attained down the road by passing on these savings. The plan looks good on paper; unfortunately, it may never come to fruition.

Materials companies are back to the basics, and are promoting products with minor improvements using existing materials. A few of these include electrically conductive adhesives, an anisotropic conductive paste and photosensitive conductive ink.

NEPCON World is still successful compared to other exhibitions that are not doing so well during this long recessionary period. Why? Could the show be a barometer for the industry and signaling a rebound for the electronics segment?

Numakura considers market research firms to be no better than fortune tellers. He says market research analysts tend to state the obvious--just like a fortune teller--and provide safe answers that are not too far "out there."

As 2010 approaches, I-Connect007's European Editor, Pete Starkey, decided to take a look back at the year's top technical articles--compiling a list of the most popular articles across the site.

Many solar projects share a common problem--high start-up costs. The initial electricity produced has fixed costs that are more than double that of electricity generated by traditional power plants. Engineers are optimistic about the next generation of solar cell technology and expect a significant reduction in cost over the next few years.

I am all for free, reusable and environmentally friendly energy sources. If we can successfully complete heart transplants, aren't we smart enough to come up with some sort of way to harness the energy from the sun?

It was surprising for most (for sure, for me) in the audience to hear someone so close to the solar industry express so much cynicism. That's just what Paula Mints, Principal Analyst for market research firm PV Services, which has focused on the solar industry for the past 20 years, delivered to the audience.

President Obama recently stated that the economic recession was at the beginning of its end. He could be correct--the electronics industry may have found its bottom during the first quarter of this year.