SEMI and Linx-AEI Consulting announced a new report that delivers detailed insights about growth opportunities in the soaring PV materials market. Materials for cSi and thin film modules is one of the largest and fastest growing markets for suppliers of electronic materials. The new report includes details on the demand for silicon, slurries, gases, wet chemicals, precursors, dopants, and other critical materials.

GT Solar recently released a multi-crystalline ingot growth system -- the DSS650 -- for ingots >600kg used in solar PV applications. In a podcast interview, Jeffrey Nestel-Patt, director of marketing and communications at GT Solar, discusses the redesign strategy to scale the company's ingot growth system.

Russia-based Sun Innovations Company has developed a technology to print solar cells, improving solar panel quality and lowering costs, according to the company.

RPMC announces  the high power disk laser family JenLas disk G80/100, with pulsed 515 nm and M² of 7, from Jenoptik,. Typical applications include: wafer annealing, selective emitter doping, drilling of copper foils, micro welding of copper contact materials, cutting of polyimide materials, and engraving of copper materials.

To meet increasing demand for its Quantum and Solar Gard branded window films and photovoltaic backsheet products, Solar Gard plans to construct a new manufacturing facility in Qingdao, China.

At Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America, taking place March 8-10, 2011 in Tampa, FL, executive directors from North America's leading renewable energy industry associations--including solar, wind, hydro, biomass and geothermal--will discuss federal and state policy and finance issues during a special plenary session.

BTU International (Nasdaq: BTUI) will integrate DuPont Packaging Graphics' catalytic oxidation technology into Tritan metallization firing systems. The technology was developed for abatement of VOCs, originally in DuPont flexographic printing systems, and conserves energy compared to thermal oxidation.

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc. (Varian, NASDAQ: VSEA) secured a $4.8 million grant from the DOE under the Obama administration's SunShot program to develop U.S. solar technologies. The goal of this project is to reduce the cost of manufacturing interdigitated back contact cells.

Suniva's next-generation ARTisun Select series solar cells are in production. These screen-printed cells are achieving conversion efficiencies of 19%+. Suniva attains these efficiencies using a uniform single-sided emitter along with other proprietary innovations on the front side of the cell.

The Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association (SEMA) will hold a March meeting in CA to address the impact of China’s manufacturing model on the global solar manufacturing industry. The technical assessment of China's photovoltaic (PV) industry will offer comparative data on capital cost models, technology, manufacturing efficiency and quality practices.