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Solar Magazine

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Georgia Power Green Energy program modified to include more solar

GPSC Chair Lauren
GPSC Chair Lauren "Bubba"
McDonald

On April 20th, 2010, the Georgia Public Service Commission approved changes to Georgia Power's (Atlanta, Georgia, US) voluntary "Green Energy" program that will purchase more electricity generated by solar photovoltaics (PV) on behalf of certain customers. Georgia Power customers who chose the “Premium Green Energy” option will now get 50% solar energy in 100kWh blocks for an additional charge of per month, instead of 10% solar energy for a charge of .50 per month. The Georgia Public Service Commission under the leadership of Chairman Lauren “Bubba” McDonald requested this modification to the program at its February meeting, and the changes will go into affect June 1.   "With the latest changes in our Green Energy program we hope to make solar energy more attractive to our customers", said Angela Strickland, Georgia Power's director of Energy Efficiency and Conservation. "The new mechanism we've developed will ensure that we're keeping pace with customer demand for solar in a cost-effective manner." The program includes an accompanying tariff, which pays USD${CONTENT}.17/kWh to solar producers. with as much solar purchased as other customers pay for. For every 219 blocks of Green Energy that are purchased, Georgia Power will now purchase 100kWh of solar energy. The remainder of the power purchased through the program will come from landfill gas.




Advocates say program has larger deficiencies

Advocates of renewable energy in Georgia say that the increase in the proportion of solar is a positive direction, but that the program itself has problems. "(Increasing the amount of solar) is a good step to take, but there are some long-term concerns that the program is not set up in a way that it is going to be successful", said Mary Carr Bendeck, renewable energy coordinator at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "The fact that there are multiple options in the program for purchasing power, whether you want biomass or biomass plus solar is a little confusing for the customer. They are not looking at solar as a significant resource for the future. Integrating (solar) into the larger mix, and not just having a smaller program, a pilot program, is the way it should be headed."


A weak program in an underdeveloped region for solar

Voluntary policies such as the Green Energy program are favored by Southern utilities, which are heavily dependent upon nuclear power and fossil fuel generation, as weaker and less binding mechanisms than either mandatory renewables targets or feed-in tariffs. The Deep South is also a region with an underdeveloped solar industry. There are no large-scale solar installations in a band of states stretching from South Carolina to Louisiana, which also rank among the lowest in the nation for overall PV installed by watt, and no large solar companies have yet invested in the region.

A prime cause of this lack of investment is weak policies to encourage solar and other renewable energy industries. While Georgia has tax incentives for the purchase of solar power systems by both commercial and residential customers, the state has resisted passing a renewable portfolio standard (RPS), which would require electric utilities to purchase an increasing amount of their power from renewable sources. Louisiana is currently investigating an RPS policy, similar to those adopted by 29 US states and the District of Columbia, which would make it the first state in the Deep South to do so.

Despite these weaknesses, solar holds great promise for Southern states. The South has hot summers, and the greatest power needs in the region come from cooling loads, which peak at the same time as solar installations are producing the most power. However, Southern utilities have traditionally overlooked this advantage of solar energy, preferring instead to meet power with backup generation facilities, often inefficient natural gas units.


Southern Company and solar power

Georgia Power is a subsidiary of Southern Company, which has 4.4 million customers in four Southern states and is considered among the most hostile utilities in the country to solar generation. Despite this traditional animosity, Southern Company has of late been investing in solar power, though either at a small scale or away from their service area.

In March 2010, Southern Company jointly invested in a 30MW solar PV facility under construction in New Mexico. Georgia Power has additionally put a solar test project on the roof of their headquarters.

2010-04-30   Courtesy: Georgia Power   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: GPSC

 

Innovalight announces new record with silicon ink solar PV cells, achieves 19 % conversion efficiency

Silicon ink processed solar cells by Innovalight
Silicon ink processed solar cells
by Innovalight

Innovalight, Inc. (Sunnyvale, California), a privately-held company selling a platform of silicon ink-based high efficiency solar photovoltaic (PV) cell materials and technology, on April 27th, 2010 announced that the company had achieved a new record of 19 % conversion efficiency with silicon ink processed solar cells. The conversion efficiency of a solar cell is the proportion of sunlight energy that a cell converts to electrical energy. According to the press release, Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE; Freiburg), an official independent solar cell testing center, also measured Innovalight's industry standard size cells.   The company's proprietary platform, dubbed "Cougar", reportedly offers a readily transferable process to crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell manufacturers that allows them to improve solar cell performance, reduce cost and boost output capacity by adding a simple step to already installed manufacturing lines.


Company ramps production of silicon ink, targets to exceed 20 % conversion efficiency in the future

"We continue to push toward our goal of delivering over 20 % conversion efficiency to our customers", said Dr. Homer Antoniadis, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Innovalight. "Our patented solar cell process with silicon ink is simple and optimized for use with silicon wafers and widely adopted industry printing tools." Dr. Antoniadis is to present the recent test results at the 2010 SNEC 4th International Photovoltaic Power Generation Exhibition and Conference, which is scheduled to take place from May 5th to 7th in Shanghai, China. Innovalight reports that it is currently collaborating with several solar cell manufacturers and that it is ramping the production of silicon ink in Sunnyvale. In February, the company was awarded a key patent by the U.S. patent and trademark office for the manufacturing of crystalline wafer solar cells with silicon ink. Innovalight has reportedly filed for over 60 patents for silicon ink and high efficiency solar cells using silicon ink processes.

2010-04-30   Courtesy: Innovalight, Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Innovalight, Inc.

 

Aide Solar opens new 140MW photovoltaic production facility in Xuzhou, China

The new Aide production facility in Xuzhou, China
The new Aide production facility in Xuzhou, China

On April 26th, 2010, solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer Jiangsu Aide Solar Energy Technology Company Ltd. (Xuzhou, China) announced the opening of a new 140MW solar cell and PV module production facility. The plant covers one million square feet and brings Aide Solar's annual production up to 350MW. The facility will produce poly and mono crystalline PV modules, and includes 12 solar cell production lines.   Aide solar, a subsidiary of the Panjit Group, was established in 2003 an on own account employs 1,184 persons worldwide. "The widespread adoption of solar power continues to gain traction globally, and has increased in importance as a viable source of renewable energy", said Aide Solar Chairman Jason Fang. "The opening of this facility is a demonstration of Aide Solar’s commitment to expanding our success by providing highly reliable and cost-effective solar products to meet that increasing global demand."


Betting on the US market

Aide Solar markets its solar cells and modules to an expanding US market. The United States represented 7% of global photovoltaic installations by watt in 2009, and while future growth is expected, the rate of that growth will be influenced by federal policies which are in turn dependent upon the uncertain landscape of US national politics. "We see the U.S. as presenting an explosive long-term growth opportunity for solar power”, said Aide Solar U.S.A. North America Sales Director Raymond C. Wiley. “Solar generated power is the only alternative energy technology that can be deployed and scaled to meet demand requirements in the shortest amount of time. The additional module production capacity from our new facility in China will allow us to respond to the high volume, rapid growth requirements that Aide Solar is seeing in the U.S. and around the world."

2010-04-30   Courtesy: Aide Solar   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Aide Solar

 

Photovoltaics in the Czech Republic: Premier Power expands with 19 MW EPC and joint venture agreement with Plaan Czech

Ground mounted PV systems by Premier Power
Ground mounted PV systems by Premier Power

Premier Power Renewable Energy, Inc. (Premier Power; El Dorado Hills, California), a global provider of development, design, engineering and construction of solar power systems for commercial, government and utility markets, on April 27th, 2010 announced an agreement to develop photovoltaic (PV) projects in the Czech Republic. Premier Power reportedly entered into a joint venture with Plaan Czech s.r.o. (Kromeriz, Czech Republic) to develop 19 MW of solar PV plants throughout what the company believes to be one of the 'hottest' solar markets in the world.   According to the press release, the first 3 MW include the Jarsov (2 MW) and Verovice (1 MW) plants, which are slated to begin construction immediately. The projects are reportedly being realized for local investors, and they are scheduled for completion by July 2010.


Czech FITs among most generous in the world, country believed to be one of the "hottest" solar markets

Premier Power and Plaan Czech are to act as co-developers and engineering, procurement and constructions (EPC) partners on all projects under the agreement. Dean R. Marks, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Premier Power, said: "With among the most generous feed-in tariffs in the world, the Czech Republic is quickly becoming one of the hottest solar markets in the world today. We believe we are perfectly positioned to capitalize on its growth as a result of Premier Power's proven capabilities on the European continent, and our joint development agreement with Plaan Czech." He added that Premier Power's expansion into the Czech Republic fits with the company's strategy to establish a strong presence in those European markets where governments have recognized and are promoting alternative energy, and in particular solar power.

Companies to deliver engineering, installation and asset management services to collective customers

Petr Marek, President of Plaan Czech, said: "Plaan Czech is committed to the development of solar projects throughout the Czech Republic through the utilization of best practices. Plaan Czech and Premier Power, working collectively, will be able to offer industry leading engineering, installation and asset management to our collective customers." Alexis Issaharoff, Vice President, Business Development with Premier Power, explained that the Czech Republic's feed-in tariff (FIT) is currently 0.48 Euro per kilowatt hour (kWh), making it a higher FIT than in most other European markets. "While their feed-in tariff for 2011 is expected to decrease approximately five percent, the Czech Republic will continue to be one of the most promising markets in the world for 2011", Issaharoff concluded.

2010-04-30   Courtesy: Premier Power Renewable Energy, Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Premier Power Renewable Energy, Inc.

 

PV production technology provider Manz Automation AG publishes preliminary 3-month figures for 2010

Manz Automation AG (Reutlingen, Germany), one of the world’s leading technology providers for the photovoltaic (PV) and flat panel display (FPD) industries, recorded revenues of € 21.3 million in the first quarter of 2010 according to preliminary figures (previous year: € 16.5 million). At the same time, the Manz Group recorded total operating revenue of € 34.3 million, compared to € 21.3 million in the same period of the previous year. This figure is thus up by around 61% year-on-year. In the first three months EBIT totaled € -3.3 million (previous year: € -5.0 million).   The loss was lower in earnings before taxes (EBT) at € -3.2 million due to the positive financial result, compared to € -4.9 million in the same period of the previous year. This results in consolidated net income for the period of € -2.7 million (previous year: € -4.7 million). The cash flow from operating activities totaled € -8.0 million in the period under review (previous
year: € 5.25 million).


New orders with a volume of more than € 59.6 million

Since the start of the fiscal year, Manz Automation on own account has been able to acquire orders with a volume of more than € 59.6 million, taking the current order book to € 87.3 million. The new orders are not yet reflected in the figures for the first quarter, however they will lead to significant improvements in revenues and earnings during the course of the year, the company emphasizes. Irrespective of this, the company continues to have a very solid balance sheet structure to finance its future growth. The equity ratio on the balance sheet date totaled 79.9%, and the company had cash and cash equivalents of around € 73.3 million on the reporting date.

As a result of the improved operating business, the Managing Board is forecasting revenues to lift by at least 50% year-on-year for 2010 as a whole (total revenues in 2009: € 85.9 million). Depending on the further developments on the market, in particular for thin-film photovoltaic technology, the Managing Board believes that there is potential to even exceed these targets.

Dieter Manz, Manz Automation AG’s CEO, describes the positive outlook on the market for Manz: "We are confident about fiscal year 2010. In particular the up-and-coming FPD market in Asia is highly promising. Our new products for the solar industry are also meeting with excellent feedback from our customers, as they offer manufacturers highly effective solutions to deal with increasing cost pressure."

The full report for the first three months of 2010 will be published on May 11th, 2010 and can be downloaded from the company's website in the Investor Relations section.

2010-04-30   Courtesy: Manz Automation AG   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Mercury Solar Systems partners with NREL to advance solar energy research

PV panels by Mercury Solar Systems
PV panels by Mercury Solar Systems

Mercury Solar Systems (Port Chester, New York), one of the leading solar integrators on the U.S. East Coast, on April 22nd, 2010 announced that it has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to advance solar energy research. Mercury Solar Systems is to build a solar test-bed, the first solar photovoltaic (PV) testing facility in the Northeast, from which NREL is to extract data for its own long-term research.   The 81 kilowatt (kW) solar PV system will reportedly consist of several hundred panels from eight different manufacturers. It is expected to generate 90,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean electricity each year. Mercury Solar reports that this is equivalent to about 75 % of the building's annual electricity needs. The system is to also incorporate a hybrid PV/solar hot water system.


Testing facility for different solar PV panels to yield valuable performance data

The solar test-bed system is to be constructed on the roof of Mercury Solar Systems' corporate headquarters in Westchester County (New York), and it is expected to be operational by the end of the summer. "Our partnership with NREL will help validate panel performance for the entire solar industry", said Lloyd Hoffstatter, Vice President of Engineering with Mercury Solar Systems. "Combining several different solar panels into one system is an innovative approach to evaluate and monitor panel performance. It will also give us quantifiable engineering data to design, construct and integrate the most state-of-the-art solar energy systems for our customers, giving us a significant edge over other firms in this industry." NREL's Senior Engineer Ryan Smith added that he believes that the partnership with Mercury Solar will supply useful information to help evaluate solar panel performance in the Northeast.

Innovation in energy technologies believed to be critical for New York State's long-term wellbeing

According to the press release, a grant from The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will help finance the project. "At NYSERDA we believe innovation is critical to the long-term success of our State's energy, economic, and environmental wellbeing", said Francis J. Murray, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NYSERDA. "We commend NREL and Mercury Solar Systems for taking on this initiative as it will not only help the industry progress but increase the number of high efficiency solar systems in the market, producing more clean energy for our residents."

2010-04-30   Courtesy: Mercury Solar Systems   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Mercury Solar Systems

 

PV producer First Solar agrees to acquire NextLight Renewable Power, LLC

NextLight with Tracking Photovoltaic Technology
NextLight with Tracking Photovoltaic Technology

First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Ariz.) and NextLight Renewable Power, LLC on April 28th, 2010 announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for First Solar to acquire NextLight, a leading developer of utility-scale solar projects in the southwestern United States. The acquisition includes a 1,100 megawatt (MW) solar project pipeline, further solidifying First Solar's position as a leader in the U.S. utility renewable power market. The acquisition of NextLight includes 570MW (AC) under signed power purchase agreements with western utilities, increasing First Solar's contracted photovoltaic (PV) solar project pipeline to 2,200MW and 530MW (AC) of additional PV projects in various stages of development, First Solar reports in a press release.   NextLight's projects, ranging in size from 30MW to 290MW, expand the scope and diversity of First Solar's pipeline. The projects are largely located on private land.


Power development experience and discipline for the emerging utility-scale solar industry

"NextLight has assembled a project pipeline that very much complements First Solar's project portfolio. We are looking forward to having the highly experienced NextLight team join First Solar", said Rob Gillette, First Solar chief executive officer. "The combination of NextLight and First Solar brings best-in-class power development experience and discipline to the emerging utility-scale solar industry. We look forward to joining the First Solar organization and leveraging their expertise to deliver high-quality solar generation to our customers", said Frank De Rosa, NextLight chief executive officer.

The transaction represents another strategic step in First Solar's expansion in the U.S. utility-scale power market, which began in 2007 with the acquisition of Turner Renewable Energy and continued with the acquisitions of solar project pipelines from OptiSolar in 2009 and Edison Mission Group in 2010. "Success in today's competitive solar market requires a complete solution for our customers' renewable energy needs", said Gillette. "First Solar is uniquely positioned to deliver utility scale solar power plants including project development, module manufacturing, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), project finance expertise and operations and maintenance."

First Solar will acquire NextLight in an all-cash transaction that is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2010, pending the satisfaction of certain closing conditions specified in the merger agreement. Total consideration for the transaction is approximately 5 million, subject to certain closing adjustments as provided in the merger agreement.

2010-04-29   Courtesy: First Solar, Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: NextLight Renewable Power, LLC

 

American Businesses for Clean Energy calls on US Senate to move forward on energy bill

Senator John Kerry, co-author of the new climate and energy bill
Senator John Kerry, co-author of the
new climate and energy bill

On April 26th, 2010, advocacy group American Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE) released a statement calling on the US Senate to move forward with comprehensive climate and energy legislation. The statement references the bill by Senators Graham, Kerry and Lieberman which would cap carbon emissions and provide for CO2 disincentives. The bill was planned to be released on April 26, 2010, but Senator Graham has threatened to pull out over a conflict with Democratic Party legislative priorities.  The statement reads:

"The American Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE) strongly urge the U.S. Senate to continue its efforts to move forward with a comprehensive climate and energy bill as soon as possible. American businesses, large and small, are urging Congress to act in order to make the United States a world leader in clean energy technology, reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources, and create millions of new jobs. Senators Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman have been working diligently to craft a bill that will have bipartisan support. This is a critical moment in the legislative debate. Now, is the time for Senate leadership and its members to act."


Business advocacy group heavy on utility support

ABCE speaks on behalf of 3,070 American and multinational companies. Among its members are some of the larger utilities in the nation, including Calpine Corporation (Houston, Texas), which has customers in 16 states and 76 power plants, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (San Francisco, California), which serves 15 million customers, FPL Group (Juno Beach, Florida), owner of Florida Power and Light and NextEra Energy Resources, and Exelon Corporation (Chicago, Illinois), which owns and operates 19 nuclear reactors at 11 sites. Other large members include GAP, Inc. and Warner Music Group.

A large number of solar companies are also members of ABCE. The organization states that it does not develop detailed policy proposals or evaluate specific proposals, leaving that role to other organizations.


Status of climate and energy bill

The Graham-Kerry-Lieberman bill is the latest attempt to regulate carbon and draft a comprehensive energy bill, after the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) passed the US House of Representatives only to die a quiet death in the US Senate in late 2009. Large oil companies, which are some of the largest companies in the world by gross sales, coal companies, many utilities and large manufacturers led the opposition to the bill, which also came under fire by some environmental groups for having too many give-aways to oil and nuclear interests.

The bill was strongly opposed by congressional Republicans, who have maintained party discipline in opposing many of President Obama's policies, but also by the “Blue Dog” Democrats, some of whom, like Senator Mary Landrieu, are heavily funded by oil interests.

The Graham-Kerry-Lieberman bill is co-authored by a Democrat (Kerry) a Republican (Graham) and an Independent (Lieberman), but that delicate compromise may not survive Senator Graham's threat to abandon the bill if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid does not drop a plan for immigration reform.


Compromises in the Graham-Kerry-Lieberman bill

The Graham-Kerry Lieberman bill is advertised as being more of a compromise than ACES, and is said to contain many “sweeteners” for nuclear companies, petroleum interests and manufacturers. The bill represents a system for capping greenhouse gas emissions in both utilities and transport, and aims for a 17% reduction in carbon emissions in 10 years. However, manufacturing and energy-intensive industries would get the first four years for free, and the bill would provide USD billion for the coal industry to capture and store its emissions, as well as loan guarantees and incentives for the construction of 12 nuclear power plants.

The US nuclear industry is aiming for a renaissance following more than thirty years where no nuclear reactors have been constructed, and may be the greatest beneficiaries of this legislation.


Bill sent to EPA

On April 28, 2010, the bill was sent to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for modeling, an important step for providing more information about potential carbon reduction, costs to consumers and how much the bill will help renewable energy industries. In four to six weeks the EPA will release their report.

2010-04-29   Courtesy: ABCE; Calpine website; Exelon; FPL; PG&E   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Senator Kerry

 

DuPont Corporation anticipates its PV sales to grow 50% this year

DuPont PV encapsulants and resins
DuPont PV encapsulants and resins

On April 28th, 2010 DuPont Corporation (Wilmington, Delaware, US) announced that it expects its solar photovoltaic (PV) product sales to increase more than 50% this year, as a result of strong market demand in Europe, North America and Asia. The company further announced that it expects sales into the PV market to exceed USD billion in 2011, a year ahead of schedule. DuPont has set a new goal to exceed USD billion in these sales by 2014.   "We have seen strong demand that has led us to continue our trend of growing faster than the market due to several successful new product introductions and share gains based on a strong portfolio of materials-based offerings to global photovoltaic cell and module manufacturers”, said DuPont Electronics and Communications President Dave Miller. “We expect our growth momentum to continue because materials innovations are essential to delivering improved efficiency, longer lifetimes, and lower overall system costs to consumers."


Continuing a history of product innovations

Chemical products giant DuPont has been developing materials for the PV industry for 25 years, and manufacturers a wide range of products, including both components of modules and materials for the manufacturing process. DuPont product lines that include frontsheets, backsheets, PV encapsulants, PV metalizations, thin-film substrates for both CIGS and amorphous silicon modules, junction box and structural component materials, and seals for cell manufacturing equipment. The company has long been a leader in the plastics industry, registering a patent for Teflon in 1945 and developing Kevlar in 1965.

On April 21st, 2010, DuPont won the Queen's Award for Enterprise for their photovoltaic metalizations and on April 22 announced the development of a new PV encapsulant developed with Oerlikon Solar (Trubbach, Switzerland).

2010-04-29   Courtesy: DuPont   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: DuPont

 

Inverter manufacturer Solar Bridge announces USD million in new funding

Solar Bridge CEO Ron Van Dell
Solar Bridge CEO Ron Van Dell

On April 26th, 2010, micro-inverter manufacturer Solar Bridge Technologies (Austin, Texas, US) announced that it has secured USD million in new venture funding. Rho Ventures led the series B round of funding, which brings the total the company has raised to date to USD million, including USD.5 million from the state of Texas through the Texas Emerging Technology Fund in March 2010. Solar Bridge says the new funding will enable it to finalize testing and certification, deploy additional beta sites, increase production and expand staffing.   "The interest that our integral, alternating current photovoltaic (ACPV) solution and monitoring system has generated in the investment community is a direct reflection of the significant opportunity we have in the solar market", said Solar Bridge CEO Ron Van Dell. "Our microinverter will dramatically reduce the LCOE for solar installations by improving system reliability, increasing energy production and simplifying the installation process."

Battery Ventures, which participated in Solar Bridge's series A funding, also participated in the series B round. Additionally, the company announced that Joshua Ruch, founder and managing partner of Rho Ventures, will now be on the Solar Bridge Board of Directors.


Competition among micro-inverter manufacturers and technologies

Micro-inverters have become a popular improvement on traditional centralized inverter architecture, which is susceptible to series losses from shading and other factors, whereby losses on one panel will decrease the power output of the entire system. Micro-inverter maker Enphase led the field after shipping their first micro-inverter in 2008, and now a host of other companies and technologies are rising to take advantage of the new market.

Micro-inverter and related technology companies have had a strong Spring. On March 30, 2010 low-voltage inverter maker Sunergy, whose inverters also avoid the serial power losses, achieved the necessary certification to enter many European markets. On the same day Enphase announces that it was rolling out a new product line for the market in Ontario, Canada, and expected to ship 500,000 of its new micro-inverters in the first year alone.

2010-04-29   Courtesy: Solar Bridge; Enphase; Sunergy   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Solar Bridge

 

PV production: GT Solar releases new ingot growth furnace

GT Solar's DSS450HP
GT Solar's DSS450HP

Specialized production equipment manufacturer GT Solar International, Inc. (Merrimac, New Hampshire, US) on April 26th, 2010 released a new high-performance ingot growth furnace, the DSS450HP. The company says the new units have a faster ingot growth rate, resulting in 15% more throughput than the previous DSS450 model. New units begin shipping this month, which the company expects to be installed at customer sites beginning in May.   "Our DSS450HP furnace delivers a new level of performance that lowers the cost of PV manufacturing by further decreasing cycle times in the ingot growth process", said GT Solar President and CEO Tom Gutierrez.



Field upgrade kit for users of previous models

The new units also have a thermally optimized, second generation hot zone, which the company says improves throughput while maintaining ingot quality. GT Solar also notes that the DSS450HP uses less energy than older models. Users of the DSS450 and DSS240, previous models, can upgrade to the DSS450HP with a field upgrade kit. "We designed the new system so current DSS240 and DSS450 customers can easily migrate to the new platform, which underscores our commitment to protecting our customers’ investment in GT Solar DSS equipment", notes Gutierrez.
Over 1,300 of GT's DSS units are currently in use in photovoltaic (PV) wafer manufacturing operations, the company emphasizes.

2010-04-29   Courtesy: GT Solar   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: GT Solar

 

Panda and ConEdison to collaborate on utility-scale solar farms

On April 22nd, 2010 Panda Energy International Inc. (Dallas, Texas, US) and Consolidated Edison Development (ConEdison, New York, New York, US) announced that they have signed an agreement to develop, construct and operate utility-scale solar plants in the Northeastern United States. The first projects under the agreement will be two 15-20MW solar farms.   "We are very pleased to form a strategic alliance with one of the oldest and largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States", said Todd Carter, president of Dallas-based Panda Energy International Inc. "ConEdison brings a substantial market presence, long-standing operations expertise and a wealth of resources to the table. We look forward to working with them to help deliver clean, renewable energy to the mid Atlantic and New England areas of the country. "

Under the agreement, Panda Energy will manage the development, engineering and construction of the projects, and ConEdison will manage operation, maintenance and finance. ConEdison will also market the solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) and the electricity generated by the plants. No location has been chosen at this time for the two plants.

Consolidated Edison Development is a subsidiary of utility Consolidated Edison, which serves more than three million customers in New York City and Westchester County, New York. Consolidated Edison is one of the larger utilities in the nation, and generates more than USD million in revenues annually.

2010-04-29   Courtesy: Panda Energy   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Stuttgart solar researchers bring a PV world record to Germany; ZSW produces thin-film solar cell with 20.1% efficiency

An insight of ZSW's clean room
An insight of ZSW's clean room

With an efficiency of 20.1 percent, scientists at the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg, Germany (Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research, ZSW) have set a new world record for thin-film solar cells. The record-breaking solar cell, made of copper, indium, gallium and selenium - or CIGS for short - was produced in the ZSW research laboratory in Stuttgart. This breakthrough in materials development should significantly improve the cost-effectiveness of CIGS thin-film photovoltaics over the medium term.   With this success the Baden-Württemberg researchers have brought a world record to Germany: The US research institute NREL has held this record for 16 years.



Applied research at the ZSW, production development by industrial partner Würth Solar

"This record is for thin-film technology in general and not just CIGS solar cells", says Dr. Michael Powalla, Member of the Board and Head of the Photovoltaics Division at ZSW. "It is the result of continuous systematic research which has been supported for years by the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economics and the European Community. A major factor in achieving this top position was the close cooperation between basic research at the university, applied research at the ZSW, and production development at our industrial partner Würth Solar."


0.5 square centimeters world record cell

The area of the world record cell is 0.5 square centimeters. The solar cell was produced in a CIGS laboratory coating plant using a modified co-evaporation process, which in principle can be scaled up to a commercial production process. The solar cell consists of the semiconducting CIGS layer and contact layers. It has a total thickness of only four thousandths of a millimeter. The electrical and optical properties must be exactly matched when manufacturing the cell - a process that is extremely difficult to master. The Fraunhofer ISE in Freiburg, Germany has confirmed the new results.


Increased efficiency of CIGS solar cells to be commercially utilized

Higher efficiencies improve the electrical power output and thus the financial returns delivered by photovoltaic systems. "Further up-scaling for industrial application is the next development step," says Michael Powalla. However, it would take a while before the increased efficiency of CIGS solar cells can be commercially utilized.

Solar cells convert sunlight into electricity. They are a key technology for providing a climate-friendly energy source. Compared to standard crystalline silicon solar cells, thin-film photovoltaic cells save materials and costs since their active layers are only a few micrometers thick. The market share of thin-film photovoltaics has increased from 7 to around 17 percent over recent years. There are three basic variants of thin-film solar technology (amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, and CIGS), with CIGS thin-film technology offering the highest efficiency.


Great potential of CIGS technology

Commercially available CIGS modules currently range from 10 to 12 percent efficiency. A complete module always has a lower total efficiency than a single solar cell. The new efficiency record shows the great potential of CIGS technology for lower-cost, efficient photovoltaic systems. Michael Powalla assumes that efficiency levels of up to 15 percent can also be achieved in commercial modules within the next few years.

The ZSW is an international leader in the development of CIGS thin-film modules. Together with the company Würth Solar, the institute has advanced this technology to enable industrial production. In 2006, Würth Solar launched the world’s first mass production of CIGS solar modules in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. It now achieves a capacity of 30 megawatts per year. The ZSW is the research and development partner of Würth Solar.

The ZSW is one of the most renowned German research institutes in the fields of photovoltaics, energy systems analysis, renewable fuels, battery technology, and fuel cells. Around 170 scientists, engineers, and technicians are currently employed at its three facilities in Stuttgart, Ulm, and Widderstall. They generate an annual turnover of 22 million euros.

2010-04-28   Courtesy: Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg ZSW   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg ZSW

 

Advanced Solar Photonics implements latest technologies for solar modules

Monocrystalline solar panels by ASP
Monocrystalline solar panels by ASP

Advanced Solar Photonics (ASP; Lake Mary, Florida), a manufacturer of monocrystalline solar panels and solar photovoltaic (PV) generators for residential, commercial, government and utility applications, on April 22nd, 2010 announced that it is implementing next generation technologies in the production of its solar modules.   ASP reports that it employs the highest standards, latest technology and proven patented innovative methods for its monocrystalline solar panels, the company's core business product. The company's "High Output Monocrystalline Modules" are said to be virtually defect free cells with efficiencies approaching 18 %.


R&D activity aimed at more stable, higher efficiency and lower cost solar power solutions

ASP's patented encapsulation technology is reportedly able to provide 25 years of real-world performance. The company says that the focus of its research and development (R&D) activity lies in developing more stable, higher efficient and lower cost solar power solutions. This includes larger, more efficient modules, holographic coating for increased power harvesting capability, and a new cell encapsulation technology combining UV stable composites and polymers with experience in flat panel manufacturing. "Long term performance in overall weather conditions is a most critical factor of life expectancy for solar panels, meaning protection from weather and UV radiation is critical for long-term durability," said Lawrence Hefler, spokesman for ASP. "Encapsulation technology provides the technical solution needed to ensure solar panels perform 25 years in real-world conditions."


High power solar panels "Made in USA"

ASP reports that it is also focusing its R&D efforts on holographic layering which it says can harvest up to 25 % more potential energy, and bi-facial concentration that collects potential that otherwise would be lost. Patented thin film technologies are to further enhance manufacturing efficiencies and panel output. ASP's line of solar panels is assembled in the USA and complies with the Buy American Act. The company offers high power solar modules ranging from 250 to 600 watts.

2010-04-28   Courtesy: Advanced Solar Photonics   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Advanced Solar Photonics

 

Booming PV industry at Stuttgart's convention center: Manufacturers displaying production equipment at Photovoltaic Technology Show

PV production technology
PV production technology

Baden-Wurttemberg's regional capital, Stuttgart, hosts the world's largest trade fair for PV production equipment from April 27th to 29th , the organizer announced in a press release. The Photovoltaic Technology Show is convening for the sixth time. Last year, the event met in Munich. Around 350 international exhibitors will present their innovations at the Stuttgart convention center and approximately 15,000 visitors are expected to attend. The trade fair is accompanied by six conferences, a comprehensive program with discussions panels, company visits, as well as the 10 GW party on the evening of April 28th.  Production of cells and modules likely to total more than 20 GW

PHOTON Europe GmbH, the organizer of the Photovoltaic Technology Show, decided to switch venues from Munich to Stuttgart this year, moving the event closer to the region that many exhibitors call home: for years, Baden-Wurttemberg has been a production and innovation hub for the solar industry's mechanical engineering branch. Michael Schmela, editor-in-chief of PHOTON International, states: "Solar module production is increasingly shifting to Asia. However, the lion's share of production machinery is still made in Germany. Therefore, when it comes to efficiency and quality, Asian brands can compete well with European products." In 2009, a year marked by economic crisis, most machinery manufacturers got off easy. After all, in 2009, the quantity of cells and modules produced increased by around 56 percent over last year. As a result, demand for machinery also increased. "Last year, we saw production reach 12.3 GW; this year it's likely to total more than 20 GW", says Schmela.

In Stuttgart, the solar industry will fill more than 20,000 m2 of exhibition space with machinery and consumables, along the entire value-added chain: that includes reactors for silicon production, furnaces, wafer saws and complete production lines. Exhibitors will also present deposition systems for thin-film modules and machinery for processing solar glass panels.

Stuttgart will be transformed into an industry meeting place this week thanks to the six conferences convening in conjunction with the trade fair. Thousands are expected to participate. As in previous years, PHOTON has organized a silicon conference, a conference for solar investors and two conferences on production equipment. New to the roster of events is an inverter conference. At this event, presenters will discuss the causes of the current inverter scarcity and measures that could be taken to alleviate this shortage. Another event being held is PHOTON's 4th Solar Electric Utility Conference on April 29: decision makers from the solar and energy industries will discuss how large quantities of solar electricity should be integrated into the existing energy supply system. Above all, Germany is in desperate need of looking at this issue: nearly 4 GW of solar power were installed in Germany in 2009 alone, more than double the number of new PV systems installed in 2008. "This year, it could be as much as 8 GW", says Christoph Podewils, deputy editor-in-chief at German-language magazine PHOTON - Das Solarstrom-Magazin.

2010-04-28   Courtesy: Photon Europe GmbH   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Photon Europe GmbH; Benteler Maschinenbau

 

Trina Solar introduces powerful utility-scale solar module

Trina Solar Limited (Changzhou, China), a leading integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) products from the production of ingots, wafers and solar cells to the assembly of photovoltaic (PV) modules, on April 22nd, 2010 announced that its subsidiary, Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd., is launching its new utility-scale solar module ("TSM-PC14"). Trina Solar will unveil the new TSM-PC14 in May at Solarexpo 2010 in Verona, Italy. The utility-scale module is Trina Solar's most powerful module to date and is targeted to be available for sale in the European and North American markets in the fourth quarter of 2010.   With expected power output targets ranging from 265 to 290 watts, a positive power tolerance of 0/+3% and with a 72 cell arrangement, the large high-wattage modules are designed specifically for utility-scale installations and large scale, ground mounted systems. Equipped with high-efficiency multicrystalline cells, the TSM-PC14 is easy to handle and install and can be used in a wide variety of applications ranging from commercial and industrial installations to utility-scale facilities.

Most powerful module completes multicrystalline module portfolio

"Built to address increasing market demand for utility-scale solar installations around the world, this is our most powerful module and an excellent addition to our premium multicrystalline portfolio", said Mr. Jifan Gao, Chairman and CEO of Trina Solar. "Matching a competitive priced structure with proven high performance modules is the way the solar industry will achieve grid parity, and the introduction of the TSM-PC14 is a big step towards achieving this goal."

2010-04-28   Courtesy: Trina Solar Limited   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

GWS Technologies announces plan for solar projects in Mexico

GWS Technologies, Inc. (GWS; Scottsdale, Arizona) an alternative energy company developing renewable energy solutions, on April 14th, 2010 announced that it is preparing plans for proposed solar farm sites ranging in size from 80 acres to 400 acres contiguous to electric substations in Veracruz and Chiapas, Mexico. GWS is to provide engineering, project management, solar equipment and technology integration on the projects, with estimated costs ranging from 5 to 250 million US-dollars per project.   "There is a tremendous demand for 'green' energy technologies, especially solar energy and LEED-certified energy efficient products, in Mexico right now", said Delgado & Associates' managing partner Fernando Delgado, who reportedly works on behalf of GWS.


Mexico's renewable energy legislation allows private companies to generate their own electricity

In November 2008, the Mexican Congress had passed the "Renewable Energy Usage and Energy Transition Financing Act", which according to GWS was a clear step towards implementing alternative energy policy at the federal level. While the Constitution of Mexico establishes that only the Government can generate, transport, transform, distribute or supply electricity for public use, the new law allows private companies to generate their own electricity by using renewables to supply their needs. When a generation surplus exists, the Energy Regulatory Commission (Comisión Reguladora de Energía; CRE) determines the price of purchase of the electricity generated in excess of the electricity used by the private generator, the surplus is then fed into the national electric grid. GWS President Richard Reincke said: "Everyone in the solar industry agrees that Mexico has some of the best potential for solar power in the world, and we're excited about this opportunity to participate in the emerging alternative electric sector in Veracruz and Chiapas."

2010-04-28   Courtesy: GWS Technologies, Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

United Kingdom: Royal visit at Dyesol's "PV Accelerator" site

Chris Moore, Dyesol Technology Manager, explaining the Dyesol-Corus solar coating process to HRH the Duke of York
Chris Moore, Dyesol Technology Manager,
explaining the Dyesol-Corus solar coating
process to HRH the Duke of York

Dyesol UK Limited, a subsidiary of dye solar cell (DSC) manufacturer and supplier Dyesol Limited (Queanbeyan, NSW, Australia), on April 12th, 2010 announced that it had welcomed a Royal visitor. According to the press release, His Royal Highness (HRH) The Duke of York had visited Shotton for a tour around the facility of steel producer Corus, which houses the joint Dyesol and Corus project.   Its goal is to commercially manufacture DSC on steel for building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) applications. Dyesol explained that The Duke of York holds the role of UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment as part of his Royal duties, a large part of which involves visiting industrial businesses, such as Corus, to find out more about them.



HRH tours WAG-supported project facility

The company said it was honored to welcome such a prestigious visitor to the site and proudly showed him around the Dyesol and Corus "PV Accelerator" facility. The joint project is being supported by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) with five million United Kingdom Pounds (8.2 million US-dollars; 5.82 million Euro). The PV Accelerator facility is located on Corus' Shotton site and houses a 30 person joint technology team that aims to bring this BIPV product to market. During his visit, The Duke of York was joined by a number of local dignitaries for the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate his visit.


Steel production plant has hosted other Royal visitors before

Gavin Tulloch, Managing Director of Dyesol Limited, commented: "It is a fantastic honor to all at Dyesol and Corus to have a member of the Royal family visit, and meant a lot to us that HRH took time out of his busy schedule to visit us and find out more about the business. Dyesol is a key technology industry employer in North Wales with strong links to government and local industry through our two facilities at Shotton and St Asaph. We look forward to an even closer relationship during the commercialization phases of the project." Dyesol reports that the Duke of York is the third generation of royal visitors to the Corus site. Both King George VI and Queen Elizabeth reportedly paid a visit in 1941 and 1943, to help boost local morale during the War. Prince Phillip then followed suit in 1953 to mark the opening of the new melting shop and first blast furnace and coking plant on the site.

2010-04-28   Courtesy: Dyesol UK Limited   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Dyesol UK Limited

 

US DOE to provide USD9 million in solar industry grants

DOE Secretary Chu visiting a renewable energy company
DOE Secretary Chu visiting a renewable energy
company

On April 22nd, 2010, US Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu announced that the DOE will release USD9 million in grants over five years to speed the widespread deployment of solar technologies in the United States. The grant monies will be distributed through three programs, and an additional USD million will be granted to marine and hydrokinetic technology development programs.   "Expanding the U.S. clean-energy manufacturing base is an important part of the Administration’s goals to diversify electricity supply options, increase national security, and accelerate green jobs development", said DOE Secretary Chu. "These investments will help strengthen American competitiveness in renewable energy and transform the U.S. into a lasting manufacturing presence in the 21st century clean-energy economy."




Photovoltaic Manufacturing Initiative

The largest of the programs is the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Initiative, which will invest USD5 million over five years in manufacturing-focused research projects to accelerate development of new technologies and foster greater collaboration within the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry. The projects will be selected to have short and medium-term impact, and two types of projects will be funded - university-focused development and industry-focused development.


Photovoltaic Supply Chain Development

In addition to funding solar manufacturing R&D, the DOE will also be providing USD million over three years to identify and speed the adoption of new technologies within the PV industry. The DOE will be funding both small and large companies, and is looking for technologies that will impact a substantial portion of the PV industry within two to five years.


National Administrator of the Solar Instructor Training Network

Finally, the DOE will supply USD.5 million for an administrator to oversee the national training network the agency created in 2009. The DOE says that it is seeking to establish “high-quality, local and accessible” training opportunities through the national network for sales, installation, design and inspection personnel. The administrator will manage the collaboration of the training network members and establish best practices for training.

The deadlines for applications to these programs are in June and July 2010.

2010-04-27   Courtesy: DOE   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: DOE

 

SunPower partners with Flextronics to open 75MW manufacturing facility in California

On April 22nd, 2010, solar PV producer SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California, US) announced a partnership with manufacturing equipment provider Flextronics (Singapore) to open a new 75MW manufacturing facility in Milpitas, California. SunPower says the new plant will supply new solar installations throughout the western United States.   "We commend Governor Schwarzenegger and our state and federal leaders for creating the long-term stability and visibility we need in the solar market to open this facility", said SunPower CEO Tom Werner. "The Governor's leadership on the California Solar Initiative, the Renewable Portfolio Standard, incentives for green manufacturing equipment and AB 32 provide us with the confidence to further invest in our home state."


Powered by federal and state incentives and demand policies

The new project by SunPower has received federal and state of California support through both grants and tax credits. The new facility is part of SunPower's obligations to the US Department of Energy (DOE) in an 2007 agreement under the Solar Energy Technologies program, though which SunPower is eligible to receive up to USD million in funding to implement improvements that bring down the cost of solar. Funding from DOE supports the research and development for the equipment used at the new manufacturing facility as well as for tracking systems which will be used with the panels.

Additionally, SunPower plans to use a federal manufacturing tax credit through the American Recover and Redevelopment Act, American President Obama's "stimulus package", and a California state manufacturing tax credit signed by California Governor Schwarzenegger.

The state of California has stimulated demand as well, through multiple policies including a renewable portfolio standard of 33% by 2020 and the California Solar Initiative. California's policies have helped establish the state's booming solar industry, which saw 220MW of new installations in 2009, nearly half of all new US installations.

Competition with China

The unstated theme in the multiple policies to encourage domestic US manufacturing of solar is a desire to capture manufacturing opportunities in a growing industry which is increasingly dominated by Asian nations.

Despite the assistance offered by both the federal government and states, the US photovoltaic manufacturing industry represented only 6% of total global production in 2009. In recent years, China has become a dominant force in manufacturing, supplying 35% of cells and modules globally in 2009 - roughly six times the output of the United States. And while American policymakers are increasing incentives and subsidies for both solar manufacturing and to drive market demand, assistance in the United States is also dwarfed by China's strong, centralized state investment in manufacturing. This heavy government support, coupled with lower labor costs, has enabled Chinese companies to establish large, low-cost vertically integrated manufacturing facilities which produce solar photovoltaics at a much lower cost.

2010-04-27   Courtesy: SunPower Corp.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

DuPont and Oerlikon Solar develop new ultra-thin PV encapsulant sheet

DuPont Encapsulant PV5233
DuPont Encapsulant PV5233

On April 23rd, 2010, chemical products giant DuPont Corporation (Wilmington, Delaware, US) and PV manufacturing solutions provider Oerlikon Solar (Trubbach, Switzerland) announced that they have developed a new ultra-thin reflective solar photovoltaic (PV) encapsulant sheet for thin-film solar manufacturing. DuPont says their PV5233 sheet captures more light coming in and reflects more sunlight back through the module, thus delivering more power.   "In the rapidly evolving and growing solar power market, equipment and materials leaders often innovate faster and more effectively by increasing collaboration", said DuPont Photovoltaic Encapsulants Global Business Director Steve Cluff of the relationship between the companies. "DuPont values the partnership with Oerlikon Solar, as we both view encapsulant technology playing an increasingly multi-functional role in next-generation photovoltaic modules."


PV5233 and encapsulants

The PV5233 is a white reflective polyvinyl butyral (PVB) encapsulant. At .45-mm thick the encapsulant weighs 40% less than traditional .76-mm clear PVB. Encapsulants, which enclose and protect PV modules, are important materials for high-volume PV manufacturers. DuPont says that choosing the right encapsulant can not only speed production, but can improve power output and durability of modules.

2010-04-27   Courtesy: DuPont   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: DuPont

 

Trina Solar to introduce new "Design Series" with aesthetical black solar modules

TSM-DC01 Black (left) and TSM-PC05 Black.
TSM-DC01 Black (left) and TSM-PC05 Black.

Trina Solar Limited (Changzhou, China), an integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) products from the production of ingots, wafers and cells to the assembly of PV modules, on April 15th, 2010 announced that its subsidiary, Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd., is to introduce its new "Design Series" products. According to the press release, the company had developed a black module that is to offer residential homeowners and small business owners a visually attractive PV solution.  Trina Solar announced that it will unveil the new "Design Series" in May at the Solarexpo 2010 in Verona, Italy. The black module is expected to be available for sale in the European and North American markets in the second half of 2010.




PV modules designed to blend seamlessly with dark-colored rooftops

Trina Solar reports that it had developed a high efficiency black module, the first of several new PV modules in the "Design-Series", which aims to blend seamlessly with dark-colored rooftops. According to the press release, customers are hereby offered a sleek design as well as aesthetically pleasing and reliable solutions for residential and commercial applications. In addition to positive power tolerance of 0/+3 watts, the module uses Trina Solar's high efficiency cells, laminated with black sheet and framed with black anodized aluminum. It is expected to guarantee a leading standard of structural stability and resilience to stress. The monocrystalline "TSM-DC01 Black" and multicrystalline "TSM-PC05 Black" modules are expected to offer a power output ranging from 165 to 175 watts peak (Wp) and from 215 to 230 Wp, respectively.

Additional new product development planned for 2010

"We are very pleased to bring this sleek black module line to our customers which offers a powerful combination of high performance and aesthetic appeal to meet the needs of the rapidly growing demands in the residential market," said Jifan Gao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Trina Solar. "This new product will further complement our increasing portfolio of high-efficiency solar products, forming part of the company's strategy to drive new product development in 2010 and beyond, and enhance the company's offering in our key European and North American markets."

2010-04-27   Courtesy: Trina Solar Limited   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Trina Solar Limited

 

Australia: University of Queensland goes solar

The University of Queensland (UQ; Brisbane, Australia) in April 2010 announced that it will use a State Government investment in solar energy to help install what is believed to become Australia's largest and most powerful array of photovoltaic (PV) panels. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh had announced a grant of 1.5 million Australian dollars (AUD; 1.39 million US-dollars) towards the 7.75 million AUD (7.16 million USD) project, and inspected a 10 kilowatt (kW) solar research array on the roof of UQ's Sir Llew Edwards Building.   According to the press release, the solar power project will be mounted on three buildings at UQ's St Lucia campus.



PV plant to produce 1,750 MWh of solar electricity annually

The solar power plant is to have a generating capacity of 1.2 megawatts (MW) that would be capable of producing about 1,750 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity a year. This could save approximately 1750 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, UQ reports. Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield commended the State Government for its commitment to solar research and technology, and added: "UQ will show leadership as a generator and user of solar energy and also as a provider of internationally-recognized teaching, research and development regarding solar technologies." The solar PV plant is also to be used as a resource for students and staff to help develop next-generation solar technologies.

Solar PV systems to become part of micro-grid strategy

Physicist Professor Paul Meredith, who chairs the University's Renewable Energy Technology Advisory Committee, said the new solar field would cover a surface area equivalent to about one-and-a-half rugby fields with state-of-the-art high-efficiency panels. "The system will be part of a larger Micro-Grid strategy to use renewable energy across the University's other campuses over the next decade", Professor Meredith explained. The UQ 'Micro-Grid' is to allow UQ and Queensland researchers to deepen their understanding of the issues and opportunities around solar and renewable energy deployment. Professor Meredith added that he expects the PV project to position the University as a major provider of solar research expertise and infrastructure in upcoming major initiatives such as the Solar Flagships Program.

2010-04-27   Courtesy: University of Queensland   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: University of Queensland

 

United Kingdom: Royal visit at Dyesol's "PV Accelerator" site

Chris Moore, Dyesol Technology Manager, explaining the Dyesol-Corus solar coating process to HRH the Duke of York.
Chris Moore, Dyesol Technology Manager,
explaining the Dyesol-Corus solar coating
process to HRH the Duke of York.

Dyesol UK Limited, a subsidiary of dye solar cell (DSC) manufacturer and supplier Dyesol Limited (Queanbeyan, NSW, Australia), on April 12th, 2010 announced that it had welcomed a Royal visitor. According to the press release, His Royal Highness (HRH) The Duke of York had visited Shotton for a tour around the facility of steel producer Corus, which houses the joint Dyesol and Corus project.   Its goal is to commercially manufacture DSC on steel for building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) applications. Dyesol explained that The Duke of York holds the role of UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment as part of his Royal duties, a large part of which involves visiting industrial businesses, such as Corus, to find out more about them.



HRH tours WAG-supported project facility

The company said it was honored to welcome such a prestigious visitor to the site and proudly showed him around the Dyesol and Corus "PV Accelerator" facility. The joint project is being supported by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) with five million United Kingdom Pounds (8.2 million US-dollars; 5.82 million Euro). The PV Accelerator facility is located on Corus' Shotton site and houses a 30 person joint technology team that aims to bring this BIPV product to market. During his visit, The Duke of York was joined by a number of local dignitaries for the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate his visit.


Steel production plant has hosted other Royal visitors before

Gavin Tulloch, Managing Director of Dyesol Limited, commented: "It is a fantastic honor to all at Dyesol and Corus to have a member of the Royal family visit, and meant a lot to us that HRH took time out of his busy schedule to visit us and find out more about the business. Dyesol is a key technology industry employer in North Wales with strong links to government and local industry through our two facilities at Shotton and St Asaph. We look forward to an even closer relationship during the commercialization phases of the project." Dyesol reports that the Duke of York is the third generation of royal visitors to the Corus site. Both King George VI and Queen Elizabeth reportedly paid a visit in 1941 and 1943, to help boost local morale during the War. Prince Phillip then followed suit in 1953 to mark the opening of the new melting shop and first blast furnace and coking plant on the site.

2010-04-27   Courtesy: Dyesol UK Limited   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Dyesol UK Limited

 

CPUC gives PG&E the green light for up to 500MW solar photovoltaic capacity

Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Vaca Dixon solar plant
Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Vaca Dixon
solar plant

On April 22, 2010, utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company (San Francisco, California, US) announced that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has given the utility approval for a 500MW solar photovoltaic (PV) program. The five year program will include 250MW of utility-owned PV and 250MW provided by independent developers through a streamlined regulatory process. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) says that as the projects will be between 1 and 20MW, they should require less time to plan and build than larger projects.   . "We applaud the CPUC's decision to approve this important renewable energy initiative and look forward to beginning its implementation," said PG&E Vice President for Renewable Energy Steve Malnight. "This program will provide our customers with timely access to solar power and create local benefits including green jobs for the communities we serve."


Timelines not yet released

PG&E initiated the proposal in February 2009, however spokespersons for the utility say they will need to get further approval from the CPUC regarding the process and evaluation before they can issue a timeline for solicitation of bids and implementation of the programs. PG&E spokespersons say they expect most of the systems to be ground-mounted, and are looking for an even deployment of 50MW per year in each program throughout the five years.


PG&E as a leader in renewable energy

PG&E delivers electricity to 15 million residents of Northern and Central California. The utility has long been interested in renewable energy sources, researching geothermal power in the 1970's and investing in wind in the 1980's, long before the recent growth of the global wind industry. PG&E also recognizes the unique value of solar in providing electricity at times of peak demand, driven by cooling needs.

"Our customers want renewable energy, and state law requires it. California has exceptionally good solar resources, so it is a natural fit with our interest in bringing more renewable power to our customers", says PG&E Spokesperson Jonathan Marshall. Different kinds of renewable energy have different advantages, and solar is attractive because it tends to peak closer to when we see demand peaks in our system.

2010-04-26   Courtesy: Pacific Gas and Electric Company   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: PG&E

 

UC San Diego engineering students design new solar concentrator

Electrical engineering Ph.D. student Jason Karp works on
Electrical engineering Ph.D. student Jason Karp
works on "Planar Micro-Optic Solar Concentration".

A team of electrical engineering students at the UC San Diego (UCSD) Jacobs School of Engineering (La Jolla, California, US) have produced a new design for a solar concentrator that simplifies system design and removes the need for large numbers of small secondary collectors and solar cells. The Jacobs School of Engineering has awarded PhD. Student Jason Karp the 2010 Rudee Research Expo Outstanding Poster Award for his team's design, which includes a prototype that is designed to be replicated using high-volume, low-cost manufacturing techniques.


 

The design

Most concentrating photovoltaic designs involve relatively large primary optic devices that focus sunlight, with each optic having its own aperture and secondary optic to homogenize the light, which is then reflected onto a small PV cell. This design requires that each individual optic be aligned properly, and such designs often utilize dual-tracking systems to follow the sun. "For CPV systems to be cost-effective, the complete cost of the optics, assembly and mechanical tracking must not exceed the cost savings gained from using small area PV cells", note Karp and his team in an article for the journal Optics Express on January 18, 2010.

The team's design collects sunlight with thousands of small lenses imprinted onto a common sheet, which is then funneled using a flat waveguide to a single solar cell. Karp and his team say their design, the Planar Micro-Optic Solar Concentrator, achieves 90% and 82% optical efficiency at 73x and 300x.


Potential for inexpensive manufacturing

The team has built a prototype for the new design at UCSD's Photonic Systems Integration Laboratory, led by Electrical Engineering Professor Joseph Ford. Team members say their design could reduce system costs while improving efficiencies, as it reduces materials, alignment and assembly, and is ideal for low-cost manufacturing. Other advantages of the design are fewer individual units and one main heat sink.

The National Science Foundation and California Energy Commission provided some of the funding for this research.

2010-04-26   Courtesy: UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering; Optics Express   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: UC San Diego / Erik Jepsen

 

Pike Research report indicates REC market could triple by 2015

On April 20th, 2010 Pike Research (Boulder, Colorado, US) released a new report indicating that with the passage of a federal renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in the US, the renewable energy credit (REC) market could triple to 329TWh by 2015. The report also states that even without the policy, RECs are expected to increase roughly 50% by 2015, to 179TWh. RECs are a credit that utilities can buy in lieu of increasing their renewable energy generation to meet the targets set in mandatory RPS policies.   "The REC market has continued to show strong growth even in the midst of a recession", says managing director Clint Wheelock. "Our analysis indicates that both the compliance and voluntary REC markets will continue healthy growth rates no matter what happens, but the real game-changer would be federally-mandated targets for power generation from renewable energy sources."


The REC market

Each REC represents 1MWh of renewable energy generation, and RECs are openly traded. Stakeholders involved in the renewable energy market include facility developers, retail and wholesale marketers, brokers, consumer protection agencies, and regional tracking systems. There are 115 retail and wholesale marketers in the REC market who purchase and hold RECs before certificates are sold.

In addition to compulsory RECs there are also voluntary RECs, which utilities may purchase to generate goodwill and show environmental responsibility. The Pike report states that the company expects voluntary RECs to increase 8.4% to 17.2% annually, depending on the growth of the US economy, even if no national RPS policy is passed.


RPS policies

RPS policies have emerged in the US in the last few decade as the primary means for driving electric utilities to diversify their generation sources and incorporate more renewable sources of electricity, with 30 US states and the District of Columbia enacting mandatory RPS policies. When a utility does not increase their renewable generation to meet targets under such a policy, they have two choices: either make an alternative compliance payment, or purchase RECs, which creates a market for the credits.

Additionally, 16 US states have solar “carve-outs” that require utilities to purchase an increasing amount of their power from solar energy. This creates a trade in solar renewable energy credits, or sRECs.

The report explores the possibility that the US will pass a national RPS of 15% by 2015. However, this depends on the unpredictable landscape of US national politics. Renewable energy champion President Obama had great difficulty passing health care reform, one of his main priorities, and a “cap-and-trade” carbon disincentive bill died last year in the US Senate. While a national RPS should be easier to pass than carbon disincentives, the ability of the Obama administration to pass renewable energy policies will depend on whether or not his Democratic Party can maintain or expand their majority in the US Congress in elections this fall.

2010-04-26   Courtesy: Pike Research   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

CENTROSOLAR extends manufacturing capacity for solar modules "Made in Germany" by 40 % to 155 MWp

Reinhard Bütikofer, Deputy Floor Leader of the Greens in the European Parliament at the official opening event
Reinhard Bütikofer, Deputy Floor Leader of the
Greens in the European Parliament at the
official opening event

Centrosolar Sonnenstromfabrik GmbH (Wismar, Germany), one of the largest solar module manufacturing plants in Europe and a fully owned subsidiary of the listed CENTROSOLAR Group AG (Munich), has started up a new production line for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. The official opening event to mark the production start was attended by representatives of the company and Reinhard Bütikofer, Deputy Floor Leader of the Greens in the European Parliament. The commissioning of the additional production line means the company has increased its production capacity from previously around 110 MWp to a present 155 MWp.   The new production line is already the fourth one turning out solar modules with the quality cachet "Made in Germany". With a capacity of 45 MWp, the new line will now be producing an extra 1,000 solar modules a day.


72-cell high-performance modules with an output of up to 300 W

The crystalline solar modules being manufactured are destined for use particularly in solar systems on private houses. The new line is moreover capable of building 72-cell high-performance modules with an output of up to 300 W. The equipment used for the fully automated equipment line has furthermore been sourced exclusively from reputable German manufacturers. Dr Alexander Kirsch, Management Board Chairman of CENTROSOLAR Group AG, believes the latest extension emphatically demonstrates the company's belief in and commitment to manufacturing at the Wismar location. "Quality manufacturing in Germany is a major aspect of our business success, both in Germany and internationally. Demand for our modules from Wismar meant the output of the existing three lines was already fully taken up. The extra capacity will now enable us to meet domestic and international demand even more effectively." The production capacity of the current Wismar plant, which was built as recently as 2008, had previously already been upgraded from 70 MWp to 110 MWp in response to increased sales.

2010-04-26   Courtesy: CENTROSOLAR Group AG   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: CENTROSOLAR Group AG

 

FPL inaugurates 10 MW solar PV plant at Kennedy Space Center

Space Coast Next Gene- ration Solar Energy Center
Space Coast Next Gene-
ration Solar Energy Center

Officials from NASA joined representatives of Florida Power & Light Company (FPL; Miamy, Florida) in April 2010 to commission FPL's "Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center", the electric utility reported in a press release. The solar photovoltaic (PV) power facility, located on NASA property at Kennedy Space Center, is the result of a public-private partnership between NASA and FPL, and it is said to demonstrate both organizations' commitment to bringing clean-energy solutions to the state. The 10 megawatt (MW) facility covers 60 acres of land and features approximately 35,000 solar PV panels from SunPower Corporation (SunPower; San Jose, California), a manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems.  Solar manufacturer to establish R&D center in Florida, if state government continues support for PV

FPL reports that SunPower PV panels are the most efficient panels available on the market today, allowing the generation of 50 % more power at the Space Coast facility than a comparably sized project using conventional solar panels. SunPower reportedly designed and built the 10 MW PV plant and a separate one MW solar power system at Kennedy Space Center. The company was also responsible for the realization of FPL’s 25 MW "DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center" in DeSoto County, the largest operating solar PV power plant in the U.S. According to FPL, SunPower intends to locate a research and development (R&D) center employing up to 50 people in Florida if the state government continues to support the deployment of additional large-scale solar energy projects.

Solar PV plant to offset more than 227,000 tons of CO2 emissions over the life of the project

FPL’s Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center is expected to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by more than 227,000 tons over the life of the project, which according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is equivalent to removing 1,800 cars from the road each year. "NASA is a pioneer in the use of solar power for space exploration, so it's fitting that we're working with FPL to expand the use and R&D of that renewable energy source at Kennedy Space Center where many of those missions were launched", said Robert Cabana, Director of the Kennedy Space Center.

Large-scale PV projects create revenue, jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Armando J. Olivera, FPL President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said: "Like NASA, FPL is looking beyond the horizon. FPL's Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center is an important part of our state's clean-energy future, but large-scale solar projects like this one also have a very positive impact on the economy today." Olivera explained that such projects give Florida the opportunity to create and attract clean-energy jobs and produce new revenue for local governments while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting the effects of climate change at the same time.

Utility plans to connect solar thermal facility to conventional power plant

According to the press release, FPL plans to open a hybrid solar thermal facility to connect to an existing fossil fuel plant later in 2010. The "Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center" in Indiantown (Florida) is to be the largest of FPL's solar facilities at 75 MW. In total, FPL reports that its three solar projects combined are creating more than 1,500 direct jobs and more than 5,000 total jobs for the state during the construction period. FPL is the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States. The company serves approximately 4.5 million customer accounts in Florida, and is a leading employer in the state with 10,500 employees.

2010-04-26   Courtesy: Florida Power & Light Company   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Florida Power & Light Company

 

Sopogy and STGI partner to demonstrate microCSP at Florida College

MicroCSP system
MicroCSP system "SopoNova 4.0"

MicroCSP manufacturer Sopogy (Honolulu, Hawaii, US) and non-profit STG International (Cambridge, Massachusetts, US) have partnered to demonstrate the company's SolaNova power system at Eckard College in St. Petersburg, Florida. The company's hybrid system resembles a smaller version of the parabolic trough design used in larger concentrating solar energy systems (CSP), and each system offers both 3kw of solar electricity and hot water. 



MicroCSP system including energy storage and storm protection

Sopogy owns the patents for the microCSP system, which is used in the United States, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The system includes energy storage, and includes a storm protection system, an important design consideration for hurricane-prone Florida. Sopogy says that the rust-resistant designs of their systems make them suitable from climates ranging from tropical to desert.

Sopogy officials are also keen to point out that the system is ideally suited to off-grid applications, such as health clinics in developing nations. Sopogy also boasts that their systems are built from commonly available materials.


Collectors can be manufactured anywhere in the world

"A particularly important breakthrough has been Sopogy’s development of smaller scale parabolic trough collectors that can be built at a lower cost, using commonly available manufacturing facilities and conventional materials", says Sopogy VP of Operations Tal Ziv. "Not only can our modules be produced locally, but our collectors can also be manufactured anywhere in the world."

2010-04-26   Courtesy: Sopogy   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Sopogy

 

Helios Technology: New series of photovoltaic modules H3A 214-235 P with 3 bus bars

New photovoltaic module by Helios Technology
New photovoltaic module by Helios Technology

With the new series of photovoltaic (PV) modules H3A 214-235 P featuring 3 bus bars, Helios Technology (part of the Kerself Group) reconfirms its vocation for innovation, the company reports in a press release. Developed using highly efficient polycrystalline silicon cells manufactured in Italy by the same Padua-based company, the new series shows a significant increase in average module output power, thanks to the use of the 3 bus bars. The H3A 214-235 P also provides an excellent spectrum response in a very wide band of solar radiation frequency, according to the tests certified by the Fraunhofer Institut Solare Energiesysteme (ISE). According to Helios Technology it is subjected to a great many, very strict quality controls throughout the entire production process.   New production techniques and an innovative, more hardwearing and compact anodized aluminium frame mean that this new design has significantly reduced laminate dimensions: the module now takes up an area of just 1.63 m². The modules are thus compact and very light (weighing a mere 18.7 kg), making their installation in even limited spaces, simple, Helios Technology emphasizes in the press release.


Certified raw materials, high quality

According to Helios Technology the front glass is just 3.2 mm thick and is resistant both to the impact of hailstones and to the most common atmospheric agents. Additionally, in order to reduce light reflections to a minimum and obtain better transmittance, the glass is now textured. These features allow for the supply of powers ranging from 214 to 235 Wp, with greater conversion efficiency. The raw materials are all certified and high quality, guaranteed for more than 25 years, Helios Technology reports in the press release.

2010-04-25   Courtesy: Helios Technology S. p. A.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Helios Technology S. p. A.

 

Trina Solar to supply photovoltaic system for Belgian-European Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo

An artist's rendering of the Belgian-European Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo
An artist's rendering of the Belgian-European
Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo

Trina Solar Limited (Changzhou, China), a leading integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) products from the production of ingots, wafers and solar cells to the assembly of PV modules, on April 20th, 2010 announced that its subsidiary, Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd., has partnered with one of the largest and most experienced global renewable energy developers, Enfinity NV (Enfinity; Waregem, Belgium), to cover the roofs of the Belgian-European Pavilion and the Theme Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo with the company's PV modules.   According to the press release, the Belgian-European Pavilion will feature a 160 kilowatt (kW) integrated solar system which comprises approximately 690 of Trina Solar's modules and covers an area of 1,200 square meters. The system is expected to generate approximately 116,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of solar electricity and displace approximately 39 tons of coal consumption and 87 tons of carbon emissions per year.


Companies to display solar technology to global audience

"We are delighted that Enfinity and the Belgian Government have selected Trina Solar to supply our high quality modules for their two prestigious pavilions and are using clean energy to reinforce the Shanghai Expo theme of 'Better City, Better Life'", said Jifan Gao, Trina Solar's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). "Adoption of solar PV is a perfect solution for inner city sustainable renewable energy which will make an increasing contribution to the quality of life in cities going forward." Van Neer, CEO at Enfinity Asia Pacific, commented: "The Shanghai World Expo is an excellent opportunity for people from all over the world to be introduced to and learn more about the value of solar and renewable energy. This partnership with the Belgian-European Pavilion will bring Enfinity an interesting worldwide exposure and it will help us in further developing our activities on the Asian continent."

2010-04-25   Courtesy: Trina Solar Limited   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Trina Solar Limited

 

Gartner: Germany installs PV systems with 3.8 GW capacity

The US information technology research and advisory company Gartner, Inc. (Stamford, Connecticut) on April 19th, 2010 released a statement on the preliminary data from the German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur). According to the analysis, the data highlights the critical importance of government incentives on the photovoltaic (PV) market. As the core PV market in the world, Germany accounted for more than half the global market and exceeded all expectations in the industry. In particular, December 2009 installations reached an estimated 1.46 gigawatts (GW), representing 22 % of global PV installations.   The German market thus reached 3.8 GW of PV installations, while the global market is estimated to have reached 6.5 GW of installations.


Revision of incentive programs in Germany to affect global PV industry

Gartner explains that the PV value chain vendors had been able to capitalize on lower prices, improved project rates of return and a loosening of financial credit to drive a record number of PV installations. Yet looking toward the future, analysts see some storm clouds starting to cover the solar industry. Germany is in the process of revising its incentives in the midst of a PV construction boom. PV demand is at an all-time high, with vendors boosting guidance for first-quarter shipments and even for all of 2010, while PV cell and module vendors are adding manufacturing capacity at an unprecedented rate. Gartner cautions that no other market offers the demand or scale to absorb a slowdown from Germany.


Current trends in PV industry similar to development in early 2008

To some extent, it feels like a repeat of the trends that were seen in early 2008 just as the market collapsed, with none of the lessons being learned. Gartner qualifies that this is not completely true. According to the analysis, many throughout the PV supply chain understand the issue and are concerned about what will happen in the market. This is especially believed to be true for the second half of the year. Several solar firms have reportedly highlighted their work to diversify their business development efforts outside of Germany, including setting up distribution, as well as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), finance, and sales capabilities or partners.


Global PV installations expected to exceed 8 GW in 2010

Gartner estimates that global PV installations in 2010 will exceed 8 GW and potentially reach 10 GW. Given the potential changes expected between the first and second halves of the year, the year's installations will likely be front-loaded. This is expected to be as high as 60 % of installations. The core assumption here is that German installations will drop if and when the government lowers the feed-in tariff (FIT), Gartner explains. The leading PV firms are investing in the Italian, French, Czech, U.S. and other markets. If Germany's demand dries up, however, none of those markets is big enough to purchase all the PV solar systems that would be available in the second half of 2010. This is expected to drive PV module price reductions to meet the project profitability requirements.


Technology improvements expected for PV panels

Gartner reports that PV vendors have been acting as if the market will return to complete growth, but some of them have been preparing based on the market warnings. Winners in the market will have made good choices in terms of inventory, costs, technology, quality and offering EPC services. According to Gartner, vendors need clear control of their supply chain, preferably in partnership with an EMS firm that can minimize the impact on plant and assets to the PV firm. In the meantime, a midyear price reduction cycle is expected. Leaders are taking apart their supply chain to extract any and all costs. This of course starts with silicon. Technology goes hand in hand with costs. Gartner expects to see more announcements of improved efficiency panels ready for high-volume manufacturing.


Quality issues expected from systems that were installed too quickly

At the same time, quality issues similar to those in Spain in 2008 are expected to surface because a large number of systems have been and are being put up too quickly. Certain systems are expected to underperform due to design or hardware problems. Gartner also expects bankability to become restricted again. The smart vendors will have increased their consulting support in this market or have their own EPC arms working on the showcase projects related to the quality concerns. Gartner also believes that now is the time for companies to stockpile cash. This is particularly so for firms with EPC arms because those consume huge amounts of working capital. Finally, winners will have followed a diversification strategy. Analysts expect the winners to be playing in Germany, but to also have teams and sales infrastructures in the other core markets.

2010-04-25   Courtesy: Al Velosa; Gartner Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

ARISE Technologies tests PV modules manufactured in Ontario

ARISE PV Cell Production
ARISE PV Cell Production

ARISE Technologies Corporation (ARISE; Waterloo, Ontario, Canada), a manufacturer of solar technology, on April 19th, 2010 announced that it had acquired initial test results for ARISE photovoltaic (PV) modules manufactured in Ontario by a third party contract original equipment manufacturer (OEM) using PV cells from its factory in Germany. According to the press release, the test results and initial inspection show that the performance of the PV modules for testing purposes have a quality that is similar to the ARISE PV modules manufactured in Germany for ARISE by an existing OEM module manufacturer.   ARISE reports that it currently supplies more than 15 module manufacturers with PV cells from its plant in Bischofswerda (Germany). Many of these companies have reportedly indicated that they would be interested in producing modules for ARISE under the ARISE brand to the company's specifications.


Manufacturing in Ontario makes modules eligible for FIT program

With a "made in Ontario" PV module, ARISE expects, subject to having the necessary capital resources, to start delivering systems that meet the 60 % domestic content requirements as laid out as an eligibility requirement for feed-in tariffs (FIT) by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA; Toronto, Ontario, Canada) in the third quarter of 2010. In Canada, ARISE is currently shipping limited quantities of ARISE branded modules that are manufactured in Germany. In launching its line of Ontario-manufactured modules, ARISE intends to ensure that quality and supply levels meet its North American customers' expectations.


Early certification to give company competitive edge

"We are very pleased to announce the launch of our line of Ontario-made modules. With the implementation of the Ontario government's feed-in tariff, we felt the time was right to partner with Ontario-based OEMs to produce our own modules here", said Vern Heinrichs, ARISE's President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). "This represents an excellent opportunity for us to increase our presence in the Ontario market while also contributing to job creation in our home province." He added that certification is a time consuming process and that the company intends to have modules available for testing during the second quarter of 2010, providing the company with a short-term competitive advantage in the Ontario market. "We expect to meet the Ontario domestic content requirements well ahead of the Jan. 1, 2011 deadline as set by the OPA," Heinrichs concluded.

2010-04-24   Courtesy: ARISE Technologies Corporation   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: ARISE Technologies Corporation

 

Second annual Global Solar Day to be held on June 19th, 2010, SunPower is official sponsor

The organizers of "SolarDay 2010" on April 7th, 2010 announced that this year’s global event will be held on June 19th, 2010. According to the press release, SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California), a leading manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, will be an official photovoltaic (PV) sponsor of the event.   SolarDay 2010 is to be a global day of recognition and celebration of solar energy, sustainability, energy independence and protection of our planet, and it is to include local events throughout the U.S. publicizing renewable energy programs and providing information to the public. The objective is to drive awareness of the many benefits solar power offers and the financial incentives available for residential and commercial customers.



Organizers to provide free assistance to cities and non-profit organizations to organize local SolarDay events

Many U.S. cities have renewable energy and conservation programs. SolarDay reports that it will offer cities free information to create local SolarDay 2010 events. Non-profits are also to receive complimentary assistance to plan their events, including fundraising tips. SolarDay 2010 is to provide useful information for consumers, such as information on energy audits, solar rebates, SolarDay community events, and links to informative U.S. and state government websites related to energy conservation. John Reed, San Francisco-based Director of SolarDay 2010, said: "More and more people are adopting greener lifestyles, including the use of solar power. You see green in the cars we drive, the consumer products we buy, the everyday things we do, from recycling to building greener homes and commercial buildings, and the intensive interest in lowering our energy costs and energy conservation."


Solar incentives facilitate project financing

Reed explained that government support on the state and federal level has been crucial: "In California, the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and the California Solar Initiative (CSI) rebates reduce the cost of a solar installation by nearly half." Reed pointed out that PACE, which is another innovative new funding program currently available in 16 U.S. states, can allow existing home and business owners to pay for their solar installations through their property taxes. Last year’s SolarDay 2009 included a solar thermal tour hosted by the City of San Francisco, for example.

More information on the event is available at: http://www.solarday.com

2010-04-24   Courtesy: SolarDay 2010   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: SolarDay 2010

 

Michigan Land Institute calls for feed-in tariffs at municipal utility

The renewable energy expert Paul Gipe on April 2nd, 2010 reported that the Michigan Land Institute (Land Institute) has proposed that the utility Traverse City Light & Power (TCL&P; Traverse City, Michigan) implement a system of feed-in tariffs (FITs). TCL&P is a municipal utility serving the town of 15,000 in the "little finger" of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The utility is better known for installing one of the first, if not the first, municipally-owned, commercial-scale wind turbines in 1996.  Gipe reports that TCL&P has done little with renewable energy since that pioneering project. The Land Institute, a Traverse City non-profit, reportedly urged the utility's board of directors to both implement an aggressive program of energy efficiency and launch a program to develop clean sources of energy, including wind, solar, and biomass.


Feed-in tariffs to allow both non-profits as well as profit-making enterprises to participate

The Land Institute's recommendations are contained in a report titled "20-20 by 2020: a Clear Vision for Clean Energy Prosperity", urging the utility's board to adopt FITs to encourage locally-owned wind and solar energy generation. The Land Institute argues that FITs, in contrast to tax subsidies, allow both non-profits and profit-making enterprises to participate. Through feed-in tariffs, the utility need not raise its own capital to build solar and wind projects in the community. Its ratepayers make the investment themselves and revenues they earn return directly to the community where they live. Gipe explains that if Traverse City Light & Power moves on the recommendations, the utility would be following in the footsteps of Gainesville Regional Utilities, a Florida municipal utility that launched a highly regarded solar FIT in 2009.


Solar PV, wind power and landfill gas to provide 20 % renewable energy by 2020

The Land Institute's proposal suggests that the utility use feed-in tariffs to install half of the planned renewable capacity additions, the equivalent of 3.3 megawatts (MW) of 50 kilowatt (kW) commercial-scale of rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV), and 15 MW from ten commercial-scale wind turbines. The wind and solar targets would provide 16 % of the utility's supply in 2020. Landfill gas would complete the remainder of the Land Institute's 20 % target for renewables by 2020.

2010-04-24   Courtesy: Paul Gipe   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

CPV manufacturer Amonix acquires USD9 million in new venture funding

Amonix CPV Installation at River Mountains WTF, Henderson, NV, USA
Amonix CPV Installation at River Mountains
WTF, Henderson, NV, USA

On April 20th, 2010, concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) manufacturer Amonix Inc. (Seal Beach, California, US) announced that the company has secured USD9 million in a new round of venture funding. The lead funder is Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers (Menlo Park, California, US), and Amonix says these new investments will allow the company to accelerate CPV shipments and expand manufacturing capacity.   "Amonix CPV systems have emerged as the lowest cost solar technology for sunny and dry environments", said Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers Partner Ben Kortlang. "Developers and utilities are choosing Amonix systems because of their 15-year track record in the field, high reliability, ease of deployment and industry-leading efficiency."



Latest in funding victories for Amonix

Other funders in this latest round include Adams Street Partners, Angeleno Group, PCG Clean Energy & Technology Fund, Vedanta Capital LP, New Silk Route, The Westly Group, and current investor MissionPoint Capital Partners. This series B round of funding follows on a series A round of USD million from Goldman Sachs and MissionPoint Capital.

The company has also received USD.6 million in grant funding from the US Department of Energy's Solar America Initiative, and USD.5 million in funds from the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit, as part of the ARRA, American President Obama's "stimulus package". Amonix says that the manufacturing tax credit will allow it to create 269 manufacturing jobs in Nevada and 167 jobs in Arizona.


Concentrated photovoltaics

CPV technologies work by focusing sunlight on a small area of photovoltaic material, which then transforms the light into electricity. This technology uses less of the expensive photovoltaic material, and also produces higher efficiencies - in this case due to Amonix, 31% module efficiency and 39% cell efficiency. However, it is only suitable for areas that have strong direct sunlight, such as desert climates.


Amonix as an industry veteran

Within this emerging industry, Amonix can boast considerable experience. The company was founded in 1989 and has installed CPV systems for fifteen years, undergoing seven generations of system development. Amonix also has the benefit of leaders who are experienced in utility-scale installations, as Amonix CEO Brian Robertson was a co-founder of SunEdison.

2010-04-23   Courtesy: Amonix Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Amonix Inc.

 

OPEL and Tecneira to partner on a 1MW HCPV plant in Portugal

CPV panels by OPEL Solar
CPV panels by OPEL Solar

On April 20th, 2010, OPEL Solar Inc. (Shelton, Connecticut, US) and renewable energy developer Tecneira S.A. (Porto Salvo, Portugal) announced a new partnership to develop concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) plants, starting with a 1MW high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) plant in Southern Portugal. The plant will be eligible to participate in Portugal's feed-in tariff, and will help the nation meet ambitious renewable energy goals.   "OPEL Solar is delighted to have the partnership with Tecneira as Portugal aggressively moves into CPV solar energy", said OPEL Solar CEO Robert Pico. "We understand that for the project award OPEL Solar’s technology was viewed as one of the most innovative and utility scalable to achieve Portugal’s solar energy goals for CPV." The HCPV plant will be located in Alqueva in the Moura Region of Southern Portugal, a region where Portugal's largest solar power installation, a 42MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, is also located. The Alqueva plant will utilize OPEL Mk-I HCPV solar panels on dual-axis tracking systems, which optimize system output while minimizing land usage.



CPV making progress

CPV uses reflectors to concentrate sunlight onto photovoltaic material, which then generates electricity. Though CPV systems have been under development since the 1970's, total installed CPV capacity is much smaller than either traditional PV or concentrated solar power, which concentrates sunlight to heat fluids to drive turbines. The OPEL/Tecneira 1MW installation is one of the larger CPV installations worldwide, and the announcement falls on an opportune day for CPV. On April 20, 2010, SolFocus announced a 235kW CPV project for an Australian airport, and CPV manufacturer Amonix announced that it had secured USD9 million in private funding.

OPEL has also made recent progress with CPV in the policy arena. On March 9, 2010 OPEL announced that their 330kW Vilalba Del Arcs solar plant, also constructed with Mk-I HCPV panels, was eligible to receive the Spanish feed-in tariff, making it one of the first commercial HCPV installations.


Portugal and solar power

Despite some of the strongest solar potential in Europe for both PV and concentrating solar technologies, the Portuguese solar industry has not had the growth that neighboring nations have. The nation passed one of the earliest feed-in tariffs in 1988, which was revised and strengthened in 1999, 2001 and 2005. In 2007 the feed-in tariff was expanded to include concentrating solar power technologies. In 2008, Portugal received 30.5% of its electricity from renewables, mostly hydropower.

However, Portugal reported only 80MW of solar in 2008, largely in two large projects - the Serpa Solar Power Plant at 11MW and the Moura Photovoltaic Power Station at 42MW. A second phase of the Moura plant is under construction, with 20MW more PV expected to come online this year. Both plants at the time of their planning were expected to be among the largest in the world.

2010-04-23   Courtesy: OPEL Solar Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: OPEL Solar Inc.

 

LDK Solar reaches 2GW annual solar wafer production

LDK solar facility
LDK solar facility

On April 19th, 2010, LDK Solar Company, Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) Chairman and CEO Xiaofeng Peng announced that the company's wafer production factory has reached 2.0GW annual production. The announcement was made at a ceremony at the 130,000 square meter Xinyu facility, which was built in 2005. The plant is the largest solar multicrystalline ingot and wafer production facility in Asia, and has the largest production of multicrystalline silicon wafers of any plant in the world. LDK's website states that the plant employs 3,000 persons.   "I am proud of the way our team has successfully executed one of the most impressive capacity ramps in the sector", stated LDK Solar Chairman and CEO Xiaofeng Peng. "As the solar industry emerges from a challenging period, we are pleased to grow our capacity to meet the rebound in customer demand. We look forward to providing updates on our future progress as we strive to be a leader in wafer manufacturing."


Victories for LDK Solar

This is the latest in a string of victories for LDK Solar, which on April 15th, 2010 signed a deal to provide Phoenix Solar AG on 20MW of modules. In February, the company took over Chinese module manufacturer Best Solar, and in March obtained a 25-year performance warranty for its modules from Munich Re.

China taking a larger share of global solar manufacturing

LDK is emerging as an industry leader in China, which is receiving an increasing share of global manufacturing along the supply chain for the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry. A number of American wafer manufacturers, including Evergreen Solar, are building facilities in China. Manufacturing supplier Applied Materials recently opened an operations hub in Singapore to take advantage of growing Asian manufacturing.
Industry analysts cite the lower costs of manufacturing in China as a prime factor, in particular lower labor costs. A depressed yuan also enhances the competitiveness of Chinese exporters.

2010-04-23   Courtesy: LDK Solar Company, Ltd.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: LDK Solar Company, Ltd.

 

PV production: Manz Automation AG opens development center for vacuum-coating technology

Manz Automation AG (Reutlingen, Germany), one of the world's leading technology providers for the photovoltaic and flat panel display (FPD) industry, has opened a development center for vacuum-coating technology in Karlstein (Hanau / Aschaffenburg region / Germany). The newly established subsidiary Manz Coating GmbH started work on March 1st, 2010. The core team with extensive, long-standing expertise in developing and building vacuum-coating equipment has commenced its activities at the new location.   The team is to be further expanded during the course of the year and all of the competences needed to develop vacuum-coating equipment and processes are to be bundled at this location. In addition, Manz also plans to set up a technical lab to develop and test new coating methods and technologies.


Costs of PV production lines can be reduced further

Developing vacuum-coating equipment for crystalline solar cells and thin-film solar modules is a key milestone in the company's growth. As a result, the future share accounted for by the machines developed and produced by the Manz Group for both technologies will increase to up to 90%, the company announces in a press release. This very high internal percentage of own machines allows extensive integration of individual machines and processes, Manz emphasizes. Consequently, the costs of production lines can be reduced still further, and the potential to increase efficiency to be even better exploited.

"Establishing vacuum-coating technology as an additional core competence opens up substantial potential for revenues over the medium term", Manz accentuates. "That is why entering this segment is a key strategic step for Manz in order to further drive the company's growth. The company plans to produce the machines at the Manz facilities in Europe and Asia and the new technology is forecasted to make initial contributions to increasing revenues from mid-2011."


First innovative machines to be launched on the market in 2011

Dieter Manz, Manz Automation AG's CEO, is very pleased to once again achieve a key strategic target: "We have succeeded in acquiring top-quality specialists for the design and development of vacuum-coating equipment. That is why we are very confident that, within the briefest of development periods, and that means in 2011, we will be able to launch the first innovative machines on the market. This is a decisive step for positioning Manz Automation as a provider of technology and process machines, and, in particular, to future-proof the entire group. This not only rounds out our product range, but also creates a broader technology footing to achieve future increases in efficiency for products in all of our company's divisions."

2010-04-23   Courtesy: Manz Automation AG   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Recurrent Energy to partner with BlueWatt on French rooftop solar installations

Karl Knight, Recurrent Energy Managing Director of International Development
Karl Knight, Recurrent Energy
Managing Director of
International Development

On April 20th, 2010, solar developer Recurrent Energy Inc. (San Francisco, California, US) announced a new partnership with renewable energy development start-up BlueWatt (Sophia Antipolis, France) to develop rooftop solar power plants in France. Under the agreement, Recurrent Energy will finance, own and operate the plants once contracts are in place, and BlueWatt will develop and co-invest in the systems. Recurrent Energy and BlueWatt say they plan to collaborate on the first 50MW of projects secured.   "This joint development agreement allows both Recurrent Energy and BlueWatt to bring many rooftop distributed-scale solar power opportunities to France", said Recurrent Energy Managing Director of International Development Karl Knight. "We are committed to assisting the growth of the French solar market and playing a role in that market that allows us to work with a select group of high quality early stage developers in order to bring their pipelines to maturity."


Investing in France

Despite good solar potential in south-west France, overall French solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity lags behind neighboring Germany, Italy and Spain. And while France passed a feed-in tariff in 2001, system sizes are limited to 12MW, and in previous years the French solar industry had complained of barriers to interconnection. France gets over 75% of its electricity from nuclear power facilities, and is also the world's largest exporter of the electricity generated from these plants. Retail electricity costs in France are lower than neighboring nations, requiring greater incentives to make PV profitable.

However, the climate in France may be changing. The nation installed 285MW of PV in 2009, the seventh highest in the world. The limit to system sizes may also be revisited this summer.

About Recurrent Energy

Recurrent Energy is an independent power producer and developer of distributed renewable energy projects. The company can claim 4.8MW of projects in Barcelona and Madrid, 50MW in Southern California and 177MW in Ontario, Canada, with a total of 1GW of projects in its development pipeline.

About BlueWatt

BlueWatt was incorporated in 2010 and emphasizes its expertise in managing large infrastructure projects.

2010-04-23   Courtesy: Recurrent Energy Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Recurrent Energy Inc.

 

Utah launches solar, wind rebate program

On April 19th, 2010 the US state of Utah began to take applications for rebates up to 25% of the cost of solar energy systems and small wind systems through the Utah State Energy Program (USEP). The rebates are available for residential, commercial and non-profit customers, and cover solar photovoltaics (PV) and solar water heaters as well as wind energy systems. The program is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, American President Obama's "stimulus package".   "This program will stimulate employment in grid-tied renewable energy construction and increase distributed renewable energy capacity", said Chris Tallackson, USEP Incentives Coordinator.



USD/watt for photovoltaic systems

The Utah program will pay USD/watt for photovoltaic systems up to 25kW for residences and 100kW for businesses and non-profits, with a cap of 25% of the system price or USD,750 for residential/USD,000 for commercial and non-profit entities. Solar hot water systems are eligible for rebates of USD/square foot (USD0/square meter) up to 25% of the system price or USD,500 for residential/USD,000 for commercial and non-profit entities. Rebates are processed throughout the year, as opposed to the tax rebates utilized in other states where customers must wait for the end of the year. Wind systems will receive a rebate of USD.50/watt, but system sizes are limited to 5kW.


Utah and solar

Utah has a less developed solar industry than the neighboring states of Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. The state is politically dominated by the Republican Party, which has been less supportive of renewable energy development than Obama's Democratic Party. Utah has a renewable portfolio standard goal of 20% renewable energy by 2025, but as the policy is "goals-based", there are no penalties for utilities failing to comply. Six US states have adopted goals-based policies, and they are generally considered to be ineffective for developing renewable energy industries.

Utah does have some of the best potential for both PV and concentrated solar power in the United States. Despite this capacity National Renewable Energy Laboratories ranked Utah 31st in grid-tied PV for the year 2008.

2010-04-23   Courtesy: State of Utah Department of Natural Resources   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

iSuppli predicts 93% increase in global PV capacity in 2010

On April 20th, 2010 industry analysts iSuppli Corporation (El Segundo, California, US) released updates to their estimates for the photovoltaics (PV) industry in 2010, stating that they anticipate a 93% growth in installed PV. This is a dramatic increase from the corporation's previous forecasts issued in February, and the company also suggests that the PV industry will undergo heavy fluctuations throughout the year. iSuppli cites strong German demand, healthy supply and a drop in cell and module prices as main factors.   "This will be an up and down year for PV installations", said iSuppli Director and Principal Analyst for PV Henning Wicht. "The first quarter of 2010 was negatively affected by winter conditions, likely causing a decline in installations compared to the fourth quarter of 2009. However, the second quarter is expected to be a blockbuster for the global PV industry."



Global increase driven by German demand

iSuppli predicts that global new installed PV will reach 13.6GW in 2010, up from 7GW in 2009. The corporation also predicts that German solar installations will continue to drive much of the industry. Germany remained far in the lead globally in 2009, with 3.8GW of new installations. This year reductions in Germany's feed-in tariff will take effect, however the company predicts that new feed-in tariffs in other nations will spur intense growth later in the year. "Reduced Feed-in-Tariffs (FIT) in Germany are coming in July and consumers in that country will rush to install PV systems before that incentive becomes less compelling", said Wicht. "A market correction will happen in the third quarter, leading to a huge fourth quarter due to the approach of other countries’ FIT deadlines in January 2011."

iSuppli analysts suggest that the US will challenge Italy as the strongest secondary market for PV, as well as predicting growth in the rest of the global solar market. Italy passed its "Conto Energia" incentive policy in 2007, and has seen a large expansion of its solar industry, with 700MW installed in 2009 alone.


Strong supply and lower prices

The other factors cited by iSuppli are adequate supply and lower prices for PV. Wholesale prices of manufactured PV continue to drop, falling precipitously in 2008. In 2009, Chinese manufacturing of everything from polysilicon to completed panels boomed, which will continue to further drive down prices. "Plummeting prices for solar panels during 2009 now are being reflected in system prices", Wicht observed. "These price declines will compensate for the FIT reductions, resulting in a favorable Return on Investment (ROI) for homeowners and project developers. In some cases, the ROI will remain higher than 10 percent."


A difficult year for the PV supply chain

However, iSuppli analysts are quick to point out that they do not expect the anticipated ups and downs of the solar industry in 2010 to be without consequence. The update states that the company expects a 90% utilization rate for crystalline silicon production facilities, with Tier 1 suppliers selling out of product and greater demand on Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers. "These quarterly ups and downs in 2010 will result in a difficult year for the PV supply chain and production planners as they struggle to figure out how much is needed, where it is needed and when is it needed", Wicht said. "Because of this, there could be material supply constraints during the year. Spot shortages of inverters, and perhaps panels, could curtail growth to some degree."

The final observation of the iSuppli report is that production of crystalline silicon modules will likely have difficulty keeping up with demand in 2011, which could limit market growth in that year.

Further Information: http://www.isuppli.com/news.aspx

2010-04-22   Courtesy: iSuppli; SEIA Solar Industry Year in Review 2009   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Evergreen Solar releases preliminary 1Q 2010 financial results, announces record shipments

A close-up of Evergreen Solar's string ribbon production
A close-up of Evergreen Solar's string
ribbon production

PV Manufacturer Evergreen Solar Inc. (Marlboro, Massachusetts) has announced record shipments of 35.4MW of solar cells and modules in the first quarter of 2010, according to a statement released on April 19th, 2010. These preliminary results are good news for the manufacturer, which has been claiming losses in previous quarters due the costs of opening and closing facilities.   "Overall, demand for our product in the first quarter was strong and our selling prices decreased modestly by approximately 4% from the fourth quarter of 2009, mostly due to the stronger US dollar", said Evergreen President and CEO Rick Feldt. The company claims 1Q revenues of USD.5 million, with average selling prices of .20/watt and manufacturing prices of .05/watt. Evergreen predicts a sales and production in the second quarter of 2010 to reach between 37 and 38MW.



Vertically integrated manufacturer developing a new facility in Wuhan, China

Evergreen solar's proprietary String Ribbon process allows production of solar cells with less polysilicon than other manufacturing processes, by casting long continuous strips of silicon. The company is a vertically integrated manufacturer, producing everything from wafers to finished panels in a single facility. Evergreen Solar has manufacturing facilities in the US States of Massachusetts and Michigan as well as in Thalheim, Germany, and the company is also developing a new facility in Wuhan, China. "Our progress in Wuhan, China is on schedule and we expect to begin production in mid 2010. I am particularly pleased to report that we produced our first wafers from Quad furnaces initially being used for training purposes, which were installed in Wuhan in mid-March", states Evergreen CEO Rick Feldt.

2010-04-22   Courtesy: Evergreen Solar Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Evergreen Solar Inc.

 

Britain's Liberal Democrats announce plan for solar rebates and green economic development

Liberal Democratic Leader Nick Glegg focuses on green energy
Liberal Democratic Leader Nick
Glegg focuses on green energy

On Monday, April 19th, 2010 the British Liberal Democratic Party announced plans to stimulate "green" economic development, including a rebate program for solar and other small-scale renewable energy generation. The Liberal Democrats released the plan in preparation for the May 5th parliamentary elections, where polls indicate the party has an opportunity to gain seats from the ruling Labour Party. The plan is similar in intention to American President Obama's "stimulus package", and takes advantage of lackluster support for renewables from the Labour Party.   "Today I will set out further details of our costed plan for an immediate green job creation package, taking over £3bn of savings to invest in housing transport and green energy", said Liberal Democratic Leader Nick Glegg, in introducing the plan. "This will provide an immediate jobs boost and help create the green infrastructure we need for a low carbon economy."


£400 rebates for energy efficiency and small-scale renewable energy generation

Liberal Democrats claim to have identified £3.1 billion of public spending that can be diverted towards environmentally friendly stimulus projects, which they say will create 30,000 jobs. By coupling economic recovery with environmental policies, the plan mirrors the basic messaging of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, American President Obama's so-called "stimulus plan", and the "green jobs" message of American activist and author Van Jones.

The plan includes expansion of offshore wind, a green paid internship program, interest-free loans for energy efficiency assistance, renovation of empty homes and the "eco-cashback" program. This rebate program will provide £400 rebates for energy efficiency and small-scale renewable energy generation, including installing photovoltaics (PV). The Liberal Democratic Party claims that the rebate program alone will create 8,000 new jobs.


Liberal Democrats take advantage of environmental edge

The Liberal Democrats have long emphasized their environmental credentials, including claiming the best ranking by environmental organization Friends of the Earth. Observers including the Guardian (UK) say their latest manifesto is the most aggressive on environmental issues, more so than the manifesto of the ruling Labour Party.

In most European nations and the United States, support for renewable energy policies has been strongest from left and left-leaning parties. A Socialist-Green coalition enacted Germany's widely referenced law favoring renewable energy, and Obama's Democratic Party is preferred among the two main parties by American environmentalists.

The position of British Parties has something of an exception, with the traditionally more left-leaning Labour Party supplying only moderate support for strong environmental policies. Despite holding a ruling position since 1997, it has taken the Labour Party until April of 2010 to launch a feed-in tariff, years after most Western European nations and a decade after Germany's groundbreaking policy.

2010-04-22   Courtesy: Liberal Democratic Party   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Liberal Democratic Party

 

Empire Power Systems to install Arizona's largest rooftop solar PV system

EPS General Manager Brett Burns.
EPS General Manager Brett Burns.

On April 19th, 2010 Empire Power Systems (Mesa, Arizona, US) announced plans to install a 2.4MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant on the roof of a warehouse in Phoenix, Arizona. Photovoltaic panels will occupy 26,000 square meters of the 80,000 square meter roof, as the largest rooftop solar installation in the US state of Arizona. The plant will utilize SunPower's T5 Solar Roof Tiles, a non-penetrating system.   "Providing reliable power is what we do, so solar power was a natural extension of our business", explained EPS General Manager Brett Burns. "Agreements with companies like SunPower enable us to provide commercial solar options that combine our expertise with the best products on the market."




T5 Solar Roof Tiles

Panel and inverter producer SunPower's T5 Roof Tiles are modular systems that do not require installers to penetrate the roof membrane, removing a source of potential problems for building owners. SunPower Roof Tile systems contain the panel, frame and mounting system in one pre-engineered unit. "We are pleased to partner with EPS to provide the T5 roof tile technology for this significant project in Arizona", said SunPower Corporation Residential and Commercial Business Group President Jim Pape. "Our proven technology and high-efficiency solar panels will help Cowley Companies to maximize the emission free solar power generated on the roof, as well as savings on electricity costs."


Incentives from APS

The plant will take advantage of a production-based incentive through utility Arizona Public Service's (Phoenix, Arizona, US) Renewable Energy Incentive Program, which in turn helps the utility meet its renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requirements of 15% renewable sources of electricity by 2025. The state of Arizona has strong solar potential and in recent months utilities have announced a number of solar projects to meet RPS requirements. On April 2, Arizona Public Service obtained approval for its 1.5MW Community Power Program, a renewable energy pilot program that utilizes solar photovoltaics, solar water heaters and small-scale wind in a neighborhood in Flagstaff, Arizona.

For 60 years, Empire Power Systems has provided both primary and backup power generation systems to hospitals, municipalities, schools, data centers, telecommunication centers and manufacturers. The company launched a renewable energy division in 2008.

2010-04-22   Courtesy: EPS; SunPower   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: EPS.

 

Pacific Blue acquires 154 acres for solar plant

In early April 2010, Pacific Blue Energy Corporation (Phoenix, Arizona) purchased 154 acres in Northern Arizona in preparation to build a solar plant. Though company officials have not committed to a size for the plant, they say the site could accommodate a 20MW facility. The land sits at 1600 meters above sea level, 30 miles east of the city of Flagstaff, and is already permitted to be used for such a project.   "We are very excited about this acquisition because we believe it’s a perfect location for our very first solar farm in Arizona - a state with abundant sunlight", said Pacific Blue Energy Corporation CEO Joel Franklin. "We also believe it has great merits for approval by county officials who have stated a preference for locating new developments on already impacted sites. Add to that the fact that it’s located close to existing power transmission lines - a major advantage not shared by every other potential solar and wind farm." Pacific Blue Energy Company was founded in October 2009. The company is also seeking a majority share in a commercial wind farm.




Arizona's potential and policies

The project is the latest to take advantage of Arizona's combination of strong solar potential and renewable energy policies. The state passed a renewable portfolio standard in 2006 which requires that utilities generate 15% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025. Among other incentives, the state offers a 10% tax credit for solar and other qualifying renewable energy projects, regardless of size.

2010-04-22   Courtesy: Pacific Blue Energy Corporation   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

SunPower announces new three-year, 350 million US-dollar letter of credit facility

SunPower Corporation (SunPower; San Jose, California), a provider of high efficiency solar cells, solar panels, and solar energy systems, on April 15th, 2010 announced that it had signed a new three-year letter of credit facility. The new facility, which initially provides for a maximum issuance of 350 million US-dollars in letters of credit but, at the agreement of the parties, may be increased to a maximum of 400 million US-dollars, will replace the company's existing 250 million US-dollars letter of credit facility and will be underwritten by a syndicate of banks that include Deutsche Bank, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Citi, Credit Suisse, and Barclays Capital.   "SunPower's new letter of credit facility will further support our growing commercial, utility and power plant businesses in North America and Europe", said Dennis Arriola, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of SunPower. "This new facility gives us, initially, 100 million US-dollars of additional letter of credit capacity, with the ability to add another 50 million US-dollars, and improves our balance sheet flexibility by reducing our cash collateral requirement from 100 % to 50 %."

2010-04-22   Courtesy: SunPower Corporation   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Ontario announces 184 large-scale renewable energy projects

Ontario Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Hon. Brad Duguid
Ontario Minister of Energy
and Infrastructure, Hon.
Brad Duguid

More Ontario homes and businesses are soon to be powered by green energy with the awarding of contract offers for almost 2,500 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy, Ontario's Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Brad Duguid announced in April 2010. According to a press release issued by the Ontario Power Authority, these projects, approved under the province's landmark feed-in tariff (FIT), are part of the largest green energy investment of its kind in Canadian history.   The projects are reportedly in addition to the 510 renewable energy contract offers totaling 112 MW that had been approved in March 2010. "These projects are the latest accomplishments of the Green Energy Act which is making Ontario a place of destination for green energy development, manufacturing, and expertise", said Minister Duguid. "The investments generated by FIT will not only create green jobs, but will also build a coal-free legacy for future generations."


Feed-in tariff program expected to create 20,000 direct and indirect green jobs

The 184 recently approved projects are expected to generate enough energy to power about 600,000 homes. Located in communities across the province, the total 694 FIT contract offers announced to date are expected to create 20,000 direct and indirect green jobs and attract about 9 billion Canadian dollars in private sector investment, as well as investment in new Ontario-based manufacturing. "In six short months the feed-in tariff program has delivered strong results and has more than exceeded our expectations," said Ontario Power Authority Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Colin Andersen.

Province's goal is to eliminate coal-fired energy generation by 2014

According to the press release, 76 of the approved projects are ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV), 47 are on-shore wind and 46 are waterpower projects. There are also seven biogas, two biomass, four landfill gas, one roof top solar and one off-shore wind project, OPA reports. Significantly expanding the amount of renewable generation is a declared goal of the provincial government to address climate change by eliminating dirty coal-fired generation by the end of 2014. The FIT program's mandatory domestic content requirements are believed to help make the province North America's leader in green jobs and manufacturing. Enabling community and aboriginal participation in renewable energy development is also a key objective of Ontario's Green Energy Act, OPA reports. Thirty-six community and aboriginal projects are to receive a first round FIT contract. Finally, a planned transmission system expansion is to open up capacity to accommodate more renewable projects.

2010-04-21   Courtesy: powerauthority.on.ca   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Ontario Power Authority

 

Samsonite selects Ascent Solar PV modules for integration into carrying cases

Carrying case with solar PV modules
Carrying case with solar PV modules

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (Thornton, Colorado), a developer of flexible thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, on April 14th, 2010 announced that Samsonite, a global provider of travel solutions, had selected flexible light-weight copper indium gallium diselenium (CIGS) modules from Ascent Solar to be integrated into its new line of solar consumer products which are to be launched in the summer.   The two companies have reportedly been working together through the product development phase, and this announcement is believed to symbolize the progress and innovation from both companies to make portable power a part of an everyday product.


Integration of solar PV modules into carrying cases to power mobile electronics devices

Lynne Berard, Samsonite Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said: "As our lives depend more and more on mobile electronics and the need to power and carry such devices, we believe that integrating solar panels into our carrying case solutions will be a game changer in the industry. By utilizing the unique, flexible, lightweight, rugged and subtle modules from Ascent Solar, we are able to provide our customers with power on the go, while not compromising our stringent standards for quality and style." Farhad Moghadam, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ascent Solar, said: "Samsonite is a name that needs no introduction. Our selection by Samsonite gives Ascent Solar a clear path to market with solar integrated consumer products and establishes Ascent as a solar technology solution provider that can meet the needs of consumers demanding a rugged and light-weight portable way to power their electronics."

2010-04-21   Courtesy: Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Samsonite

 

Maryland: Governor O'Malley announces rooftop solar systems for five state office buildings

As part of Maryland's "Smart, Green and Growing" initiative, Governor Martin O'Malley in March 2010 announced an agreement concerning the installation of rooftop solar systems on five buildings managed by the Maryland Department of General Services (DGS). According to the press release, the solar units are to be installed at no up-front cost to Maryland taxpayers under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) between DGS and SunEdison (Beltsville, Maryland), one of North America's largest solar energy services providers and a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials.   Through the agreement, SunEdison is to install, finance, own and operate the five solar power systems. DGS pledges to purchase the energy generated from the systems for 20 years.


Solar energy systems to offset about 1 million pounds of CO2 emissions per year

According to the press release, all the produced solar power will be used on site at the State buildings, saving about 585,063 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity annually. The solar installations are expected to reduce green house gas emissions by approximately 1 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year. The five rooftop solar systems are to be constructed on DGS-operated buildings located in Anne Arundel, Cecil and Howard counties as well as in Baltimore City. Construction is scheduled to start in May 2010. "This agreement provides an extraordinary opportunity for the State to improve energy efficiency in our facilities, protect the environment, and save the taxpayers money", said Governor O'Malley about the PPA. "Building a more secure, predictable energy future begins with innovations like solar energy. Especially in tough economic times, we will continue to find ways to make government work more efficiently while protecting our shared priorities."


Funds still available for solar energy installations on Maryland's public and commercial buildings

Once built, the five rooftop solar array systems are expected to generate over 630,000 kWh of energy in the first year alone. Over their 20 year lifespan, the solar power arrays are expected to offset over 22 million pounds of CO2 emissions. The environmental attributes associated with these solar systems are to be retained by SunEdison and could be transferred or sold to a third party. "Governor O'Malley launched project Sunburst to put as much solar on public buildings as possible", remarked Malcolm Woolf, Director of the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA). "Today's announcement is yet another success in creating solar energy jobs and saving tax payers money for years to come." Woolf added that funds are still available at MEA for grants and loans to support solar energy on public and commercial buildings. He invited all interested parties to contact MEA for more details on this opportunity.

2010-04-21   Courtesy: www.dgs.maryland.gov   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Maryland Legislature increases RPS non-compliance penalties

In early April 2010, a bill to strengthen the US state of Maryland's renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policy passed through both houses of the Maryland Legislature. SB277 increases alternative compliance payments (ACPs), which can mean more money for solar power producers through the sale of renewable energy credits (RECs), and will increase the solar targets for until 2017. RPS policies require utilities to purchase or generate an increasing amount of their electricity from renewable energy sources.   In reference to the bill, the Maryland Governor O'Malley's office has stated that: "Additional solar energy in Maryland will decrease peak load electricity prices in the summertime, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by displacing fossil-fueled powered generation, create new green jobs, and help Maryland meet its renewable energy goals".

SB277 was passed by the Maryland House on April 3, and the Maryland Senate approved the new version on April 7. Maryland Governor O'Malley introduced the legislation and is expected to sign it into law.


Alternative compliance payments and renewable energy credits

Alternative compliance payments are a common way that RPS policies are enforced. If a utility fails to generate or purchase enough renewable energy, it has two choices: buy RECs from renewable energy providers, including solar producers, or pay the ACP. The price of RECs is set by market mechanisms, but their price ceiling is limited by the cost of ACPs.

Maryland's RPS policy requires a portion of the renewable energy targets to be met with solar photovoltaics (PV), and sets ACP payments for this as well, which creates a distinct trade in solar renewable energy credits (SRECS). With SB277, the Maryland legislature will increase the ACP for failing to comply with the solar RPS requirements by USD$.05-.10 per kWh.

The Maryland Department of Legislative Services estimates that in 2009, the average SREC price was 80% of the ACP. The state's Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities, estimates that in 2009 half the shortfall by utilities was covered through ACPs and half was covered through SRECs, meaning an estimated million trade in the credits. As the percentage of renewable energy that a utility is required to purchase increases, the potential volume of trade in SRECs increases.


Maryland's RPS policy

Maryland's first RPS policy was passed in 2004. In 2007, the solar requirement was added, and the law was strengthened. If signed, SB277 will be the second modification of the policy.

Maryland Governor O'Malley's office states that the RPS law “is intended to provide long-term support for Maryland’s growing solar industry”, and to put the state's solar goals in line with those of neighboring states Delaware and New Jersey. New Jersey has been second only to California in total solar installations in the nation.

2010-04-21   Courtesy: Maryland Governor; NREL State of the States 2009   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Indiana chemists make breakthrough in carbon-based light absorption

Molecular structure of grapheme
Molecular structure of grapheme

In their quest to make a better light absorption material, Indiana University Bloomington chemists have developed an improved technique for making stable sheets of graphene. The team of scientists was able to add a rigid sidegroup to the molecular structure of graphene, which keeps individual sheets separate and allows them to be dissolved. Graphene is a one-atom thick sheet of carbon, chemically similar to the graphite used in pencils. 





Materials for light absorption in solar cells

Before a photovoltaic (PV) cell can transform light into electricity, it must first absorb the light. "Our interest stems from wanting to find an alternative, readily available material that can efficiently absorb sunlight", said chemist Liang-Shi Li, who led the research. "At the moment the most common materials for absorbing light in solar cells are silicon and compounds containing ruthenium. Each has disadvantages." Ruthenium has the advantage of being potentially cheaper than silicon, but it is a rare element and were it to be widely used, inevitable shortages of Ruthenium would drive the cost up and limit production.

Graphene shows potential as a material for light absorption, but scientists have run into difficulties processing graphene. Sheets of graphene tend to stick together, limiting electricity production. They have tried slicing graphene from larger pieces, but have had difficulty controlling the sizes produced.


Innovations in Bloomington

The method utilized by the Bloomington chemists is to grow a sheet of graphene and attach another material to the sides of the molecules, which keep the sheets separate. Using this technique, the chemists were able to create a sheet of graphene made up of 168 atoms. While this is far too small to see, it is the largest single graphene sheet that has been grown yet, and the chemists believe this method will allow them to make graphene sheets of stable sizes.

Another advantage of the sidegroup is that it makes the graphene sheets soluble, and Bloomington scientists were able to dissolve their graphene sheet in an organic solvent. "This is just as important as the relatively large size of the graphene itself", noted Li.


Testing

The chemists have also tested these graphene sheets using basic solar cells with titanium dioxide as an electrode acceptor. The team was able to achieve a 200-microampere-per-square-cm current density and an open-circuit voltage of 0.48 volts. The graphene sheets absorbed a significant amount of light in the visible to near-infrared range with peak absorption occurring at 591 nm. "Harvesting energy from the sun is a prerequisite step", Li said. "How to turn the energy into electricity is the next. We think we have a good start."

The scientists' report has been published online and will appear in a future issue of Nano Letters, a journal of the American Chemical Society. This research was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund.

2010-04-21   Courtesy: Bloomington University Indiana   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Indiana University

 

Virginia Governor McDonnell signs green energy legislation

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell on April 2nd, 2010 visited the campus of Old Dominion University (ODU) to sign into law a number of green energy bills that had been passed by the General Assembly during the current session. According to the press release, the Governor was joined at the bill signing by Democratic and Republican legislators and a number of environmental and energy industry organizations. Among the measures receiving the Governor's signature was his legislation to provide a 500 US-dollar tax credit for each green job created in the Commonwealth.   Governor McDonnell said: "Our green job tax credit will encourage more alternative energy entrepreneurs to make Virginia their home. If you invest in creating quality green jobs for Virginia workers, the Commonwealth will invest in you."


Virginia universities to research and develop green energy technologies

McDonnell also approved a measure establishing the Universities Clean Energy Development and Economic Stimulus Foundation, which is to focus efforts to promote green energy research and development in Virginia. Delegate Rob Bell (R-Charlottesville), who had carried this bill in the House of Delegates, remarked: "Virginia's colleges and universities are known worldwide as incubators of innovation. By making schools like Old Dominion, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech into green energy research centers we put our institutions of higher learning at the center of the industries of the future."


Legislation to support development of wind energy projects

Furthermore, legislation was signed to create the “Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority” and a framework that rewards investor-owned electric utilities for using wind energy. The Governor also signed legislation to authorize investor-owned natural gas utilities to petition the State Corporation Commission to implement a separate rider that is to allow for recovery of certain costs associated with eligible infrastructure replacement projects and to give localities the authority to, in order to secure loans for the initial acquisition and installation of clean energy improvements, place liens equal in value to the loan against any property where such clean energy systems are being installed.


Virginia to become "Energy Capital of the East Coast"

The bill signing took place just two days after Virginia was given federal approval to become the first state on the East Coast to explore for and produce oil and natural gas offshore. Through a policy proposal promoted by the Governor, 20 % of future revenues received by the state from this offshore energy development will go to green energy research and development at the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium on ODU's campus. Both the offshore announcement and the signing of the bill are believed to advance Governor McDonnell's pledge to make Virginia "The Energy Capital of the East Coast."


Virginia Governor calls for more in-state energy production

McDonnell said: "Currently, Virginia is the second largest importer of electricity in America, trailing only California. We need to take immediate steps to produce more energy right here, and to do so in a comprehensive manner. We need more oil, coal and natural gas, but we also need more wind, solar, biomass and nuclear production as well. When I came to Old Dominion University almost exactly one year ago, I pledged to take a comprehensive approach to make Virginia 'The Energy Capital of the East Coast.' With the recent news that Virginia will be the first state on the East Coast to produce energy offshore, and this bill signing event today, we are making significant progress in this effort, and doing it in a bipartisan manner."

2010-04-21   Courtesy: governor.virginia.gov   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Silfab and REgeneration Finance form joint-venture to develop utility-scale solar PV projects in the United States

Silfab S.p.A. (Silfab; Padova, Italy), an international vertically-integrated photovoltaic (PV) company, in mid-April 2010 announced that it had entered into a joint-venture with REgeneration Finance LLC., a developer of solar energy projects with offices in Harrison (New York) and San Francisco (California).   According to the press release, the transaction includes both a capital investment from Silfab to finance a REgeneration affiliate and a collaboration agreement between REgeneration and Silfab North American subsidiary, Silfab USA LLC. The funds are to be used to expand the program of financing and structuring commercial and utility scale solar energy projects involving schools, universities, municipalities and major corporations spearheaded by REgeneration. Besides participating as a capital investor, Silfab is to contribute with its technical expertise as utility scale developer and PV products and systems manufacturer.


Transaction involves both a capital investment and a collaboration agreement

According to the press release, the initial focus is to structure and provide construction, debt and related equity financing to large-scale distributive generation projects throughout the United States. The joint venture is to ultimately own these projects. "The marrying of REgeneration's financial expertise with our long experience in developing and operating photovoltaic power-plants should deliver ultimate benefits to US consumers seeking affordable, clean energy", commented Franco Traverso, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Silfab, the agreement. Lorrie Friedman, REgeneration's CEO, said: "We are very proud to be associated with one of Europe's top PV integrators and solar energy providers. This partnership provides cutting-edge technologies and best practices that have evolved in the European markets." Silfab reports that Coltin Securities LLC had acted as REgeneration's financial advisor in the transaction.

2010-04-20   Courtesy: Silfab S.p.A.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Saflex, in collaboration with Oerlikon Solar, developed new reflective solar PV encapsulant

Standard encaspulant (left); new Saflex PA27 Radiant White
Standard encaspulant (left);
new Saflex PA27 Radiant White

Saflex (St. Louis, Missouri), a business unit of performance materials and specialty chemicals company Solutia, on April 14th, 2010 announced that it was launching a breakthrough solar photovoltaic (PV) encapsulant that is said to help increase the efficiency of solar modules while reducing material usage at the same time.   The new product, called "Radiant White PA27", is believed to represent a new class of value-added encapsulants. The product is reportedly based on a collaboration between Oerlikon Solar (Pfäffikon, Switzerland) and Saflex to rapidly drive thin-film PV technology towards grid parity.




Ultra-thin reflective encapsulant to make other reflective technologies obsolete

Saflex reports that its Radiant White PA27 encapsulant is unique in that it ensures long-term durability of panels and also reflects light back through the module that is not initially absorbed by the active layers. According to the press release, module manufacturers can expect their panel efficiency to increase due to the higher reflectivity of white PA27 compared to other reflective technologies like white paint or metallic back contacts. PA27 is reportedly manufactured to an ultra-thin thickness of 0.51 mm, compared to standard PVB encapsulants that typically range from 0.76 to 1.14 mm in thickness.


Encapsulant believed to increase solar PV panel efficiency, reduce material usage

To re-direct light back through the film for improved energy conversion, most solar modules utilize a reflective metallic stack or reflective white coat. PA27 reportedly incorporates the reflective benefits provided by these more traditional methods into the encapsulant, giving module manufacturers a cost-effective solution to increase solar panel efficiency and simplify the manufacturing process. "We continually challenge all suppliers to aggressively deliver solutions to help make solar power economically viable around the world", commented Dai-Won Suh, Strategic Sourcing Manager for Oerlikon Solar. "Saflex exceeded our expectations by developing a new encapsulant that improved panel efficiency and further reduced material usage in record time."


Reflective encapsulant also features high resistivity

According to the press release, PA27 also features a two-order-of-magnitude increase in bulk resistivity. This reportedly allows for significant improvements in the wet insulation resistance of the module, resulting in a reduction in current losses to ground and an increase in the power collected from each module. "We understand that Oerlikon Solar's customers expect long-term efficiency gains with 'Micromorph' PV technology," said Christopher Reed, Saflex Global Business Director, Photovoltaics. "Working closely with Oerlikon Solar, we were able to develop an advanced reflective encapsulant for Micromorph manufacturers to help drive down cost and maximize productivity."

2010-04-20   Courtesy: Saflex   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Saflex

 

USA: Atlas Material Testing adds coastal/marine option to its PV module durability test program

Atlas offers PV module durability testing
Atlas offers PV module durability
testing

In response to customer feedback on evaluating the effects of salt corrosion on photovoltaic (PV) modules used in seaside installations and marine applications, Atlas Material Testing Technology (Chicago, Illinois) on April 6th, 2010 announced that it now offers a "coastal/marine" test option to the Atlas “25PLUS” PV module durability testing program.   This new option may be added to either the standard "Global Composite" or "Tropical/ Sub-Tropical" climate tracks of the test program, Atlas reports. The coastal/marine option requires an additional PV module to the standard test program and will extend the total test time from twelve to thirteen months.





PV modules exposed to standardized synthetic seawater to determine performance in marine environment

According to the press release, the additional PV test module is exposed at the sub-tropical Atlas Testing Services, South Florida test site where standardized synthetic seawater is applied via spray five days a week to the front and back of a near-horizontal solar module. In addition to that, the laboratory accelerated aged module from the standard 25PLUS program is to undergo an additional final month of salt fog and condensing humidity chamber exposure. These added stresses are expected to provide valuable data on the effects of saltwater exposure on both new and severely weather-aged modules for data comparison to the non-saltwater exposed performance.


Additional testing capabilities to be introduced in 2010

Atlas also reports that it will introduce new test enhancements to its “25PLUS” program in 2010. They are to include accelerated dust/dirt pickup and retention, mold and mildew growth and other secondary environmental stress factors such as urban/industrial soot and pollution. The company reports that it is able to custom design or modify outdoor or laboratory based tests to meet specific client objectives and requirements. Atlas offers material testing services with a complete line of instruments for accelerated and natural weathering. For accelerated laboratory and outdoor testing, Atlas Weathering Services Group currently maintains five laboratories and over 20 outdoor exposure sites around the world in a variety of climates, including desert, subtropical, high-altitude and corrosive.

2010-04-20   Courtesy: Atlas Material Testing Technology   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Atlas Material Testing Technology

 

Bosch Rexroth and Bosch Solar Energy present innovative system consisting of support and photovoltaic module

Inserting solar modules within only 15 seconds: Bosch Rexroth slide-in system for frameless thin-film solar modules made by Bosch Solar Energy
Inserting solar modules within only 15 seconds:
Bosch Rexroth slide-in system for frameless
thin-film solar modules made by Bosch Solar
Energy

At this year's Hannover Messe trade show, Bosch Rexroth is showcasing an innovative slide-in system for installing frameless thin-film solar modules made by Bosch Solar Energy AG. The combination of support and photovoltaic module enables solar modules to be installed twice as fast as they would with conventional mounting systems, Bosch reports in a press release. Speed is assured due to the reliable, easy-to-use slide-in technology, which relies on tracks instead of the usual clamps. The photovoltaic modules are simply inserted into the guide pieces and fastened instantly.   The system due to the producer cuts installation time in half to 15 seconds per module, meaning around twice as many modules can be installed using Rexroth slide-in technology as they would using a conventional, four-point clamping system in the same amount of time.

As installation brackets and clamps are no longer required, material costs are also reduced by about 40 percent. "Together with Bosch Solar Energy's micromorph thin-film solar modules, we are able to provide a competitive system consisting of a substructure and a photovoltaic module which combines the lowest system costs, the lowest number of individual components and the shortest installation time", explains Jörg Walther, Head of Assembly Technology in the Linear Motion and Assembly Technologies Business Area at Bosch Rexroth.

The system is built on a base frame, which features variable table lengths, bracket spacing and insert depth. Together with the slide-in track, the frame forms a complete unit, which securely encloses solar modules on a permanent basis. The module structure is also perfectly matched to the system. With their hardened front glass, Bosch Solar Energy's micromorph thin-film solar modules according to Bosch can withstand mechanical loads up to 2,400 Pascal in this mounting system. This corresponds to 350 kilograms of weight acting on the module.

Bosch Rexroth and Bosch Solar Energy are now exploring a further development of this unique integrated system. In the near future, it should also be available for framed modules and, consequently, for crystalline applications, smaller rooftop systems and special uses, such as systems in coastal areas.


Photovoltaic systems in integrated packages

Over the last year, this intelligent combination between support and photovoltaic module has already proven its worth in different solar parks. The system has already been used to install around 75,000 Bosch modules and, what's more, within a period of two months thanks to quick and easy installation. Bosch supplies its clients not only with high-grade, ideally matched components, but also offers its own in-house specialists to provide support in planning, system design and professional installation for both smaller solar power systems and major turnkey photovoltaic projects. "Anyone who invests in photovoltaics invests in a pollution-free future. And anyone who chooses Bosch for their photovoltaic project benefits from a global partner network, sees their investment in a system paid off more quickly and is assured high yields on a long-term basis", concludes Peter Schneidewind, Head of Sales at Bosch Solar Energy.

2010-04-20   Courtesy: Bosch Group   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Bosch Group

 

Yingli Green Energy completes trial runs at polysilicon plant

On April 15th, 2010, polysilicon, solar cell and module manufacturer Yingli Green Energy (Baoding, China), announced that it has completed 75% of the trial runs at its Fine Silicon polysilicon manufacturing facility. The company is also expanding its photovoltaic cell and module production, and expects to reach 1GW of production by 2011.   "We are very excited to have reached these significant technical milestones", said Fine Silicon General Manager Yuehe Zhang. "With advanced monosilane-based polysilicon manufacturing technology, we believe it is reasonable to spend about six months on the three main steps of trial production."


Fine Silicon on schedule

Yingli Green energy says that it has completed trial operation of its chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor, and nearly half the trial runs for the silane production process. The company expects the 3000 metric tons per year (MTY) plant to reach fully integrated trial production of polysilicon in the middle of this year. "The successful trial operation of our CVD reactor proves the significant electricity-saving advantages of the technology we have adopted for Fine Silicon", says Fine Silicon's Zhang. "We look forward to polysilicon production cost declining gradually as a result of continued utilization rate improvement."


Expansion of PV cell and module production

Yingli Green is also in the process of expanding its PV production capacity at plants in Baoding and Hainan. The two projects represent 300MW of 100MW of new production capacity, respectively, in addition to the company's current 600MW capacity. Yingli Green Energy expects this expansion to be completed by by the end of the year.


New Chief Operating Officer

Accompanying the update on the trial runs, Yingli has also announced that Xiaoqiang Zheng will take over as Chief Operating Officer at the company, replacing Dr. Seok Jin Lee. Mr. Zheng has been with Yingli Green Energy since 2000, holding a number of management positions including Manager of the Wafer Workshop, Manager of the Research and Development Center, Chief Engineer of the Technical Department, Equipment Manager and Production Planning Manager.

2010-04-20   Courtesy: Yingli Green Energy   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Dow Jones plans solar-powered system to generate clean energy

Dow Jones & Company (New York, New York) on April 12th, 2010 announced plans to construct a large-scale solar-power installation to generate clean energy for its corporate offices in central New Jersey. At 4.1 megawatts (MW) capacity, the system is expected to be one of the largest installations for solar power at a single commercial site in the United States.   "Investing in solar power confirms our commitment to environmental responsibility", said Les Hinton, Chief Executive of Dow Jones. "Dow Jones wants to be one of the companies making a difference. Solar power is a renewable reminder that clean energy is possible and that responsible businesses can make it happen."


Solar system to cover approx. 15 % of campus' annual energy needs

Dow Jones is a global publisher of news and business information. The company's largest facility is a 200-acre campus in South Brunswick (New Jersey), where nearly 2,000 staff members are working. According to the press release, the solar system design calls for more than 13,000 solar panels covering nearly 230,000 square feet of parking space on Dow Jones's Bernard Kilgore campus in South Brunswick. The system is expected to produce the equivalent of 5 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year, energy that is to power the servers and computers that support the global operations of Dow Jones. At peak performance, the solar installation is to be capable of supplying half the site's energy needs. Over the course of the year, accounting for the hours when the sun isn't bright or not shining at all, the system is expected to supply nearly 15 % of the campus's total energy needs.


Solar power plant makes environmental and economical sense

Stephen Daintith, Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Dow Jones, said: "What makes this investment attractive is that not only are there meaningful environmental benefits but we also will see significant tax incentives and a substantial reduction in our annual energy costs." According to the press release, the investment is part of parent company News Corp.'s "Global Energy Initiative" and is its largest commitment to onsite renewable power to date. Dow Jones reports that it intends to finance the solar energy system in part through energy company PSE&G's (Newark, New Jersey) 'Solar Loan Program'. "New Jersey is a leader nationwide in supporting solar-power installation, and we're grateful for the support of the state as well as PSE&G and the township of South Brunswick for assisting us in sourcing alternative, renewable energy such as solar", Daintith concluded.

2010-04-20   Courtesy: Dow Jones & Company   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

SEIA report: US install 37% more new PV capacity in 2009

SEIA 2009 Solar Industry Review
SEIA 2009 Solar Industry Review

On April 15th, 2010 the Solar Energy Industries Association (Washington, D.C., US) released its 2009 report, showing a 37% increase in new grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) installed capacity, despite the recession. The report indicates that the United States added 481MW of PV in 2009, showing remarkable growth but remaining behind Germany, Italy and Japan in new solar installations.   "Despite the Great Recession of 2009, the U.S. solar industry had a winning year and posted strong growth numbers"; said SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch. "In addition to strong policies at the state and federal level, solar’s growth was driven by the emergence of new business models and declining prices. Consumers took notice that now is the best time to go solar."




Residential PV soars

The largest area of growth was the residential PV market, which added 156MW, twice the 2008 figure of 78MW. Utilities also added 66MW of solar and thus tripled the number added in 2008. This lead to an overall growth of 36% in the solar industry, which became a USD billion dollar industry in 2009. "Demand for solar power is growing at a tremendous rate", said Sharp Solar (Huntington Beach, California, US) Vice President Ron Kenedi. "Our residential, governmental, commercial and utility customers want clean and reliable power."

Differences between different US states remain stark. California had almost half of all new PV, adding a total of 220MW in residential, commercial and utility projects. However, the second largest number of installations was in New Jersey (57MW), which also has the second largest number of total installations despite less impressive sunlight than many areas of the country. Hawaii led in per-capita installations, adding 10.4 watts of PV for every resident.


The stimulus, the recession, and the industry

The SEIA credits President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the "stimulus package") for the industry growth. "When the President looks back at how stimulus dollars were invested, he’s going to see that solar was one of the best returns on investments in 2009 for the American taxpayers", stated Rhone Resch.

Manufacturing of PV modules grew by 7% in 2009, which is impressive given the overall downturn in the US economy. However it is clear that many of the 17,000 new jobs that were created are in installations, sales and other aspects of the solar industry, not manufacturing. Manufacturing could have larger growth in 2010, as 58 new production facilities being built in 20 states come online.

A return of US manufacturing led by renewables has been a goal both of left-leaning politicians and media figures and more mainstream economic nationalists. The trend in 2009 was for manufacturing in many aspects of the industry, from polysilicon to completed panels, to move to China where labor and other costs are lower.


Solar hot water shows slower growth

A cloudy spot on the report is solar hot water, which grew only 10% in 2009. Sales of solar pool heaters, the largest share of solar power usage in the United States, declined with a slowdown in new home construction.


Global perspective: The long way to become a world leader

While the United States market showed strong growth in 2009, it still has a long way to go to become a world leader. Germany alone installed almost eight times as much PV at 3.8GW, with Italy in second place at 700MW of new PV. Germany, Spain and Japan have greater total installed capacity, despite each nation having a fraction of the land area and population. In terms of per-capita numbers, the United States installed the tenth-largest amount of new PV of any nation in 2009.

2010-04-19   Courtesy: SEIA   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: SEIA

 

LDK to supply Phoenix Solar with 20MW of solar PV modules

On April 15th, 2010, polysilicon and solar PV manufacturer LDK Solar Co., Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) announced that it has signed a deal to supply Phoenix Solar (Sulzemoos, Germany) with 20MW of photovoltaic (PV) modules in the second quarter of 2010. LDK manufactures a range of products and is the world's largest manufacturer of multicrystalline solar wafers.   "We are proud to partner with Phoenix Solar, an international leader in system integration as well as specialist for large-scale PV plants", stated LDK Solar Chairman and CEO Xiaofeng Peng. "Our PV modules are meeting the highest technical requirements and are well suited for a wide range of applications from residential to large-scale power plants. We hope to expand our relationship with Phoenix Solar and partner on future projects."


Deal latest for Phoenix Solar

Phoenix Solar is a systems integrator of large scale solar PV plants with a presence in several European nations, the Sultanate of Oman, Singapore and Australia. The agreement to buy the LDK modules deal is the latest announcement in an impressive month for the company, and on April 13th Phoenix Solar completed a 400kW installation on the roof of solar and semiconductor manufacturing supplier Applied Materials' new operations center in Singapore. The PV plant is the island nation's largest solar installation.


About LDK solar

LDK solar is a vertically integrated manufacturer that produces polysilicon, mono and multi crystalline ingots, wafers, modules. Additionally, the company develops selected solar projects. In February the company increased its product line by buying the Chinese manufacturer Best Solar's crystalline module manufacturing plant for USD.5 million.

2010-04-19   Courtesy: LDK solar; Phoenix Solar   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Reliance Industries Solar Group installs India's first 1MW rooftop solar plant

Reliance Industries Ltd. Solar Group (Navi Mumbai, India) has installed a 1MW rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) plant on the Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi, using Suniva's (Norcross, Georgia) ARTisun series PV cells and RIL modules. The plant is India's largest rooftop solar installation to date. The Thyagaraj Stadium, inaugurated on April 2nd, is designed to be a model green stadium and will host Netball in the upcoming Commonwealth Games.   "With the solar plant being located on the rooftop of Thyagaraj Stadium, we needed to minimize the overall footprint of the plant, while ensuring that it would generate enough energy to fulfill the stadium’s requirements", said Reliance Industries Ltd. Solar Group President Rabi Satpathy. "Suniva’s high-performance solar cells deliver more power per cell, which enabled us to build a 1MW plant that surpasses the energy needed in the rooftop space available."


India's solar ambitions

The Thyagaraj Stadium installation may be the beginning of a trend of larger solar installations. The Union Government of India has ambitious plans for the expansion of solar, and in 2009 announced a goal of 22GW of PV by 2022. So far, the government has backed that rhetoric up with cash, increasing the budget of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energies 61% in February. India has excellent natural potential for both PV and solar hot water, and some areas of the country have the solar resources considered appropriate for concentrated solar power plants.


Reliance Industries Solar Group

One aspect of the Indian Government's solar energy project will be to bring electricity to rural areas not served by the electricity grid. Reliance Industries likewise states that their company intends to bring solar primarily to remote and rural areas, to bring about an improvement in the quality of life. In addition to PV power plants, Reliance solar is developing multiple products based on solar technologies, including lanterns, home lighting systems, street lighting systems, water purification systems, refrigeration systems and air conditioners.

2010-04-19   Courtesy: Suniva; Reliance Industries   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Further growth in Asia: Conergy builds one of the largest photovoltaic power plants in India

3 megawatt PV power plant near Itnal, India.
3 megawatt PV power plant
near Itnal, India.

The Hamburg (Germany) based company Conergy AG has erected one of the largest photovoltaic (PV) plants in India. With the 3 megawatt capacity PV power plant, Conergy will contribute considerably to the power supply of the local rural population around the small town of Itnal situated in the province of Karnataka in the future. As in many remote regions, the power supply in Itnal was very limited in the past: Only 120 households on site had access to electricity. Power blackouts were commonplace. And the residents were only able to operate the irrigation pumps for their fields and gardens at most three to four hours a day. 


Solar electricity for households and farms

With the erection of the solar power plant, now over 80% of the residents in and around Itnal have access to reliable and affordable energy - not just in their households but above all on their farms. The solar energy from the power plant provides water pumps that can run longer and thus generate higher returns. It not only makes further agricultural growth possible in the future but also industrial growth in the region: Phone and Internet connections are now being integrated into the town and a new road will soon make the region more accessible for the movement of freight.

Conergy erected the megawatt-class photovoltaic plant upon the order of the local utility KPCL. On 17.3 acres, 13,000 solar modules supply over 4,000 megawatt hours of clean energy into the local grid a year. In the same time period the plant avoids 2000 tons of environmental poison in the form of CO2. In total, with the help of the power plant 400 water pumps can operate daily and thus 1,200 acres of farmland can be irrigated and used.


Conergy Asia Head Lohoff: "Continuation of Conergy Success Story in Asia"

Conergy Asia Head Marc Lohoff comments: "With the KPCL photovoltaic plant we are continuing our growth story in Asia. For the ambitious, Indian solar energy market the plant is a genuine milestone that shows the degree to which the market has matured. Where before only island solutions were possible, now the first large projects are making their arrival and are bringing light into the houses and water to the fields. KPCL is dedicated to creatively respond to the demands of the market and promote new renewable energy technologies."


Strong growth: Indian National Solar Mission for 20 gigawatts of solar energy by 2020

In tropical regions like India, where the sun shines longer and stronger, solar energy has incredible potential. The local government has also recognized this and in 2009 initiated its "National Solar Mission" project which promotes ecologically sustainable growth through renewable energies. India intends to generate more than 20 gigawatts of energy from the sun by 2020 with specific programs to promote island solutions but also with grid-connected solar energy.


Solarbuzz study: Asia-Pacific region with 7 gigawatts of project pipeline

Conergy will continue to benefit from this growth in the future and also from the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. Above all, markets such as Australia, India, Thailand and China will contribute more and more to the dissemination of solar energy in the region. China and India will become larger and larger sales markets for solar technology in the future, changing from almost pure producers. According to a Solarbuzz study, over 112 applications for the construction of power plants with over one megawatt each have already been submitted in both countries. With this, the Asia-Pacific region today would report a project pipeline of over 7 gigawatts.

2010-04-19   Courtesy: Conergy AG   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Conergy AG

 

PROINSO and MECASOLAR to supply of several new solar farms in Greece

PROINSO consolidates its activities in Greece.
PROINSO consolidates its activities in Greece.

The Spanish company PROINSO, specialized in the distribution of modules, inverters, trackers and fixed structures for photovoltaic systems, has been awarded the supply of various solar photovoltaic farms in Greece that will all together amount to more than 7.54 MW of installed capacity. According to a press release the agreements include the supply of 2.65 MW of 2-axis trackers from MECASOLAR, a company who together with PROINSO forms part of Grupo OPDE. These agreements in the Greek market are in addition to the contracts signed in early 2010 in Greece, PROINSO reports in the press release.   In the first quarter of the year, PROINSO Hellas had already signed the supply for 10.54 MW of modules and invertors in the country, which already represents 23% of the expected activity in the Greek market for 2010 and which is situated at 40 MW, according to initial estimates from the Spanish multinational. Similarly, it will supply 3.45 MW of MECASOLAR 2-axis trackers, which will be supplied from MECASOLAR Hellas, the manufacturing subsidiary located in Thessaloniki, PROINSO reports in its press release. This figure represents 35% of all the trackers (12 MW) which are planned to be installed in Greece during the current year. By signing these new agreements, PROINSO and MECASOLAR consolidate their leadership position in the Greek market, where they are gaining ground internationally.

2010-04-19   Courtesy: PROINSO   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: PROINSO

 

San Francisco: Construction underway at Sunset Reservoir Solar Project, 5,000 solar PV panels already installed

Mayor Newsom highlighted the construction that is underway on Californias largest municipal solar installation.
Mayor Newsom highlighted the construction
that is underway on Californias largest
municipal solar installation.

On April 6th, 2010, San Francisco (California) Mayor Gavin Newsom highlighted the construction that is underway on California's largest municipal solar installation, the Sunset Reservoir Solar Project. According to the press release, almost 5,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels had been installed on the Sunset Reservoir's North Basin to date.   After the press conference, Newsom and other attendees helped install one row of solar PV panels on site. The project has reportedly generated approximately 24 jobs and by project completion is to have created a total of 53. Once finished in December, 2010, the Sunset Reservoir Solar Installation is to deliver clean, 100 % renewable energy to the San Francisco electrical grid and reduce carbon emissions by approximately 80,000 metric tons over the 25-year lifetime of the project.


Solar project utilizes workforce development program and recruits employees from disadvantaged local neighborhoods

"With each solar panel, day-by-day, we're fueling San Francisco's transformation into a green economy", said Mayor Newsom. "This particular project will create 53 sorely needed jobs and provide critical stimulus for our local green economy." The Sunset Reservoir solar project is a public-private partnership between the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and Recurrent Energy (San Francisco), an independent power producer and a developer of solar power projects. According to the press release, Recurrent Energy chose local San Francisco-based companies like Bass Electric that has hired union electricians, laborers and operators for this project. Additionally, the apprentices and journeyman are reportedly being provided trade related on-site training to ensure excellent craftsmanship. Recurrent also plans to utilize San Francisco's "First Source" workforce development program and hire a minimum of 21 workers through the San Francisco "CityBuild Initiative", which actively recruits from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in San Francisco.


Federal Tax Credits and PPA made financing of 5 MW project possible

"We are pleased to continue working with the City of San Francisco as this project nears completion", said Arno Harris, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Recurrent Energy. "The Sunset Reservoir project is an excellent example of how distributed-scale solar can help meet our near-term renewable energy goals." The agreement between the SFPUC and Recurrent Energy leverages a 30 % federal tax credit (FTC) available only to private companies, which will dramatically lower the project's construction costs. The SFPUC is to purchase the solar power from Recurrent through a power purchase agreement (PPA) at a discounted rate, saving 26 million US-dollars over the lifetime of the project. Under this agreement, Recurrent Energy reportedly assumes all of the risk of financing, building and operating the project.


24,000 solar panels to increase municipal solar generating capacity from 2 MW to over 7 MW

"We want to be prudent and creative stewards of our City's solar resources", said Ed Harrington, General Manager of the SFPUC. "Our solution, to construct the largest municipal solar installation in California, will generate green jobs during these tough economic times and deliver cleaner energy to San Francisco." Upon completion, nearly 24,000 solar panels are to grace the rooftop of the Sunset Reservoir's north basin, covering an area the size of 12 football fields. Once operational, the Sunset Reservoir is to triple San Francisco's municipal solar generating capacity from 2 MW to over 7 MW.

2010-04-19   Courtesy: www.sfmayor.org   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: www.sfmayor.org

 

Sunlink expands solar mounting manufacturing capabilities into Ontario

SunLink PV mounting system.
SunLink PV mounting system.

SunLink Corporation (San Rafael, California) on April 13th, 2010 announced the commencement of manufacturing capabilities in Ontario, Canada. By establishing in-country operations, the company is able to supply its roof mount systems to commercial solar energy projects across the province, while complying with the Ontario Power Authority's (OPA; Toronto, Ontario, Canada) local manufacturing requirements under the "Green Energy and Green Economy Act".   According to the press release, Sunlik will offer comprehensive engineering services for its Canadian customers in addition to delivering its roof mount solution. The company is to offer initial project layout and design support, wind, snow, seismic and structural analyses and pre-panelization services to speed onsite installation.


Ontario government hailed for commitment to solar energy

"The strong recent commitment by the Ontario government to institute the solar feed-in tariff program has enabled us to significantly increase our investment and build upon our established presence in Canada", said Christopher Tilley, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SunLink. "We enthusiastically support the Ontario Power Authority's vision to bring renewable energy mainstream by providing developers and building owners with a locally-made 'roof friendly' mounting solution that includes all the services and support they've come to expect from SunLink." The company reports it has worked with some of the largest solar developers, installers and integrators in the world to install over 400 projects to date across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Mounting solution good fit for high-latitude PV sites

Richard Wayte, General Manager of Grid-Tied Division, from Canadian-based Carmanah Technologies Corporation (Victoria, British Columbia), said: "We've been working with SunLink across Ontario for five years already and have always been impressed with their responsiveness, engineering expertise, and understanding of our market needs." Wayte believes that one of the advantages of SunLink's products in Canada is their ability to mount panels in higher latitude areas thanks to a 20-degree tilt and longer spacing between module rows that accommodate for shading. According to the press release, Sunlink's roof mount system is to be available in Ontario for commercial and large-scale solar energy installations. In the future, the company plans to offer ground mounting systems, which are to be available in both the ballasted and post-mount options.

2010-04-19   Courtesy: SunLink Corporation   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: SunLink Corporation

 

EREC: New report "RE-thinking 2050" outlines a pathway to a 100% renewable energy supply

New report
New report
"E-thinking 2050"

The European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) in its new report “RE-thinking 2050” outlines a pathway how the European Union can switch to a 100% renewable energy supply for electricity, heating and cooling as well as transport, examining the effects on Europe’s energy supply system and on CO2 emissions. RE-thinking 2050, launched in the European Parliament under the patronage of MEP Maria Da Graça Carvalho, outlines a pathway towards a 100% renewable energy system for the EU as the only sustainable option in economic, environmental and social terms. It assesses how the different renewable energy technologies can contribute to a fully sustainable energy supply by 2050 provided there is strong political, public and economic support for all renewable energy technologies, EREC reports in the press release.   "The potential benefits of a future based on renewable energy are multiple: mitigating climate change, ensuring energy security and creating sustainable future-oriented jobs", empahsizes Arthouros Zervos, President of EREC.



Reducing CO2 emissions by more than 90%

According to the report, renewable energy deployment by 2020 will reduce annual energy related CO2 emissions by about 1,200 Mt against 1990 emissions, EREC announces in the press release. By 2050 the EU would be able to reduce its energy related CO2 emissions by more than 90%. This reduction would result in an additional total CO2 benefit in 2050 of € 3,800 billion. Zervos stresses that "higher upfront investment for renewable energy do pay off in the long-run, as the capital investment cost will be outweighed by the avoided fossil fuel and CO2 costs." In addition, making the EU 100% renewables-based will result in major social benefits not least related to job creation: "Considering that the pathway set out in RE-thinking 2050 is followed, the renewable energy sector will employ a total of more than 2.7 million people in 2020 and about 4.4 million in 2030 in the EU. By 2050, employment in our sector will bring 6.1 million people into work", underlines Zervos.


Guiding principle for all European policies

"Clearly, the overarching precondition for this to happen is that the commitment towards a 100 % renewable energy system for the European Union needs to be established as the guiding principle for all European policies in the fields of energy, climate, R&D, industry, regional development and international cooperation", Zervos adds. MEP Maria da Graça Carvalho underlines: "Studies of this kind are of outmost importance for policy-makers. The study RE-thinking 2050 gives an outlook of our society by 2050 if fully sustainable energy supply is adopted. The distributed nature of renewable forms of energy represents an opportunity to reshape our economic and social system towards a wealthier and more equitable model."


Not a matter of availability of technologies

As the RE-thinking 2050 report clearly outlines, achieving a 100% renewable energy fuelled economy is not a matter of availability of technologies, rather it is a matter of political will and of setting the course today for a sustainable energy future for the European Union, EREC emphasizes in the press release. "A 100% renewable energy society is one where the benefits greatly outweigh the costs, be it in economic terms or in social terms, and the renewable industry is ready to prove it", concludes Zervos.

The full publication of RE-thinking 2050 will be available as of Tuesday, 20th April 2010: www.rethinking2050.eu

2010-04-18   Courtesy: European Renewable Energy Council   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: EREC

 

California: Sierra Club urges increasing solar PV 30 times with feed-in tariffs

Sierra Club California has called for increasing the role of solar PV in the state by more than 30 times that of today through a system of feed-in tariffs, Paul Gipe reported on April 14th, 2010. The environmental group's recommendation that the state develop 30 billion kilowatt-hours (30 terawatt hours; TWh) of distributed generation, mostly with solar photovoltaics (PV), is contained in a formal filing with California's Air Resources Board on how the state can meet 33 % of its electricity supply in 2020 with renewable energy as required in AB 32.   The 15-page filing reportedly explains in detail how the environmental group, California's largest, believes the state can meet its renewable energy targets on schedule and at a reasonable cost.


California needs more than 100 TWh of renewable energy capacity to meet 2020 RPS goals

Solar PV generated about 1 TWh or 1/3 of one percent of the state's electricity in 2009. The California Solar Initiative (CSI) is limited to adding only 3,000 megawatts (MW) of solar PV capacity. Under California conditions, the CSI will contribute only 6 TWh per year or about 2 % of supply, Gipe points out. According to the California Energy Commission (CEC) the state has consistently failed to meet its Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) since the RPS was implemented during the earlier part of the decade. California would need more than 100 TWh from renewable sources by 2020 to meet its obligations under AB 32. Currently, the state generates 38 TWh from all renewable sources.


Distributed solar PV could meet 50-75 percent of California's goal for renewable energy capacity

The Sierra Club California argues that distributed solar PV could meet from 50 to 75 % of the need for new renewable energy capacity by using well-crafted feed-in tariffs (FITs). Gipe calls for such tariffs to be based on the cost of generation plus a reasonable profit, they should be differentiated by technology and size, entail long-term contracts of 20 to 25 years, and include simple, must-take contracts. According to the Sierra Club California, FITs "have demonstrated that they successfully bring renewables on-line quickly, in volume, and at a lower-cost" than other procurement policies.

2010-04-18   Courtesy: Paul Gipe   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Ingmar Wilhelm elected new President of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association

Ingmar Wilhelm
Ingmar Wilhelm

During the Annual General Meeting of EPIA, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association, which took place in Rome on March 18th, 2010, Ingmar Wilhelm, Executive Vice President of Enel Green Power, responsible for Business Development world-wide, was elected the new President of the world's largest association devoted to the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, reports EPIA in a press release. His appointment clearly marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of EPIA and demonstrates both the strong interest of the PV industry to move further down the value chain to electricity markets and clients as well as the increasing attractiveness that the European energy industry sees in the current and future potential of PV technologies.   In the course of 2009, EPIA released its landmark study "SET For 2020", demonstrating the full potential of PV and establishing the roadmap for its roll out with the goal to make PV a mainstream source of electricity generation during the upcoming decade, the association emphasizes in the press release.




Key milestone in making PV a mainstream source of competitive green electricity

"We are extremely proud of the accession of Enel Green Power to the Presidency of EPIA, that clearly marks the evolution of the Industry’s focus from technology and production towards electricity generation and supply; it creates a strong additional momentum to accelerate the implementation of the PV industry’s 'SET For 2020' roadmap and represents a key milestone in making PV a mainstream source of competitive green electricity", said Adel El Gammal, Secretary General of EPIA.


A unique contribution to the future development of the PV Industry

"The competencies and market positions of Enel Green Power in developing, deploying and operating renewable power generation assets world-wide and, in particular, our energy management capabilities for large, medium and small sized units will provide a unique contribution to the future development of the PV Industry. The goal is to further increase the competitiveness of PV and strongly augment its share in the European energy portfolio. We see tremendous opportunities that the industry can create with new, innovative and cost-efficient technologies, many of which are developed here in Europe. Leveraging on new applications, for example in the area of building integration and electrical mobility, innovative and specialized PV solutions will take our industry closer and closer to selected market segments and finally to millions of European citizens sharing our strive for renewable energies", said Ingmar Wilhelm, President of EPIA.

2010-04-18   Courtesy: EPIA   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: EPIA

 

France: Energy Conversion Devices announces 3 MW of BIPV installations on Lidl logistics centers

Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD; Rochester Hills, Michigan) on April 13th, 2010 announced that its United Solar Ovonic subsidiary had been selected to install flexible light weight "UNI-SOLAR" brand solar photovoltaic (PV) laminates on the roofs of multiple logistics buildings operated by Lidl, a European discount supermarket chain that operates more than 8,000 stores.  For the first phase of the project, a total of 3 megawatts (MW) of UNI-SOLAR laminates were reportedly installed on Lidl logistics centers in Cambrai, Vars, and Les Arcs in France. According to the press release, the Cambrai and Vars installations feature 1.1 MW solar generating capacity, while the system at Les Arcs can create 800 kilowatts (kW) of clean electricity.


Light-weight PV membrane used for BIPV roofing products

Mark Morelli, ECD's President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said: "These installations for Lidl are another example of the unique and differentiated solution that UNI-SOLAR offers to our customers, and how our evolving business model continues to gain traction. Lidl was seeking a building-integrated solar solution that was light weight, and did not penetrate the roofing membrane." To meet these demands, Derbigum integrated ECD's laminates into a lightweight, durable and waterproof building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing membrane called "DERBISOLAR". Derbigum, a subsidiary of Brussels (Belgium) based IMPERBEL, SA, reportedly chose to use UNI-SOLAR laminates in its BIPV solar roofing products because they are light, flexible, require no perforation to the roofing membrane, have excellent performance in diffuse light, and are highly damage resistant.

2010-04-17   Courtesy: Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Rasmussen poll shows American support for solar

On April 8th, 2010, polling company Rasmussen Reports indicated that 44% of Americans surveyed believe that solar energy should be used for home heating. Only 23% disagreed with that statement, while 33% were not sure. 31% of Americans also said that they were at least somewhat likely to use solar in the next five years, with 13% indicating that they were very likely to use solar.   Support for solar was stronger among the 18-40 age range, and more affluent Americans both support solar and believe that they are likely to use it. While public opinion polls do not take into account real world factors such as availability and price of technologies, the poll indicates that the American public is strongly in favor of solar technologies.


Solar for heating?

Rasmussen's question focused only one use of solar power, and may reflected the geographical distribution of solar, which is currently weighted towards the West and Northeast. Rasmussen did not appear to have investigated whether or not Americans were in favor of using solar to cool homes. Cooling is the primary climate control need for the American South, where solar industries are much less well developed.

Ironically, Southern states could benefit the most from common solar technologies. Peak load times in southern states, when electricity is most expensive, are similar to peak output times for photovoltaics and solar water heaters.


Wider adoption of solar

The number of Americans responding to the poll who think they will use solar in the future are much higher than current usage numbers, and if the American public is right, the American solar industry can expect a bright future. All solar technologies - photovoltaics, solar hot water, concentrated solar power and solar pool heating - together produce only a small fraction of one percent of the total electricity generated in the United States.

More affluent Americans were much more likely to think that they will use solar. 25% of Americans who make more than USD0,000/year believe that they are very likely to use solar in the next five years compared to only 6% in the USD,000 – 40,000/year income range.

Whether or not they match reality, the future expectations of the American public can have big consequences, and public support for both solar and other renewables remains high. In September of 2008, 77% of Americans indicated that they favored incentives for wind and solar technologies; today the incentives of President Obama's “stimulus package” are helping to create renewable energy projects across the nation.

2010-04-17   Courtesy: Rasmussen, SEIA   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Solarmer and Berman Glass Studios to develop a solar PV panel featuring textured glass for BIPV applications

Solar PV panels on aesthetic textured glass for BIPV.
Solar PV panels on aesthetic textured glass for BIPV.

Generating solar electricity from modular glass panels that are attractive from a design standpoint was the inspiration behind a joint development project involving Solarmer Energy (Solarmer; El Monte, California) and Joel Berman Glass Studios (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), the companies on April 13th, 2010 reported in a press release. Solarmer develops transparent, flexible solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for applications not addressable by conventional solar energy technology.   Joel Berman Glass Studios designs and manufactures decorative glass for architecture and design. According to the press release, Solarmer and Joel Berman Glass Studios jointly developed a decorative photovoltaic (PV) glass panel that is capable of generating clean renewable electricity. It is reportedly well suited for building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) applications.


Decorative glass products can deliver clean, solar energy

The PV glass panels feature Joel Berman Glass Studios' signature textured kiln-cast glass laminated to Solarmer Energy's transparent plastic solar cells. The companies report that their composite panels are suitable for use in applications where decorative glass is desired and generation of solar energy is feasible. According to the press release, the materials and manufacturing technologies employed by Solarmer result in a lower cost alternative to traditional silicon-based solar technologies. Solarmer's thin, flexible PV panels are capable of converting solar energy into electricity in what is believed to be a particularly cost-effective manner. Paired with Joel Berman Glass Studios' designer textured glass, the ensuing panels are said to offer architects and designers an attractive and affordable means of integrating photovoltaics into building applications.

2010-04-17   Courtesy: Solarmer Energy   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Solarmer Energy

 

Nur Energie joins Desertec initiative as an associate partner

On April 12th, 2010, solar power plant developer Nur Energie (London, UK) joined the Desertec Industrial Initiative (Dii) as an associate partner. The Dii is an initiative to develop concentrated solar power (CSP), photovoltaics (PV) and wind power in the Sahara Desert and Middle East, and transmit much of the electricity generated to European nations. Nur Energie joins current Dii associate partners First Solar, a leader in thin-film manufacturing, and insulation company Kaefer, and brings expertise from its work developing CSP projects in Tunisia and Greece and PV projects in Italy and France.   "Nur Energie’s strategy is to build local partnerships in the markets where we operate"; comments Nur Energie CEO Kevin Sara. "The European Union will become an important export market for renewable energy in the future, and the Dii will be a key partner in creating the framework conditions for renewable energy export projects from North Africa into the European Union.2

About Desertec

In 2008, the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation, Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan and the German association for the Club of Rome formed the Desertec Foundation, which launched the Dii in 2009. While the initiative aims to supply Europe with electricity via high voltage DC lines, some of the power produced will also be distributed to North African and Middle East nations.

While the Dii website claims that it is "not biased to any technology", Desertec documents place a high importance on the ability of CSP plants to generate baseload and dispatchable power. Plans have been underway for CSP plants in Algeria and Morocco before the founding of the Desertec initiative, and more recently Nur Energie has begun planning a large CSP project in Tunisia for exporting electricity. The Dii has a long way to go before any power is transmitted, and until 2012 the initiative is focused on creating the business and investment conditions for these projects.

About Nur Energie

Nur Energie is a start-up focused on developing solar power in the Mediterranean region using both PV and CSP technologies. The company recently won a bid to install 11.5MW of PV on a series of warehouses in the Marseilles harbor in France. When completed this project will be one of the largest building-integrated PV plants in France. If completed, Nur Energie's projects in Greece and Jordan promise to be the first two CSP plants in those nations and some of the first in the Meditarrenean outside of Spain.

“We have been analyzing the commercial opportunity for solar export projects from North Africa to Europe for the past two years and we firmly believe that they are a commercially viable option for a greener energy future that is less dependent on volatile fossil fuels, as well as creating jobs and economic development opportunities across the Maghreb region,” sates Nur Energie COO Dr. Till Stenzel. “We look forward to working with the Dii on implementing the first projects at the earliest opportunity.”

2010-04-16   Courtesy: Nur Energie; Dii   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

San Francisco launches solar, energy efficiency financing program

On April 12th, 2010 the city of San Francisco, California officially began the GreenFinanceSF program, to allow property owners to pay for solar photovoltaics (PV), solar water heaters and energy efficiency improvements through their property tax bill. The program helps customers avoid the high up-front costs of installing residential solar systems and thus removes a major barrier for many potential solar consumers. San Francisco joins a small group of American cities that have passed similar programs: Berkeley, California, Boulder, Colorado and Babylon, New York.   "San Francisco’s green financing program will help property owners overcome the large up-front costs of major environmental improvements to their buildings", said San Francisco Mayor Newsom. "These improvements will save property owners money on monthly utility bills, increase property value, and will help the city meet its aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals."


Property Assessed Clean Energy

The GreenFinanceSF program follows the property assessed clean energy (PACE) model, which are widely studied as an effective way to facilitate wider adoption of small-scale solar projects. Since very few cities and states in the United States have feed-in tariffs, it can be difficult for American property owners to acquire financing for solar power systems. PACE addresses this need by allowing municipalities to make loans to property owners to pay for the costs of installing solar and making energy efficiency improvements. The costs are then paid back through property taxes.

PACE programs are generally modeled on the successful Berkeley FIRST program, established in 2008 in the city of Berkeley, which neighbors San Francisco. Berkeley FIRST was the brainchild of Cisco DeVries, former chief of staff to Berkeley's mayor, who had the job of helping Berkeley meet its ambitious climate goals. Mr. DeVries based the funding scheme on a similar program to help pay for putting utilities underground, and designed what is now known as PACE in the process. Since then Mr. DeVries has gone on to become the president of Renewable Funding, which helps other cities implement PACE policies.
In 2008 and 2009, more than a dozen US states passed legislation enabling the creation of PACE programs, and several states already have laws that enable the creation of PACE districts.


GreenFinanceSF

The GreenFinanceSF program is funded in part through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, also known as the “stimulus package”), President Obama's economic stimulus and job creation legislation. Owners of both residential and commercial properties are eligible to participate in the program. The loans are attached to the property, not the individual, and are paid back for a period up to 20 years. Property owners must use a contractor registered through the program for all improvements.

In February 2010, the city acquired another grant through the ARRA that will allow for a reduction of 1.5% interest rate reduction for the first USD million of projects funded.

2010-04-16   Courtesy: GreenFinanceSF   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

SolarTech: NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott to speak to industry leaders at Solar Leadership Summit dinner

NFL Hall of Fame member Ronnie Lott.
NFL Hall of Fame member Ronnie Lott.

SolarTech (San Jose, California), an initiative of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG; San Jose, California), on April 13th, 2010 announced that NFL Hall of Fame member Ronnie Lott will share his insights on leadership, success, and making a difference at the Solar Leadership Summit dinner on April 21st in Danville, California. According to the press release, SolarTech has partnered with Lott's philanthropic organization "All Stars Helping Kids" to assist Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto on a plan to deploy renewable energy solutions.   This partnership is also said to include a career development workshop, dubbed "clean tech life ladders", to the students, all of whom belong to low-income communities and receive full scholarships to attend the exclusive high school.


SolarTech commits to non-profit organization motivating students for future solar energy careers

"SolarTech is thrilled to have Mr. Lott share his winning lessons in sports and business to kick-off the Solar Leadership Summit Dinner", said Doug Payne, Executive Director of SolarTech. "We're equally dedicated to All Stars Helping Kids, through which we hope to inspire students by introducing them to a successful solar career track that not only provides financial security, but also benefits society at large." As the solar job market rapidly grows, Doug said it was vital to open doors and support the youth, who in turn may flourish into innovators and solar advocates in the future. SolarTech, in partnership with the California utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E; San Francisco, California), plans to work with the Eastside College Preparatory School to determine the best way to optimize its energy efficiency.

Education program to support underserved youths

According to the press release, both SolarTech and PG&E will also work with students and guide them on various career and life paths available within the solar industry. The program aims to encourage students to strive for a better future for themselves and future generations, and educates them about a booming and increasingly valuable market. "The students at Eastside have a thirst for knowledge, and have overcome huge obstacles as they focus on their education", said Ronnie Lott. "They have proven that any child can succeed if given the opportunity and guidance they deserve. Educating them about dynamic solar jobs encourages them to excel in school, aim for the stars and grasp opportunities many thought impossible." He added that he was happy for the opportunity to address industry leaders at the Solar Leadership Summit dinner, and that he hopes to explore how underserved young people can be further supported.


Solar summit to determine best practice and future standards

The Solar Leadership Summit is to provide an interactive forum for attendees to leverage best practices and shape future standards for the solar industry. Underpinning the program will be integrated methods to reduce system costs and cycle times, accelerating the adoption of solar on a broad basis. According to SolarTech, the summit is to focus on ways to streamline institutional practices and bring new technologies and products to market, which is believed to be critical to safeguarding the industry's future competitiveness. More information and registration for SolarTech's Solar Leadership Summit can be found at www.calsolarsummit.org

2010-04-16   Courtesy: SolarTech   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: SolarTech

 

Honeywell to supply polysilicon manufacturer Woongjin with process automation and control platform for new plant

Polysilicon for the solar PV industry.
Polysilicon for the solar PV industry.

On April 12th, 2010 manufacturing systems provider Honeywell (Morris Township, New Jersey, US) announced that it will supply polysilicon manufacturer Woongjin (Seoul, Republic of Korea) with process automation and control platforms for the company's plant in Sangju, South Korea. The technology supplied will include the Experion PKS as well as a safety and mobile monitoring equipment. The Woongjin plant, currently under construction, will have an output of 5,000 tons of polysilicon annually.  "The need for solar energy will only increase as the world looks for more sources of renewable resources", said Woongjin Polysilicon Project Lead Engineer BD Kwon. "This new facility will play a vital role in helping to meet that growing demand, and we selected Honeywell for this project because its philosophy of improving safety, reliability and efficiency is proven to optimize production and business results."



Experion PKS Safety Manager and Mobile Station

Honeywell's Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) is a platform for managing plant functions that sends data from plant subsystems to centralized controllers, giving operators information to make better decisions. Honeywell launched the product in 2003 and claims that it can reduce maintenance costs by 30% while increasing production volume and reducing operator incidents.

Honeywell will also supply their Safety Manager and Mobile Station tablets. Safety Manager provides operators with plant safety information including pre-shutdown alerts and safety information system data. The Mobile Station provides operators with hand held wireless devices to access process information, historical data, graphics and other information in the field.

"The need for reliability is magnified for corporations such as Woongjin Polysilicon that aim to become global manufacturing leaders", said Honeywell Korea Domestic Sales Leader H Han. "The solution Honeywell is providing Woongjin addresses this issue by delivering the most-relevant information to operators controlling the processes, maximizing the productivity of the workers in the field and promoting overall safety."

Honeywell is a fortune 100 company that provides aerospace products and systems for both civilian and military purposes, automation and control systems, specialty materials and automotive technologies, and holds a number of contracts with the US Department of Defense. The company employs 122,000 persons in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Woongjin Polysilicon seeks to supply polysilicon to the solar PV industry. The company was established in 2008 and established a research and development center in April 2009. Woongjin began construction on their polysilicon plant in January 2010.

2010-04-16   Courtesy: Honeywell, Woongjin Polysilicon   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Woongjin Polysilicon

 

eIQ Energy appoints two Canadian distributors for parallel solar PV technology

"vBoost" DC-to-DC converter.

eIQ Energy Inc. (San Jose, California), a developer of parallel solar photovoltaic (PV), on April 13th, 2010 announced that it had signed new distribution agreements with two Canadian companies supplying the commercial and residential solar energy sectors. The agreements are said to broaden the available market for eIQ Energy's "vBoost" DC-to-DC converter modules, and represent an important step forward in the company's distribution strategy.  Under the terms of the agreements, the two new distributors, namely Generation PV, Inc. of Markham (Ontario) and WSE Technology of Saskatoon (Saskatchewan), both have non-exclusive national rights to sell vBoost and eIQ Energy's "Parallux" family of products. They are believed to improve the performance and reduce system cost by allowing solar panels to be connected in parallel rather than the traditional series.


Company expands local and regional distributor networks in Canada and the United States

An important market driver in Canada is a pair of recently launched feed-in tariff programs, FIT and MicroFIT, sponsored by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA; Toronto, Ontario, Canada) to boost this Canadian province's already substantial renewable energy industry. The programs guarantee the right to connect solar arrays and other electrical sources to the main power grid, and pay 80.2 Canadian cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of solar power fed into the grid. In addition, eIQ Energy reported that it had also signed U.S. distribution agreements with Ra Power, Inc., SDE Solar Power, and Seven Summits Green. Like the Canadian distributors, each has non-exclusive national distribution rights for the vBoost modules. "End-user demand for solar technology is bringing more and more installers into the market, we know of over 500 in California alone", noted Gregg Cook, Vice President of worldwide sales for eIQ Energy. "We're expanding our roster of local and regional distributors because they typically have strong relationships with installers in their area. This group is very strong, and we are planning further expansion of our distribution network."


Parallel system architecture allows for over 100 thin-film solar PV panels to be connected on one cable run

According to the press release, the Parallux system uses advanced direct current (DC) power management technology, incorporated in the vBoost DC-to-DC converter module, to allow easy connection of solar panels in parallel rather than in series. This approach is said to allow the connection of an unprecedented number of panels on a single cable. In the case of thin-film (PV) panels, for example, the company's parallel solar architecture is said to allow for the connection of over 100 solar panels on each cable run. In combination with distributed maximum power point tracking (MPPT), this enables solar PV systems to harvest 5 to 30 % more energy than conventional systems, eIQ Energy reports.


2010-04-16   Courtesy: eIQ Energy Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: eIQ Energy Inc.

 

Gartner comments on Canadian Solar and Zep Solar partnership: Cost of solar to be reduced significantly

On March 31st, 2010, Canadian Solar (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) announced the launch of its "NewEdge" solar panels that are reportedly interoperable with Zep Solar's (San Rafael, California) and several other photovoltaic (PV) mounting systems. The U.S. information technology research and advisory company Gartner, Inc. (Stamford, Connecticut) believes that this announcement points to an important development in the solar PV industry.  In a press release Canadian Solar reported that its NewEdge modules, when mounted with Zep Solar's rail-free, auto-grounding system, could slash residential installation costs in half and reduce the amount of time that installers spend on a roof by up to 75 %.


Holistic approach to solar system installation includes mounting system, connections and structures

NewEdge modules are to be available for order through Canadian Solar's reseller partner groSolar (White River Junction, Vermont) starting in April 2010. Zep Solar plans to offer a commercial rooftop system with Canadian Solar NewEdge panels in July 2010. "Since solar panel prices have decreased over the past several years, solar installation labor costs are becoming increasingly significant, underscoring the need for an ultra-fast way to safely install and ground solar arrays", said Jack West, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Zep Solar. Gartner believes that this product announcement highlights the next logical area for improvement of PV systems. While there have been continued investment by PV firms in their cells and modules, much less effort has been invested in racks, connections and structures for PV systems. According to Gartner, this situation represents a lack of systems thinking by the vendors in the industry that focus only on their niche areas.

Systems thinking believed to be new wave in solar PV industry

As PV module manufacturers have started to move into project development and financing, there have been examples of systems thinking approaches, such as the Reliathon and the Velocity systems. According to Gartner, Zep Solar's rail-less approach represents this systems thinking approach to residential installations. Key benefits also include cost and mounting improvements. An approach that integrates a complete view of the system appears to be the wave of the future for the PV industry, Gartner points out. Analysts have seen examples of this approach by concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) firms, such as Skyline Solar and Concentrix. They developed a holistic approach that reduces costs from a materials and labor perspective while working to improve the overall energy output of the system. Systems thinking can also be seen in Akeena Solar's development of the Andalay system and SunPower's approach to its modules and its ground structures.

Cost reduction and installation improvements key to make solar PV widely affordable

Because module costs have decreased, more effort is being focused on inverter, balance of system (BOS) and installation costs, Gartner explains. Firms are working to reduce component counts and, thus, reduce both materials costs and inventory carrying costs. For example, in a 5 kilowatt (kW) solar PV system, the Zep solution reportedly requires only 94 individual pieces compared to about 430 pieces for a conventional mounting system. This reduction in parts directly reduces labor time. According to Gartner, labor costs can represent 10 to 20 % of the total cost of a system.

Basic dynamics for 2010 and 2011 involve profitability of vendors and their partners

Fresh thinking about the system, such as what Zep has done, is an example of how the approach of a hardware design can represent a key savings for the system and lead to lower-cost electricity. According to Zep, its design for rapid mounting and grounding, as well as wire management, results in installation savings of about 50 US-cents per watt. Gartner analysts see this type of rail-free system as a harbinger of residential PV redesigns in North America. The basic dynamics for 2010 and 2011 are expected to center on how to get the PV systems designed and priced so that the PV vendors and their partners can be profitable as they drive the installed sales price below 6.50 or 6 US-dollars per watt for residential systems. This target is believed to drive a lot of rethinking by all members of the PV value chain.

2010-04-16   Courtesy: Gartner Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Solar Millennium AG: assembly of all parabolic trough collectors in Egypt has been completed; first modern solar thermal large-scale facility almost complete

Mounting of collectors for the solar field at Egypt's Kuraymat.
Mounting of collectors for the solar
field at Egypt's Kuraymat.

The final collector unit for Egypt's first ever solar thermal large-scale facility has been assembled and installed in the solar field at Egypt's Kuraymat project site, some 100 km south of Cairo, Solar Millennium AG (Erlangen, Germany) reports in a press release. The technology for the parabolic trough solar field comes from Flagsol GmbH in Cologne, a technology company jointly owned by the Erlangen based Solar Millennium AG and Ferrostaal AG, based in Essen. The engineers in Cologne designed the solar field and supplied the controls for the solar field. Moreover, the international technology company is responsible for supplying important key components, especially the parabolic mirrors and absorber pipes.  The construction and commissioning of the solar field is taking place in cooperation with the Egyptian company Orascom Construction Industries.


2,000 collectors, each 12 metres long and 6 metres wide

Overall, almost 2,000 collectors with mirrors covering 130,000 square metres have been assembled and installed in the solar field. Each unit is 12 metres long and 6 metres wide. The collectors were assembled by specialists in the purpose-built assembly hall before their optical precision was controlled by a photogrammetric device. The collectors were then taken to the solar field where the last absorber pipes and controls are being installed. At the same time, the first rows of collectors are already being commissioned. Klaas Rühmann, Flagsol's project manager in charge of the project explains, "We thus initially test the basic functionalities and the controls for tracking the sun".


Concentrated sunlight heats transfer medium up to about 400 degrees Celsius

The heat transfer circuit for the entire solar field should also be commissioned successively starting in April. This involves a heat transfer medium, which flows through the absorber pipes in the focal line of the solar collectors and which is heated up to about 400 degrees Celsius by the concentrated solar radiation. This thermal energy will be fed into the power station unit as soon as this unit has been completed by the company in charge. Commissioning of the entire power plant is scheduled to take place in autumn 2010.


Reference project for the entire region: Solar thermal power generation in North Africa as first sign for the feasibility of the DESERTEC concept

The hybrid power plant with 150 Megawatt capacity uses both natural gas and solar energy to generate electricity. The power plant is being built on behalf of the Egyptian New and Renewable Energy Authority NREA. The hybrid power plant was put out to international tender and the total cost will amount to more than € 250 million, about 30% of which is allocated to the realisation of the solar field. Flagsol and Orascom Construction Industries will run the solar part of the power plant for two years after commissioning, before it is finally handed over to the owners. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has granted a USD 50 million subsidy for the solar field due to the project's exemplary status.

Rühmann comments on the progress of the construction work, "Our team is keeping good time. Cooperation with our Egyptian partner has worked very well. All employees are happy to have played a part in enabling this large solar plant. It is a reference project for the entire region. Commissioning of the overall power plant can begin as soon as the conventional power block has also been completed."

Dr. Thomas Thaufelder, Managing Director at Flagsol comments, "Of course we are quite proud that our pioneering work has been able to make a mark in Egypt - also in view of the implementation of the DESERTEC concept. An important goal of the international industry initiative Dii is to generate solar power for use in the North African states before it is exported to Europe. This initial project can soon demonstrate the successful implementation of this goal."



2010-04-15   Courtesy: Solar Millennium AG   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Solar Millennium AG

 

Semiconductor and PV production: Applied Materials opens operations center in Singapore

Solar panels on Applied's Singapore HQ.
Solar panels on Applied's Singapore HQ.

On April 13th, 2010 technology giant Applied Materials (Santa Clara, California, US) opened a 32,000 square meter operations center in Singapore, to serve as a hub for the company's global semiconductor equipment manufacturing. The facility will also support worldwide chain operations and other corporate functions, and includes on-site semiconductor equipment manufacturing. Applied has dedicated 400 staff to the facility, and expects this number to double in the next few years to 800.  "The opening of our Singapore Operations Center is a significant milestone for Applied, and will be especially important in meeting an expected multi-year increase in demand for our advanced semiconductor production technology,” said Applied Materials Chairman and CEO Mike Splinter.


Solar and semiconductor businesses moving to Asia

Semiconductor and solar manufacturing rely on similar materials and technologies, and both industries are increasing moving to Asia, particularly China, which last year became the world's largest exporter by dollar value. Just as has been the case with other types of manufacturing, solar companies cite lower costs as a prime factor. "Right now the direct labor costs, overhead costs, as well as support from the Chinese government make it much less expensive to build solar in China than any other place in the world", Evergreen Solar CEO Rick Feldt told Boston Globe reporter Erin Ailworth in an interview on March 21. "And so most Western manufacturers - those in Europe, those in the United States - have or are planning major expansions in China."


Applied Material's choice of Singapore

With its strategic location between China, India and Indonesia, Singapore represents a strategic location for Applied. These nations are three of the four most populous countries on earth, and not only represent manufacturing potential but growing domestic markets for semiconductors and solar. India has set an ambitious goal of installing 22GW of photovoltaics by 2022, and China has been increasing medium to large-scale solar installations.

The on-site semiconductor equipment manufacturing plant will be Applied's first in Asia, and expands upon earlier moves by Applied. In October 2009, Applied materials opened a solar research and demonstration facility in Xi'an, China, and on March 11, a facility to make manufacturing equipment for flat panel screens and thin-film solar in Tainan, Taiwan.

"With more than 70% of our semiconductor business in Asia, we expect 50% of our global semiconductor equipment supply to flow through this Center in the next few years as we consolidate key parts of our manufacturing and various global and pan-Asian support functions here", said Applied CEO Splinter. "We are excited by the opportunity to participate in Singapore’s manufacturing ecosystem with its strong talent pool and local suppliers, while working more closely with our customers to advance technology and reduce costs."


Green Building

The new facility also showcases the use of energy efficiency and solar PV. The company has installed 400kW of thin film PV at the center, using 5.7 square meter panels manufactured using Applied processes. The building also showcases multiple energy efficiency improvements, and has won Singapore's highest award for green building, a Green Mark Platinum award by the Singapore Building and Construction Authority. Applied says the energy efficiency improvements will reduce energy use in the building by 30%.


2010-04-15   Courtesy: Applied Materials Inc.; Boston Globe March 21   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Applied Materials Inc.

 

IMS Research predictions confirmed: Global PV market exceeded 7 GW in 2009

PV plant Föhren, Germany (8.4 MW).
PV plant Föhren, Germany (8.4 MW).

Almost 7.5 gigawatts (GW) of new photovoltaic (PV) capacity had been added worldwide in 2009, according to recently confirmed results from IMS Research (Wellingborough, England). The market research and consultancy services supplier on April 13th, 2010 announced that after the German Federal Network Agency had released its December figures for new PV installations on April 9th, the company's earlier predictions were confirmed. The German PV market grew massively in 2009 to reach 3.8 GW, and the global PV market saw a double-digit growth.  Ash Sharma, PV Research Director with IMS Research, commented: "An incredible 1.5 GW of new capacity was installed in Germany in December. This was earlier predicted by IMS Research which measured inverter shipments at 3.5 GW in Q4'09, and also predicted that the global PV market grew by 25 % to exceed 7 GW."




Up to 10 GW new PV capacity forecasted for 2010

Sharma pointed out that many in the industry had predicted a much smaller market size in 2009. IMS Research, on the contrary, had reportedly been able to predict the strong growth. According to the press release, the company took multiple parts of the PV supply chain into consideration. Analysts continue to stand by their prediction that the PV market, in terms of both shipments of modules and inverters and new installed capacity, grew at a double-digit rate in 2009 to exceed the 7 GW mark. Despite the upcoming cut to Germany's feed-in tariff (FIT), IMS Research still forecasts the global PV market to grow in 2010, up to 10 GW in terms of new installations with strong demand expected to come from many different countries.

2010-04-15   Courtesy: IMS Research   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Conergy Deutschland GmbH

 

Massachusetts awards USD million in stimulus funding to 56 solar projects

In the latest distribution of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Massachusetts officials on April 9 announced that they have awarded USD million in funding to 56 solar photovoltaic (PV) projects throughout the state. The 56 projects are all between 5kW and 200kW, and will total 4MW of installed PV. This is the second round of awards through Massachusetts' program; the first round granted an additional USD million, and received 86 applications in less than five hours.  "Over the last few years, our administration has made it a priority to support and grow the clean energy industry in Massachusetts," said Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. "With these federal stimulus funds, we can further invest in solar industry in all regions across the Commonwealth."

The ARRA, also known as the stimulus package, was a key piece of early legislation for the Obama administration. While the main stated purpose of the act was to boost the struggling economy and create jobs, it has done so by funding large numbers of solar and other renewable energy projects across the country. However, as implementation of stimulus funds has largely been up to individual states, some states have made more effective use of stimulus funds than others.


The Massachusetts solar success story

With its position on the north Atlantic coast, Massachusetts is a geographically unlikely place for a booming solar industry. However, as is often the case in the United States, economics and policies have been far more significant than solar potential in the growth of the industry, which has expanded rapidly in recent years. Officials with the Governor's office predict that Massachusetts, which has the nation's third highest per capita income, will have installed 60MW of solar by the end of the year. "Massachusetts is in the midst of a solar revolution. By the end of this year, the Commonwealth will see a nearly 20-fold increase in solar installations over what we had when Governor Patrick took office", Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles said. "I congratulate these 56 new projects for becoming part of the Massachusetts solar success story."

This growth in installed solar has also meant a growth in industry. The number of solar installers in Massachusetts has more than quadrupled from 50 to over 200 in just over two years, and employment has doubled in this sector in the same time. Massachusetts is also a center for solar manufacturing, and the state was third in the nation behind Ohio and Michigan in total production of PV cells and modules.

Even before this recent growth in the state's PV market, Massachusetts was tenth in the nation for total quantity of installed solar. All of this is despite the state's mediocre solar potential, which is inferior not only to southwestern states but most US regions, including the US South and plains states.


Solar incentives

The state body that distributed the stimulus funds, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), was created by the state's Green Jobs Act of 2008, which references the “green jobs” movement spearheaded by figures such as activist and author Van Jones. The projects funded by its federally funded Solar Stimulus program include a number of schools and universities, farms, realtors, a bank, a lumber yard and a number of other businesses.

In addition to the Solar Stimulus program, MassCEC has programs for workforce development, clean energy sector development, direct state investment in renewables technologies, and a rebate program, Commonwealth Solar. The rebate program funds residential projects and commercial projects up to 10kW, and distributed 1,300 rebates for projects totaling 23.5MW of installed solar in its first phase during 2008 and 2009. The Commonwealth Solar rebate program is now in its second phase.

"Commonwealth Solar has been the catalyst for significant growth in the Massachusetts solar power industry over the last two years", Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said. "With this next generation of rebates, we are putting clean solar power within the reach of more schools, farms, and other small businesses across the state."

2010-04-15   Courtesy: State of Massachusetts, NREL, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, DOE   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Hawaiian electric companies and Sacramento utility win USD million grant to study PV grid adoption

HECO's CEO Dick Rosenblum.
HECO's CEO Dick Rosenblum.

In April 2010, the Hawaii Electric Companies (Honolulu, Hawaii, US) and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (Sacramento, California, US) announced that they have been awarded USD million by the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) to study the effects of putting large amounts of photovoltaics (PV) on the grid while maintaining reliable service. The USD million grant is one of eight grants, totaling USD.3 million that the CPUC awarded in March to study integration of PV into the electricity grid.  "The California Solar Initiative is one of the greatest focused efforts to promote solar photovoltaics ever seen and is designed to help build a sustainable solar industry. Integrating substantial amounts of PV into the grid is part of that vision", said CPUC President Michael R. Peevey. "The research projects approved today will remove barriers and provide key insights into how we can efficiently use the energy from PV being produced on a million solar roofs."


Hawaii and renewable energy

Hawaii Electric Companies (HECO) describes the island state as a "natural laboratory" for testing integration of large amounts of PV. Hawaii is an island chain that is dependent upon imported fuel oil not only for transportation, but for an estimated 75% of its electricity generation. This in turn results in retail fuel prices that are much higher than other US states. In April average retail residential electricity rates were between USD$.235 and USD$.328/kWH, compared to the US national average of USD$.109 in 2009.

Accordingly, Hawaii has shown more interest than many US states in renewable energy technologies, including solar. The state has the nation's highest renewable portfolio standard, with a goal of 40% by 2030, and in 2008 had the most solar hot water installations in the nation, despite having a population of only 1.3 million persons. "I think we've come to have a very strong sensibility that promotes renewable", says HECO Spokesman Peter Rosegg. "There's an understanding that if we're going to reduce our use of imported oil, we have to aggressively pursue renewable generation."


Small grids and PV

Geography also dictates smaller grids. The five islands in the chain in HECO's service area all have their own electric grid, so the effects of putting large amounts of solar on line can be studied at a smaller scale. HECO has record of 24MW of photovoltaics in 2,899 systems registered with the company on the five islands in its service area. However, while the vast majority of the state's population is on the island of Oahu where Honolulu is located, roughly half these systems are on the islands of Maui, Hawaii, Molokai and Lanai, giving these islands much greater density of solar power. Additionally, the island of Hawaii hosts a 500kW microCSP (concentrated solar power) plant utilizing technologies by microCSP maker Sopogy.


The HECO/SMUD grant

The grant to HECO and Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) will be matched by .3 million of in-kind support from the utilities, and will include new monitoring hardware and forecasting software, advanced metering infrastructure and programs to test inverter controls. The utilities will also develop graphical displays to map where to optimally locate new solar systems and where to make grid improvements. "This project is one among many that demonstrate Hawaiian Electric’s commitment to finding solutions to the challenges of adding intermittent, distributed electric generation such as photovoltaic to our grids using the best and most innovative technology available", said Hawaiian Electric Vice President Robbie Alm. To fulfill the grant, HECO and SMUD will partner with BEW Engineering, SunPower Corporation and NEO Virtus Engineering Inc.


About the California Solar Initiative

The California Solar Initiative was created in 2007, and has the goal of installing 1,940MW of solar by the end of 2016. While perhaps best known for its incentives program, the CSI encompasses multiple sub-programs including the Research, Development, Deployment and Demonstration program, which has a budget of USD million and through which these grants were made available.

2010-04-15   Courtesy: HECO, CPUC   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: HECO

 

Dow Corning and IMEC collaborate on high-efficiency, low-cost silicon solar cell research

Dow Corning (Midland, Michigan), a global supplier of silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, in April 2010 announced that it had signed a three-year contract with IMEC, a registered trademark for the activities of IMEC International (Leuven, Belgium), to perform joint research on next generations of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar photovoltaic (PV) cells.  In the framework of IMEC’s industrial affiliation program (IIAP) on silicon solar cells, Dow Corning entered into several joint development projects. According to the press release, the research and development (R&D) program concentrates on sharply reducing the silicon use, whilst at the same time increasing the efficiency of solar cells. This could substantially lower the cost for solar energy, Dow Corning reports.


Use of very thin and large silicon wafers and novel encapsulant processes to deliver cost-effective solar PV modules

The collaboration between Dow Corning and IMEC is to focus on topics where Dow Corning's advanced materials can bring enabling solutions for the processing and interconnection of future solar cells. An example is a silicone encapsulant process for integrated cell and module processing. Due to the use of very thin and large wafers, cell processing and module assembly become increasingly challenging. IMEC and Dow Corning plan to combine new cell structures with novel silicone encapsulant processes with a goal of producing cost-effective modules with ultra-thin cells. By joining the silicon solar cell IIAP, researchers from Dow Corning will be able to closely collaborate with the research team of IMEC and its silicon solar cell partners to build up fundamental understanding and develop robust material solutions for next-generation silicon-based solar cells.


R&D cooperation to accelerate commercialization of next-generation solar manufacturing technologies

"With Dow Corning joining our silicon solar cell IIAP, our research can benefit from the latest innovations in materials", said Jef Poortmans, Program Director Solar+ at IMEC. "By bringing together all the different players in the silicon solar cell value chain, ranging from energy companies, solar cell manufacturers to material and equipment suppliers, we can speed up the development of new processes which are tested on a semi-industrial pilot line. As such we accelerate the transfer to mass production." Eric Peeters, Vice President, Dow Corning Solar Business, added: "It is all about commercializing new technologies that will make solar panels more efficient and more durable, leading to a significant reduction of the cost per kWh of energy generated with photovoltaics. Dow Corning strongly believes in imec's approach to bring world leaders across the value chain together to work synergistically and make step-change innovation a reality."

2010-04-15   Courtesy: Dow Corning   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Phoenix Solar completes Singapore’s largest thin-film photovoltaic plant on new building of Applied Materials

Thin-film modules with a peak output of 380 kWp on the new building of Applied Materials in Singapore.
Thin-film modules with a peak output of
380 kWp on the new building of
Applied Materials in Singapore.

Singapore based Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of TecDAX listed Phoenix Solar AG (Sulzemoos Germany), has completed Singapore’s largest photovoltaic plant built with thin-film modules with a peak output of 380 kilowatts (kWp) on the new company building of Applied Materials Inc. in Singapore. The thin-film modules used in construction are the world’s largest, with a surface area of 5.7 square metres. In addition to the 380 kWp large-scale tandem modules, the Phoenix team also used 4.8 kWp of semi-transparent thin-film modules along with 14.4 kWp multi-crystalline modules, which brings the plant's peak output to around 400 kilowatts in total.  Applied Materials’ 32,000 square metre operations centre serves as a hub for the company’s activities throughout Asia. The building has been rated Green Mark Platinum by Singapore’s Building & Construction Authority and was inaugurated on April13th, 2010.




World’s largest and most powerful mass-produced thin film solar modules

The photovoltaic modules were manufactured in Germany and China using the so-called "SunFab Thin Film Line", a production line developed by Applied Materials. This fully integrated thin-film production line is suitable for either single junction or tandem junction thin-film modules and, with modules measuring 2.2 m x 2.6 metres, can produce the world’s largest and most powerful mass-produced thin film solar modules. These large modules lower the installation costs as assembly is swifter and save on mounting materials.

"At approximately 105 kg and yet only 8 mm thick, handling and installing these modules on the roof was a challenge. We are extremely proud of the entire project team for their innovative engineering solutions", said Christophe Inglin, Managing Director of Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd.

"The new photovoltaic system on our roof is an excellent showcase for our SunFab technology - and is accessible to anyone who visits our new Singapore Operations Centre", commented Russel Tham, President of Applied Materials South East Asia. "Phoenix Solar installed the system in a matter of weeks and with the highest level of professionalism. We are very pleased with the result."


2010-04-14   Courtesy: Phoenix Solar AG   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Phoenix Solar AG

 

Unirac announces manufacturing capability in Ontario, Canada

ISYS components require zero field fabrication - no welding, drilling or cutting at the installation site.
ISYS components require zero field
fabrication - no welding, drilling or
cutting at the installation site.

Unirac, Inc. (Albuquerque, New Mexico), a manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) mounting solutions, on April 7th, 2010 announced that the company is currently manufacturing products in Ontario, Canada, which meet all Ontario Power Authority (OPA; Toronto, Ontario, Canada) domestic content requirements under the province's feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme.  Unirac reports that locally manufactured residential and light commercial racking products are already available, with commercial and utility racking products to start shipping in late April. The company's decision to manufacture in the province is said to signify a direct response to Ontario's pioneering FIT and MicroFIT programs, which offer attractive renewable energy compensation rates for solar installation customers.



FIT program key reason to start manufacturing in Ontario

"Canada is a growing market for solar energy due to the country's proactive FIT and MicroFIT programs", said Doug May, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unirac. "By manufacturing our mounting solutions locally, we adhere to the programs' local content requirements, contribute to local economic growth, and provide Canadian customers access to our innovative line of products that are the building blocks for superior solar installations." Unirac reports that its initial product offerings in Canada will include the company's "SolarMount", "ISYS Ground Mount", and "ISYS Roof Mount" systems. The ISYS Roof Mount, for example, utilizes Unirac's patented I-beam components that are said to demonstrate a superior strength to weight ratio to withstand the demanding wind, snow and ice conditions in Canada.


2010-04-14   Courtesy: Unirac, Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Unirac, Inc.

 

2010-2011 Indian budget increases funding for renewables

In February, the national government of India announced a 61% increase in its 2010-2011 budget for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, which oversees renewable energy programs. The annual budget will increase from 6.2 billion Rupees (Rs) to 10 billion Rs, not including 9.5 billion Rs of internal and extra-budgetary resources. Five billion Rs will be dedicated to solar, small hydro and micro-power in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. This large budget increase is a step towards meeting the goals outlined in India's renewable energy programs, including the ambitious Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.  Through this budgetary increase, the government aims to install 3GW of additional on-grid renewable energy and 142 MW equivalent of off-grid and distributed systems, including small-scale solar PV systems, and to deploy one million square meters of hot water collectors. Research and development will be funded as well.



Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission

This large increase in renewables funding follows the announcement in November 2009 of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, which sets of a goal of 20GW of grid-tied photovoltaics (PV), 2GW of off-grid PV and 20 million square meters of solar thermal collectors by 2022. The program was formally launched on January 11, with a goal for its first phase of 1.3GW of installed PV by 2013.

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is one of eight national missions of the Indian government, and is part of the nation's climate plan. A primary goal of the solar mission is to bring down the cost of solar to grid parity.


India's solar promise and progress

With its tropical location, the nation of India has excellent natural potential for PV and solar hot water, and many areas also have good potential for concentrated solar technologies. And with high rates of poverty, the nation has shown an interest in the job creation that solar can bring, particularly in the manufacturing sector. The Indian government is particularly interested in the use of off-grid solar and other small-scale renewable technologies, as large areas of the country are not served by an electric grid.

However, India has a long way to go to reach its goals. On March 5, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Minister of New and Renewable Energy stated that the nation had only installed 8.1MW of new solar against a goal of 50MW for the nation's 11th 5 year plan, which ends in 2012. As a partial means of funding this large increase in renewables, the 2010-2011 budget includes a tax of 50 Rs per ton of coal which will go to a clean energy fund.

2010-04-14   Courtesy: India Press Information Bureau; Indian Ministry of Finance; Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Solar electricity from large power plants: Concentrating photovoltaics ready for take off

Even more concentration: The Fraunhofer ISE works on increasing the efficiency of CPV modules using e.g. secondary optics.
Even more concentration: The Fraunhofer ISE
works on increasing the efficiency of CPV
modules using e.g. secondary optics.

Around 400 scientists and company representatives from 32 countries met in Freiburg from 7-9 April, 2010 for the sixth International Conference on Concentrating Photovoltaic Systems – CPV-6. "At this year’s conference, the number of participants increased by more than 40 percent. The industry, represented by 20 companies, also showed a strong presence. We view this as a huge success and milestone for the market entry of this industry" says a pleased Dr. Andreas Bett, Scientific Head of the Conference and Deputy Director of Fraunhofer ISE.  The international conference audience exchanged ideas about state-of-the-art research and production as well as the execution of CPV solar power plant technology.




Threshold to industrial CPV manufacturing has been crossed

Solar power plants play a key role in the mix of renewable energy, especially in sun-rich countries with a large amount of direct sunlight. Concentrating photovoltaics, in which sunlight is concentrated onto a highly efficient solar cell, is one of the leading technologies today. Several megawatts of this technology executed in different variations have already been installed in Spain, thus the threshold to industrial manufacturing has been crossed. Information covering the entire added value chain of the technology was presented at the CPV-6: from the cell and module development through to optics and tracking and up to the costs, market development and quality standards. The Conference highlights included the presentation of numerous successful results. Among these was a measured AC system efficiency of over 25 percent. The AC efficiency is the efficiency at which the electricity is fed into the grid (after the conversion of the solar direct current into the alternating current required by the grid). Worldwide a production capacity of more than 50 MW concentrating photovoltaic systems exists. First operation results over the course of the last two years were presented as well as various test results showing system reliability.


41.1 percent world record efficiency for concentrator solar cells

Over the past eight years, the direction of the International Conference on Concentrating Photovoltaic Systems has alternated between different international research institutes. This year’s conference was hosted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg. For more than 20 years, researchers at Fraunhofer ISE have been working on the development of highly efficient solar cells based on III-V semiconductors. With 41.1 percent, the team of Andreas Bett and Frank Dimroth achieved a world record efficiency for concentrator solar cells at the beginning of 2009.

At the photovoltaic conference PVSEC 2009 held in Hamburg, Andreas Bett received the Becquerel Prize, honouring him for his achievements in the field. Five years ago, the Fraunhofer ISE spin-off company Concentrix Solar was founded. Today the company operates a 25 MW production for concentrator systems in Freiburg and has built a first power plant in Spain.

The next CPV Conference is to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA from the 4 -7 April 2011. Further information can be found at: http://www.cpv-conference.org

2010-04-14   Courtesy: Fraunhofer ISE   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Fraunhofer ISE

 

BrightView Systems announces new management appointments

The InSight M8 In-line Wide Area Metrology (WAM) Tool Optimizes Thin-Film Panel Manufacturing.
The InSight M8 In-line Wide Area Metrology
(WAM) Tool Optimizes Thin-Film Panel
Manufacturing.

On April 12th, 2010, thin-film manufacturing technology start-up BrightView Systems (Petach-Tikva, Israel) announced two new appointments in their management team. The company appointed Hai Benron Director of Global Business, and has also expanded the duties of Ariel Ben-Porath, appointing him to Vice-President of Marketing and Business Development.  BrightView Systems provides comprehensive process control and optimization systems for the thin-film photovoltaics (PV) manufacturing industry. The company’s founders and key employees hold over 60 patents in related systems, process control and metrology. BrightView Systems offers in-line metrology, imaging, and unique data analysis packages specifically designed for thin-film solar manufacturing.



Hai Benron

Incoming Director of Global Business Hai Benron joins BrightView Systems with over 20 years in electronics manufacturing experience, including ten years living and working in Asian nations. Mr. Benron will be spearheading BrightView's work in Asia, which is strategically important for the company due to the rapid adoption of thin-film technologies in this region. He was the Vice President of Business Marketing and Strategic Accounts of SEZ Asia Pacific and General Manager of SEZ China, and is a graduate of Stanford University and Yale University.


Ariel Ben-Porath

Mr. Ben-Porath, BrightView's current VP of Marketing has been named VP Marketing and Business Development to focus on strategy, customer needs and business opportunities in thin-film photovoltaic markets. He has been with BrightView since 2008, and previously held management positions for over ten years at semiconductor manufacturer Applied Materials. He is named on several patents in the fields of automatic classification, data mining and process control. He was awarded a B.Sc. (cum laude) in Electrical Engineering from Israel's Technion University and a master's degree in Applied Mathematics & Computational Biology from the Weizmann Institute of Science.


In-line metrology to optimize thin-film PV production

"BrightView’s in-line metrology solutions, based on the breakthrough InSight M platform, are gaining recognition as the ‘must have’ process control and optimization solution for leading thin-film PV producers seeking to improve their panel efficiency, long-term reliability and production output", said BrightView Systems CEO Benny Shohom. "As part of the company’s commercial expansion, we are strengthening our marketing efforts with Mr. Ben-Porath and welcoming Mr. Benron who will drive our penetration into the fast growing solar regions in Asia Pacific and expand our sales and field operations worldwide."

2010-04-14   Courtesy: BrightView Systems   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: BrightView Systems

 

German PV producer Inventux confirms preliminary financial figures for 2009

Inventux headquarters in Berlin.
Inventux headquarters in Berlin.

"In the past year Inventux has continued its successful course in terms of production and sales development and has once again been granted an unrestricted certificate by annual auditors", says Oliver Rothe, Chief Finance Officer for Inventux Technologies AG (Berlin, Germany). He adds: "Under exceedingly difficult market conditions in 2009, we have succeeded in establishing the economic and corporate law foundations for continuing the company’s dynamic growth."  Technological productivity marked by continually rising module efficiency, the consistently high quality of series-manufactured products, and the comprehensive and professional sales network with direct customer access were the essential success factors for the fiscal year 2009, the company emphasizes in a press release.



Premium 132-watt module serially produced

In the course of the fiscal year 2010, Inventux will consistently utilize these success factors for company growth in goal-oriented projects and measures. Already in the first quarter of 2010, a premium 132-watt module could be serially produced, corresponding to a module efficiency of over 9.2%. The production in Berlin Marzahn was at full capacity; and despite the long and especially snowy winter, production volumes were completely sold out. Due to the good 1st-quarter results in 2010 as well as ongoing production success and the influx of new contracts, Inventux Technologies AG has a rosy outlook for this fiscal year. The company will meet the potentially drastic changes to the German EEG (Renewable Energy Sources Act) with an expansion of its sales network, further internationalization, additional innovative products as well as with the continued performance increase of its modules.



2010-04-14   Courtesy: Inventux Technologies AG   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Inventux Technologies AG

 

OPV production: Sono-Tek announces new ultrasonic coating system

ExactaCoat Inert system for the production of Organic Solar Cells (OSC).
ExactaCoat Inert system for the production
of Organic Solar Cells (OSC).

Sono-Tek (Milton, New York, US), has announced its latest ultrasonic coating system to be used in the manufacture of organic solar cells. The system consists of a fully inert sealed container, or "glovebox", the ExactaCoat Inert, that utilizes Sono-Tek’s PLC-controlled programmable XYZ ultrasonic coating system. The purpose of the system is to deposit TCO layers in organic solar cells. Organic photo devices use materials based on carbon chains, instead of silicon or other materials, to convert light into energy with the same effect as a conventional solar cell.  Organic photo devices offer a low-cost solution to cell manufacturing, however they can only be produced in tightly controlled environments, and are not as widely used as conventional inorganic solar cells.



The ExactaCoat Inert

Sono-Tek advertises that their system provides greater control of materials processes, including coating deposition, grain structure, film thickness and surface morphology. Their ExactaCoat Inert system can produce an environment with less than one part per million of oxygen, while maintaining a stable pressure by using nitrogen, argon or helium. "Other glovebox system features include continuous oxygen monitoring of moisture and oxygen, HEPA filtration, automatic regeneration and push button antechamber fill", states Sono-Tek.


Ultrasonic spray coating

Ultrasonic spray coating utilizes high-frequency sound vibrations to atomize molecules that are applied to a surface. Ultrasonic spray coating is an alternative process to screen printing or spin coating with the advantages of a more efficient and controllable process that uses less polymer material. In addition to this system, Sono-Tek manufactures ultrasonic nozzle systems for electronics and both organic and inorganic solar cell and fuel cell manufacturing processes, as well as for anti-reflective coatings.



2010-04-14   Courtesy: Sono-Tek   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Sono-Tek

 

Etrion Signs agreement to acquire Deutsche Bank solar assets in Italy

Etrion Corporation (Toronto, Ontario), a Canadian energy company, has signed a definitive sale and purchase agreement to acquire a portfolio of Deutsche Bank solar assets in Italy for 10.3 million Euros plus a contingent deferred payment of 1.5 million Euros, the company reports in a press release. The Deutsche Bank assets being acquired include 6 megawatts (MW) of operating solar photovoltaic (PV) plants and 10 MW of permitted PV projects ready for construction in the Puglia region plus a pipeline of more than 150 MW in various stages of permitting.  The operating assets consist of 6 MW of ground-based solar PV plants, producing over 10,250 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity and approximately 4 million Euros of cash flow (EBITDA) per year.


PV plants benefit from 2009 feed-in-tariff of 0.353 Euros per kWh plus a spot rate of approximately 0.08 Euros per kWh

These plants benefit from the 2009 feed-in-tariff of 0.353 Euros per kWh plus a spot rate of approximately 0.08 Euros per kWh. The Italian feed-in-tariff is a premium purchase price for renewable electricity that is guaranteed by the Italian government for 20 years. The operating plants also benefit from an existing facility agreement with Societe Generale and Dexia for up to 45 million Euros available on the basis of 90:10 debt-to-equity, of which 28 million Euros have been drawn to date.

Marco Northland, the Company’s CEO, commented: "This acquisition represents an important leap forward for Etrion. We are acquiring a combination of operating assets with immediate revenue, projects for construction in 2010, a pipeline for 2011 and relationships with highly qualified local developers. We look forward to building out the Italian pipeline that Deutsche Bank developed over several years."

The acquisition of the Deutsche Bank assets is scheduled to close by April 30, 2010, and is subject to typical closing conditions. The Company intends to fund the acquisition through a combination of cash on hand and a bridge loan from its major shareholder, Lundin Petroleum. The bridge loan carries interest at LIBOR plus 3%.

2010-04-13   Courtesy: Etrion Corporation   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Recurrent Energy awarded 154.5 MW of distributed solar power projects by Ontario Power Authority

Recurrent Energy (San Francisco, California), an independent power producer and a developer of solar power projects, in April 2010 announced that it had been awarded 154.5 megawatts (MW) of distributed solar power projects by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA; Toronto, Ontario, Canada) under a feed-in tariff (FIT) program that is part of the province's "Green Energy and Green Economy Act".  According to the press release, this establishes Recurrent Energy as the largest distributed solar power project developer in Ontario under OPA's FIT program. This award is expected to contribute to the creation of over 2,500 jobs in the province, including local manufacturing, engineering, construction, electrical, project development and related services.


Company to invest more than 400 million US-dollars in Ontario solar projects

Recurrent Energy reports that it will finance, build, own and operate the photovoltaic (PV) solar power systems, using equipment and services meeting the 60 % domestic content requirements under Ontario's FIT program. The company expects to invest over 400 million US-dollars in solar modules, electrical equipment, steel and metal fabrication and related services such as installation and project management. The OPA is to buy 100 % of the power and renewable energy credits (RECs) from Recurrent Energy's solar projects located in the Counties of Simcoe, Lanark, Middlesex, Oxford, and the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. The projects are expected to be completed in 2011 and early 2012.


Focus to shift away from coal, increase contribution of solar energy generation

"As a global company with strong financial backing and over 1,000 MW of distributed-scale projects in development, we offer economies of scale and expertise that are attractive to our utility customers", said Arno Harris, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Recurrent Energy. "Ontario's renewable energy policy leadership, including the goal of eliminating coal-fired power generation by 2014, makes the province an attractive area for renewable energy economic development and investment, which we are excited to be a big part of." The projects in Ontario are expected to contribute to the development of Ontario's 'green energy economy', diversify income for Ontario farmers and businesses, and shift energy generation investments away from coal-fired to renewable energy power plants.

2010-04-13   Courtesy: Recurrent Energy   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Southern Company and Turner Renewable Energy buy 30MW PV plant

In March 2010, Southern Company (Atlanta, Georgia) and Turner Renewable Industries purchased a 30MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, currently under construction by thin-film manufacturer First Solar (Phoenix, Arizona). This will be the first purchase resulting from a January partnership of Turner Renewable Energy Industries and Southern Company, and the investment is uncharacteristic for the utility giant.   Southern Company's subsidiaries rely heavily on coal and the utility has been hostile to policies that favor renewable energy development in its service area. "Expanding the role renewables play in our energy mix is a priority for Southern Company", said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO David Ratcliffe. "Renewables, along with new nuclear, increased energy efficiency, cleaner coal technology and additional natural gas, all will be crucial to meeting this nation's growing energy demand."


The Souther Turner Cimarron I Solar Project

With plans for 500,000 photovoltaic thin-film panels, Cimarron I will be of the nation's largest PV plants. Construction began in March and First Solar expects the plant, located in New Mexico, to be operational before the end of the year. Under the agreement, First Solar will be responsible for engineering, procurement and construction of the plant as well as for operation and maintenance.

Cimarron I will supply electricity for a 25-year power purchase agreement with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a not-for-profit wholesale power supplier to 44 electric cooperatives in the US states of Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming. Ironically, all of the power generated by this plant will be far away from the service area of Southern Company's subsidiaries, which deliver power to Georgia, Alabama, parts of Mississippi and the Florida panhandle.


Southern Company

Southern Company is a fortune 500 company with 26,000 employees, 4.4 million customers and almost 43GW of generation capacity in subsidiaries Georgia Power, Alabama Power, Mississippi Power and Gulf Power. The company is heavily invested in coal, with 57% of its total generation coming from coal-fired power plants. Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power recently received loan guarantees from the US Department of Energy, which will allow it to construct the first two new nuclear power units in the United States in more than thirty years.

The South is the most backward region in the United States for development of renewable energy technologies, despite moderately good solar potential and the best potential in the United States for developing relatively inexpensive electricity from biomass sources such as agricultural wastes. North Carolina is the only state in the US South with a renewable portfolio standard policy, which requires utilities in the state to purchase or generate and increasing amount of electricity from renewable sources, and the law is among the weakest in the nation.

Clean energy advocates say this underdevelopment is largely due to the efforts of utility companies such as Southern Company. Southern Company employed 63 lobbyists to fight the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the "cap-and-trade" bill which passed the US House of Representatives in 2009 only to die in the US Senate.

Solar company SunEdison founder Jigar Shah is among those who is not impressed with Southern Company's recent moves. Referring to a 2.5MW purchase of rooftop solar by Southern subsidiary Georgia Power, Shah told the Atlanta Business Journal the purchase was "a deliberate move to delay the full implementation of renewable energy in Georgia", and called Georgia Power "among the most hostile utilities in the country to renewable energy".

It remains to be seen whether the purchase of the Cimarron I plant represents a new direction for Southern Company or merely a public relations ploy. Southern claims to be studying the economics of PV, but a 30MW plant is far too large to be considered a pilot project.


Turner Renewable Energy

The other partner in the project, Turner Renewable Energy, is owned by billionaire media mogul Ted Turner, the founder of CNN network. Turner and Southern Company make strange partners; Turner has long been an advocate of renewable energy and outspoken on the dangers of climate change caused by global warming.

Turner also claims to be the largest landowner in the United States, and has dedicated ranches in multiple western states to reintroducing the American Bison, commonly known as Buffalo. The Southern Turner Cimarron I plant will be located near one of Turner's ranches in New Mexico.


About First Solar

First Solar is the world's largest manufacturer of thin-film photovoltaic modules. The company expects to have 1.2GW of capacity by the end of 2010.

2010-04-13   Courtesy: Southern Company; TedTurner.com; Atlanta Business Journal, Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (dsireusa.org), First Solar   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Arizona Corporation Commission approves Tuscon Electric Power's request to add 33MW of solar to comply with Arizona RES

Springerville solar generation station.
Springerville solar generation station.

On April 1st, 2009 the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) approved a Tuscon Electric Power (Tuscon, Arizona) plan to add 33MW more solar electricity to comply with Arizona's requirement that utilities incorporate renewable energy generation. The utility plans to buy 30 MW of solar from utility scale photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, as well as increase its own solar generation by 3.3 MW.  "The development of these local renewable resources is exactly what the Arizona Corporation Commission hoped to encourage through the Renewable Energy Standard", said ACC Chairwoman Kris Mayes. "I'm pleased to see that TEP will be moving forward with such significant solar projects."



Purchased power

Tuscon Electric Power (TEP) plans to buy electricity from two large solar projects, and both are expected to be completed by 2012. The bulk of the power purchased will come from a 25MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant which will be owned and operated by Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, and which will incorporate a tracking system. The array will be sited on 305 acres of land owned by Tuscon Water. An additional 5MW will be generated by by a parabolic trough CSP system, to be located at the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park. The system will be owned and operated by Bell Independent Power Company, and will be the first system of its kind in Tuscon.


Generated Power

TEP also plans to expand the solar generation that it owns. TEP will add 1.8 MW of PV generation capacity to its 4.6MW Springerville Generating Station solar plant. The company also plans to build a 1.6MW PV plant on a tracking system, and has tied this project to its proposed Bright Tuscon Community Solar Program, which would require customers to voluntarily pay a premium for solar power. The ACC has not yet decided on the program, which would require customers to pay an additional for 150KW "blocks" of solar power. Later this month, the ACC will decide on the Bright Tuscon program as well as approve funding for TEP's expansion of its solar generation.


Solar installations to comply with Arizona's renewable energy policies

TEP's plan to add solar will allow the utility to comply with Arizona's mandatory renewable electricity standard, passed in 2006. The policy, also known as a renewable portfolio standard (RPS or RES), requires utilities to purchase or generate an increasing portion of their electricity from renewable energy sources, and mandatory policies provide financial disincentives if utilities do not meet those goals. These policies have been a preferred way for states in the US to encourage renewable energy generation; 29 US states and the District of Columbia have passed mandatory RPS/RES policies.

Arizona, with its high altitudes and plentiful, direct sunlight, has the best potential for both PV and CSP technologies of any state in the United States. Additionally, much of Arizona residents' power needs come from cooling loads, which are at their greatest in the middle of the day and in the summer – matching the peak output time for solar technologies. Both of these factors make solar a natural fit for utilities in the state to meet RES goals.

Arizona's RES requires 30% of utilities' renewable energy generation goals in 2012 and thereafter to be met with distributed generation.


TEP services owns 10MW of renewable energy generation capacity

TEP services 400,000 customers in south-west Arizona. The company owns 10MW of renewable energy generation capacity, including solar power, and has subsidized an additional 6MW of solar PV owned by its customers.


2010-04-13   Courtesy: TEP; Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: TEP

 

Diversified technology company 3M supports Desertec desert electricity initiative, joins Desertec Industrial Initiative

3M-provides "Solar Acrylic Foam" foils for
manufacturing PV panels.

3M Germany has joined the Desertec Industrial Initiative (Dii) as an associated partner. The diversified technology company, which has been constantly developing its business with renewable energies over recent years, will contribute its know-how in the area of film, adhesive and coating technology to the Desertec initiative. "We want to actively support one of the most ambitious infrastructure products in the world by taking part in the Desertec Consortium", said Dr. Suat Akyol, Manager New Technologies at 3M Germany based in Neuss.  "As one of the first companies providing nanoscale multilayer polymer films for optical applications on an industrial scale, we have developed a mirror film, for example, which enables lightweight highly-reflective mirror constructions for solar power plants. Our wide-ranging know-how means that we can both facilitate use of established technologies for renewable energies and also develop innovative solutions especially for the wind and solar sectors", Dr. Akyol added.



Encapsulating films to protect solar cells, Fresnel lenses for sunlight concentration

3M, headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, is one of the most widely-diversified companies in the world. One of its particular strengths is the varied use - often in combination - of its more than 40 technology platforms. At the German 3M headquarters in Neuss the company's know-how for the solar and wind industries was bundled into the "Renewable Energy" business unit last year. 3M also established a European Research Center for wind, solar and geothermal energy creation. Application solutions for these industries are based on a selection of core competencies in the areas of films, tapes, adhesives and coatings.

Examples of products for the solar industry include encapsulating films designed to protect solar cells, as well as mirror films or Fresnel lenses for sunlight concentration. Innovative coatings are also soon to make surfaces more resistant and will also enable faster and simpler cleaning.

The wind industry has been relying on know-how from 3M for more than ten years, where special adhesive tapes have proven to be valueable in protecting the edges of rotor blades. In future, it is intended to increase the efficiency and reliability of wind turbines still further with the help of films, tapes, adhesives and also coatings from 3M.

3M will also contribute its know-how in the area of high-voltage overhead conductors to the Desertec Consortium. The company has developed a conductor based on ceramic-fiber reinforced aluminum which can carry twice as much electricity as conventional steel cables, even under the most challenging climatic conditions.


17 shareholders joined the Desertec Industrial Initiative

The Desertec Industrial Initiative aims to create the framework generating sustainable and climate-friendly power in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East and to prepare integration with the European power network. The long-term objective is to satisfy a substantial part of the energy needs of the MENA countries and meet as much as 15% of Europe's electricity demand. The Dii (Desertec Industrial Initiative) currently consists of 17 shareholders. Among the founding members are ABB, Deutsche Bank, E.ON, HSH Nordbank, MAN Solar Millennium, Munich Re, RWE and Siemens. Since the beginning of February, the industrial initiative has gained the support of Klaus Töpfer, member of the German Christian Democratic party and former executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as an advisor.



2010-04-13   Courtesy: 3M Germany   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: 3M

 

SolarWorld hones sales advantages ahead of production ramp

The SolarWorld group has installed new sales leadership and staff and implemented the market’s most robust performance assurances to position the sales operation for the company’s steep rise in U.S. manufacturing. Kevin Kilkelly has rounded out his first quarter as president of the group’s sales and marketing operation for the Americas by creating additional green sales and sales-support jobs, enabling the company to further segment the U.S. market to speed growth of installation and distribution networks.  Mr. Kilkelly also has adopted the strongest U.S. product protections.


Linear performance guarantee for 25 years

Beginning with modules installed in 2010, SolarWorld is the first manufacturer to offer a linear performance guarantee for 25 years. Competitors offer staggered guarantees - for instance, 90 percent of nominal output for 10 years, then 80 percent the next year onward. SolarWorld’s guarantee covers 97 percent the first year, then decreases only 0.7 percent each year thereafter.

In parallel, the company is offering a plus-sorting method to ensure customers receive the watts they expect. Every module is flash-tested to determine peak rated power, and the rating accounts for initial light-induced degradation. Based on this rating, SolarWorld, unlike competitors, delivers only modules that offer output greater than or equal to nameplate rated power. Factory flash reports accompany every order.


U.S. operations to be expanded to 500 MW of annual production capacity in 2010

"As the nation’s pioneering leader in high-quality photovoltaic products, we must constantly innovate ways for our sales operation to keep pace with the ever-increasing performance and reliability of our products", Mr. Kilkelly said. "These steps put us further ahead of the pack." SolarWorld, already the largest and most experienced U.S. manufacturer of solar power technology, is expanding its U.S. operations to 500 MW of annual production capacity this year.

2010-04-13   Courtesy: SolarWorld group   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

New report: Polysilicon industry faces shakeout

Solar Silicon Production to exceed demand significantly in 2011.
Solar Silicon Production to
exceed demand significantly
in 2011.

The polysilicon industry will face a major shakeout in 2011, Bernreuter Research (Würzburg, Germany) reports in a press release. This is one of the conclusions of the new market research report "The Who's Who of Solar Silicon Production", which Bernreuter Research has issued on April 8th 2010. Polysilicon, the feedstock for the semiconductor and photovoltaic (PV) industries, was in short supply until 2009 before the market tipped to oversupply.  With upside potential for demand in important PV markets in 2010, pressure on the silicon price will likely be limited this year. In 2011, however, a major shakeout in the polysilicon industry appears inevitable, Bernreuter Research emphasizes.





Chinese manufacturers could produce about one third of a global volume

Without market correction, Chinese manufacturers could produce as much as 80,000 metric tons (MT) in 2012, about one third of a global volume of approximately 250,000 MT, according to the scenario of Bernreuter Research. "The Chinese polysilicon industry will undoubtedly become an important player in the global market", says Frank Haugwitz, photovoltaics consultant in Beijing and co-author of the report. However, about 20 smaller manufacturers, which had an annual production capacity of only 1,500 MT or even less at the end of 2009, are the first potential candidates for consolidation.



Siemens process will not be challenged in the short term

Bernreuter Research has also examined nine alternative production methods to the standard Siemens process, which have been spurred by the silicon shortage in recent years. "None of them will challenge the Siemens process in the short term", says Johannes Bernreuter, head of Bernreuter Research and lead author of the report. "In particular, fluidized bed reactor technology has not delivered on its promise of lower manufacturing costs." Another alternative, upgraded metallurgical-grade (UMG) silicon, will only play a marginal role with a market share of less than one percent through 2012.

With 96 company profiles and 54 additional project reviews, "The Who's Who of Solar Silicon Production" provides comprehensive and detailed information on 150 manufacturers and aspirants in the polysilicon and UMG silicon industry. The 174-page report is supplemented by eight regional maps with company locations and a list of 56 equipment suppliers and engineering companies. Through April 30, 2010, the Who's Who will be offered at an early bird discount.

For more information and an order form, please go to: http://www.bernreuter.com

2010-04-12   Courtesy: Bernreuter Research   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Bernreuter Research

 

GCL Solar Limited orders 150MW of PV inverters from Satcon

500kW PowerGate Plus inverter.
500kW PowerGate Plus inverter.

On April 7th, 2010 Power management system provider Satcon Technology Corporation (Boston, Massachusetts, US) announced an order for 300 of its 500kW PowerGate Plus inverters by GCL Solar Limited (Nanjing, China), one of China's largest utility-scale solar developers. Satcon will begin shipping the orders this month and expects to deliver the last inverter by the end of 2010. The solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters will be used on multiple projects in China.  "GCL is one of the world's most progressive large scale solar innovators", said Satcon President and CEO Steve Rhoades. "Their projects have set the new standard in utility scale solar design and installation, and mark a new chapter in the global solar PV power industry. We are honored to partner with GCL and be a part of this world class team of solar power leaders."



China develops as a solar market

While Chinese companies' aggressive moves into many areas of solar manufacturing, including both polysilicon and solar PV cell and module production, are widely discussed, the nation's domestic use of solar is also growing. China has made strong commitments to multiple kinds of renewable energy to meet the rapidly expanding power needs of its growing economy.

"The foundation of China's large scale photovoltaic industry has been firmly established over the past year and the market is now entering its next phase in both project sophistication and scale", said GCL Solar Limited General Manager Dr. Gu Huamin. "As we move forward the balance between technology innovation, system stability, and overall system efficiency becomes paramount to the successful integration of solar power onto China's national grid."


GCL and Satcon partnership

GCL Solar Limited entered into a partnership with Satcon in 2009, and the 150MW order follows a string of large orders, including an order for 38MW of its 500kW PowerGate Plus inverters announced on March 3. Satcon also supplied inverters for GCL's Jiming Hill Xunzhou solar plant and the Yancheng Guoneng rooftop installation, which at 20MW and 3MW respectively are the largest ground-mounted and rooftop solar plants in China. Both projects were completed in December 2009.


Satcon's PowerGate inverters

Satcon's officials describe the 500kW PowerGate Plus inverter as the company's "flagship" inverter. In addition to the Chinese installations, the 500kW model is used on the world's largest rooftop solar installation, a 12MW solar PV plant on the roof of the General Motors auto manufacturing facility in Zaragoza, Spain which covers roughly 185,000 square meters. The PowerGate Plus 500kW is also used in large installations in the US and Canada.


2010-04-12   Courtesy: Satcon Technology Corporation   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Satcon Technology Corporation

 

ONTILITY launches solar and energy efficiency finance, lease and PPA solutions

ONTILITY (Houston, Texas) on April 1st, 2010 announced the launch of "ONFinance", a consumer and commercial financial services program and platform to the company’s "Certified Partner" program network. According to the press release, ONFinance will offer residential consumer and commercial end-consumer financial solutions and products through ONTILITY’s Certified Partner and "Dealer/Installer" network within the contiguous United States.  As part of the program, the company is to offer a number of financial solutions and products, including residential solar and energy efficiency project and product finance, home equity loans (HEL), mortgage refinancing, personal lines of credit, personal loans and residential solar and energy efficiency project and product leasing.


Finance solutions for commercial-scale solar energy projects

According to the press release, ONTILITY’s commercial financial solutions and products will include large project and product finance, multiple credit level (A,B,C) capabilities, and commercial solar and energy efficiency large project and product operating and capital leasing services. Also, the company is to offer credit approval above the requested amount and coterminous lease and add-on capabilities and several options as well as commercial solar project power purchase agreements (PPA’s). "We are excited to offer our ONFinance program to our growing ONTILITY Certified Partner and Dealer/Installer networks", said Thomas Pash, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ONTILITY. "Having the ability to build custom tailored financial solutions for solar and energy efficiency consumers will help us close the last 'green mile' between our partners and green consumers and businesses."


Four-step finance program

ONTILITY reports that its new finance program involves a four-step process, in which a Certified Partner or Dealer/Installer works together to design, quote, analyze, and propose solar or energy efficiency projects to an end-consumer. The end-consumer is then to approve the project and to work with ONTILITY and the respective Certified Partner or Dealer/Installer to submit appropriate applications and paperwork. According to the press release, in some cases the ONTILITY "ONGrant" and "ONRebate" teams will work with the end-consumer to discuss and design the respective financial program, possible rebate and grant project net cost offsets, process appropriate applications and secure funding. Finally, the end-consumer is to be approved, final documents are to be signed and the solar project can begin.

2010-04-12   Courtesy: ONTILITY   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Spain: Fotowatio Renewable Ventures completes funding of its first solar photovoltaic plant in Andalusia

PV plant by Fotowatio at Denver Airport.
PV plant by Fotowatio at Denver Airport.

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV; Madrid, Spain), an independent solar power producer, on April 7th, 2010 announced that it had secured funding to develop an 11 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the municipality of La Rioja (Almeria, Spain). The company reports that this will be its first PV project in Andalusia.  According to the press release, the financing was secured through a 45 million Euro (60 million US-dollars) funding agreement with German Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW). FRV is to own and operate the solar power plant and has reportedly contracted Würth Solar (Schwäbisch Hall), a German PV module manufacturer and project developer, to construct, operate and maintain it.



11 MW solar power plant to offset 16,500 tons of CO2 emissions annually

The 11 MW solar power plant is expected to generate 16 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of emissions-free electricity annually, thereby avoiding 16,500 tons of CO2 emissions per year. "With the development and financing of this 11 MWp solar project, FRV consolidates its position in Andalusia, one of the regions with the highest insolation levels in Europe", said Rafael Benjumea, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FRV. "We also expand our network of engineering procurement contractors (EPCs) and financial providers working with Würth and Landesbank Baden Württemberg." FRV is reportedly one of the largest solar power companies in the world, with 150 MW in operation, and more than 1,000 MW under development across the United States and Europe.




2010-04-12   Courtesy: Fotowatio Renewable Ventures   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Fotowatio Renewable Ventures

 

PV research: IMEC begins study of metallic nanostructures to improve solar cell efficiency and cost

Belgian Interuniversity Microelectronics research Center IMEC (Leuven) and project partners have started work on the PRIMA project to improve the efficiency and cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells through the use of metallic nanostructures, which exist at a sub-microscopic scale. PRIMA is a project under a European Union protocol on information and communications technologies, which has the goal of enhancing European competitiveness in industry.   Imec is a world leader in research on nanoelectronics, and works with global partners on research in information and communications technologies, health care and energy. The institute has offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, several Asian nations and the United States.



Potential advantages for the solar industry by using metallic nanostructures

Some nanostructure metallic substances can absorb and intensify light at certain wavelengths. When incorporated into a solar cell, this property can allow the photoactive material to absorb more light, making it possible to produce thinner and less expensive cells with less base material. This phenomenon of improved light absorption can work for multiple types of solar cells, including crystalline silicon cells, solar cells based on high-performance III-V semiconductors, and organic and dye-sensitized solar cells.


Performance of different metallic nanostructures to be measured against state-of-the-art solar cells

Project PRIMA has two goals: both to study the mechanisms of metallic nanostructures, focusing on improving light absorption, and to study how these nanostructures can be incorporated into solar cells at the production level. For the second goal, IMEC's project partners will test the performance of different metallic nanostructures, measured against state-of-the-art solar cells.

IMEC has partnered with universities in various nations for work on PRIMA, including Imperial College (London, UK), Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), Photovoltech (Belgium), Quantasol (UK) and Australian National University (Australia).

2010-04-12   Courtesy: IMEC   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Texas awards USD million in federal grants to government solar projects

In March, the State Energy Conservation Office in the US state of Texas distributed grants to 32 local and state entities from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to install large solar energy systems. These 32 grants represent USD million of the USD million ARRA funding for the state's Distributed Renewable Energy Technology program. The ARRA, also known as the stimulus package, was a key component of President Obama's economic program, but has also provided considerable funds for solar, other renewable energy and energy efficiency projects across the United States.  Educational advantages

Four of the six largest grants, up to USD million each, are going to universities and school districts, and many of the solar systems installed will also be used for educational purposes. "Some projects offer even more benefits", says Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, whose office manages public funds in the state of Texas. "For example, Texas State Technical College (TSTC) campuses in Waco and Harlingen will install solar panels that will not only provide electricity but also serve as hands-on training labs. TSTC plans to have students in solar energy technology programs perform efficiency and maintenance work or other training with the panels. This will enhance the value of their technical career skills."


Texas' slow progress with solar

Six of the grants awarded are for projects in and near Texas' capitol city, Austin. Austin has a history of involvement with solar energy, as a result of policies passed by the city's municipal utility to encourage solar development.

While Texas has embraced wind projects, the rest of the state has been slow to adopt solar, despite strong potential, particularly in sparsely populated West Texas. A 2009 National Renewable Energy Laboratories study showed Texas 12th overall in the nation in grid-connected distributed solar, behind a number of much smaller states with inferior solar potential such as Oregon, Massachusetts and North Carolina.

The state's renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policy has recognized this disparity between wind and other renewables, and has offered double credit for non-wind renewables such as solar under its distributed generation provisions. The state currently has an RPS goal of 10 GW by 2025, with a goal of 500 MW from renewable electricity sources other than wind.

2010-04-12   Courtesy: Evolution Solar; Texas State Energy Conservation Office; NREL   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Bayer MaterialScience becomes official partner for Solar Impulse; first round-the-world-flight in a solar airplane

Solar Impulse: Inaugural
Solar Impulse: Inaugural "flea hop" take-off
in December 2009

Bayer MaterialScience (Leverkusen, Germany) has become an official partner of the Solar Impulse project. Its founders Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg are developing the first manned aircraft aiming to fly around the world day and night without fuel, propelled by solar energy (photovoltaics, PV) only. The latest cutting-edge technology is incorporated into the prototype airplane, which has the wingspan of a large airliner (63.40 meters) and the weight of a midsize car (1.600 kilograms). Some 12,000 solar PV cells cover its surface to run 4 electrical engines and store the solar energy for the night in 400 kilograms of lithium batteries.   Bayer MaterialScience will support the Swiss-based Solar Impulse initiative with technical expertise, high-tech polymer materials and energy-saving lightweight products. "Baytubes" carbon nanotubes from Bayer MaterialScience, for example, could increase battery performance and improve the strength of structural components while keeping their weight to a minimum. Other potential applications include innovative adhesives, polyurethane rigid foams for paneling in the cockpit and engine, and extremely thin yet break-resistant polycarbonate films and sheet for the cockpit glazing.


Round-the-world-flight is scheduled in 2013

In December 2009, the prototype Solar Impulse HB-SIA accomplished its inaugural "flea hop" take-off, a first milestone in the development of the project. Various flights including pioneering night flights are scheduled for this summer. After evaluating important data on the behavior of the aircraft, a second airplane will be designed and built with the objective of flying around the world in 25 days (5 legs of 5 days each) at an average speed of 70 km/h. Two pilots will take turns in the single seat cockpit. According to current plans, this flight is scheduled in 2013.


Nanotechnology to make the airplane lighter and more efficient

"We are delighted to be an official partner in this exciting project", says Patrick Thomas, CEO of Bayer MaterialScience. "Through our involvement we will have the unique opportunity to contribute our know-how and innovative new materials. This support underlines Bayer MaterialScience’s commitment and responsibility to a sustainable environment as well as contributing to the success of Solar Impulse’s great technological challenge."

Bertrand Piccard, Initiator of Solar Impulse, says support from Bayer MaterialScience is a significant boost for the project. "I've always been fascinated by nanotechnology. Now, with Bayer MaterialScience as an official partner, we will be able to make our airplane even lighter and more efficient. We look forward with great enthusiasm to being able to tap into the company’s renowned expertise and innovative materials." André Borschberg, CEO of Solar Impulse adds: "Bayer MaterialScience’s technology is a key to the success of the project, especially in developing innovative material solutions in order to reduce our energy consumption. We look forward to a productive collaboration with the experts from Germany."

2010-04-12   Courtesy: Bayer MaterialScience   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Solar Impulse

 

PV producer Scheuten Solar extends product portfolio

Multisol P6-60 module
Multisol P6-60 module

Starting from April 2010, Scheuten Solar (Venlo, Netherlands) will supply the new high quality Multisol P6-60 series as an addition to its Multisol photovoltaic (PV) product portfolio, which covers a power range with only positive tolerances from 190 Wp – 260 Wp in 5 Wp steps. With this complete range of high quality German made solar modules, Scheuten Solar offers an optimal solution for every PV application, Scheuten reports in a press release.  




Combination of product and power output warranty

The new Multisol P6-60 module has a power range of 215 - 230 Wp and comes with Scheuten’s leading warranty conditions: a combination of best-in-class 10 year product warranty and a 25 year power output warranty with a linear diminution, the company reports. This extended power output guarantee equals 1.5 year of extra energy production over a 25 year period.


Design targeted for use in the residential segment

The new series features a very rigid black anodized aluminium frame combined with a black back foil. This combination gives the new module a sleek and modern design targeted for use in the residential segment. "Based on over twenty years of experience Scheuten Solar modules are characterized by their long service life, above average yield and excellent workmanship. The introduction of the new Multisol P6-60 covers the gap in our total assortment of high quality modules. We are able to offer our customers a solution for every application they can think of", stated Evert Vlaswinkel, Chief Commercial Officer of Scheuten Solar.

Scheuten is one of the leading and fast growing international high volume manufacturers of total solutions in glass and solar energy systems with its head office in Venlo. Scheuten employs a staff of nearly 1800 and on own account achieved a turnover of 407 million euro in 2009. The company was set up in 2000.

2010-04-11   Courtesy: Scheuten Solar   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Scheuten Solar

 

Arizona Public Service acquires approval for solar pilot program

APS to launch solar pilot program
APS to launch solar pilot program

On April 2nd, 2010 the Arizona Corporation Commission approved a solar pilot program by Arizona Public Service (Phoenix, Arizona), which will include installations of both residential and utility scale photovoltaics (PV), solar hot water, wind turbines and a smart grid in a neighborhood in Flagstaff, Arizona. Arizona Public Service (APS) says the Community Power Project will enable it to test the impacts of putting large amounts of renewable energy on the grid, and research techniques for power management. The company states that it will roll out the program this summer. 

PV systems on 200 homes, small scale wind turbines on six properties, and a 500 KW PV plant

The Community Power Project will include photovoltaic (PV) systems on 200 homes, small scale wind turbines on six properties, and a 500 KW PV plant, for a total generation of 1.5 MWh. Additionally, the utility will supply solar hot water systems for 50 homes occupied by low-income families. APS officials say Friday's decision gives the company the green light to install photovoltaics on the first 100 homes, and give third-party installers a 100-day window to put forth proposals to install solar panels on the next 100 homes. The program will cost USD.8 million in capital costs, USD.8 million in deployment costs, and USD0,000 in maintenance. APS will own all the solar systems and the power produced.


Diversification for APS

This pilot program represents a step towards diversification for APS, which is Arizona's largest utility with 1.1 million customers. The company's current portfolio of generation consists of large natural gas and coal-fired power plants, and also the largest nuclear plant currently operating in the United States - the 4GW Palo Verde Nuclear Power Station.

Choices of which technologies to incentivize have been the subject of debate in Arizona. In February of this year, the Arizona legislature attempted to define nuclear power as a renewable energy source, which had the potential to profoundly change implementation of the state's renewable portfolio standard. This legislation was later withdrawn.

Despite the utility's heavy reliance on fossil fuel and nuclear generation, APS is embracing the rich potential of solar in Arizona. "We get more than 300 days of sun per year, and our leadership is dedicated to making our state one of the solar capitols of the world", states APS spokesman Dan Wool. Officials with the Arizona Corporation Commission say the choice of neighborhood was in part motivated by "significant community support for renewables." The ACC also says this project is one step towards helping Arizona reach its renewable portfolio standard of 15% by 2025.


Learning about renewables and the grid

APS officials say this project will allow the company to study the effects of high amounts of solar on the electric grid, fulfilling the terms of a USD million grant from the United States Department of Energy that APS and four grant partners received. The Community Power Project will be limited to one distribution area, or "feeder", and APS officials anticipate that with a full 1.5MW of solar installed, 15% of the electricity for this distribution area will come from renewable energy.

"This is really the first concentrated study looking at a high concentration of solar on single feeder", says APS spokesman Dan Wool. "Hopefully this will help us and other utilities optimize management of the grid."

2010-04-11   Courtesy: Arizona Corporation Commission   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: APS

 

PV producer Solyndra establishes solution provider program to enhance global sales network

Solyndra's solar panels
Solyndra's solar panels

Solyndra, Inc. (Fremont, California), a manufacturer of innovative cylindrical photovoltaic (PV) systems for commercial rooftops, announced the Solyndra Solution Provider Program. The program was designed to create unique value for top performing distributors and integrators that sell and service Solyndra's PV systems around the world.   "The Solyndra Solution Provider program brings additional value to our customers by identifying new sales opportunities, enhancing their technical capabilities, and offering them strategic differentiation in the marketplace", stated Kelly Truman, Solyndra's senior vice president of marketing and business development. "Top tier Solution Providers have demonstrated expert-level knowledge of Solyndra systems and a commitment to high standards of customer service."


Solution Provider Portal offers online access to an exclusive database of sales tools

Solution Providers receive benefits including: lead streams, marketing resources, technical training and support for project financial analysis. The Solution Provider Portal offers 24/7 online access to an exclusive database of sales tools including models to demonstrate Solyndra's low levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Under the tiered Program, Solution Providers are eligible for either Platinum, Gold or Certified status. Platinum Solution Providers to date include: alwitra GmbH & Co., Carlisle Energy Services, SunConnex B.V., Nazca - a GSE Group Company, Phoenix Solar AG, and USE Umwelt Sonne Energie GmbH. Gold Solution Providers to date include: Advanced Green Technologies, Allied Building Products Corporation, Canada Solar Consortium, DC Power Systems, EBITSCHenergietechnik GmbH, Helios Energy, Orion Energy Systems, and Sun System S.p.A.

Solar distributors and integrators interested in participating in the program should visit Solyndra's website for more details.

2010-04-11   Courtesy: Solyndra Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Solyndra Inc.

 

Calisolar increases manufacturing capacity to 200MW of solar PV cells per year

Solar cell manufacturer Calisolar is increasing its production from 60MW to 200MW
Solar cell manufacturer Calisolar is
increasing its production from 60MW
to 200MW

Solar photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturer Calisolar (Sunnyvale, California) announced that its Sunnyvale plant is increasing its production from 60MW to 200MW, citing increased demand and new state incentives. Calisolar says the increase in manufacturing will allow it to create 100 new jobs. On April 8, the company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the plant, attended by California Governor and renewable energy advocate Arnold Schwarzenegger.   "Clean technology and companies such as Calisolar are the next wave of innovation that will bring California’s economy roaring back", said Governor Schwarzenegger. "I promised the people of California that jobs would be my number one priority this year, and in part because of my proposal to exempt green tech manufacturing equipment from the state sales tax, Calisolar will be creating jobs."


California tax break the latest in a series of incentives

California has installed far more PV than any other state in the US, and has adopted a wide range of policies to encourage solar and other renewable energy development. In September of 2009 Governor Schwarzenegger issued an executive order to increase the state's renewable energy goal to 33% of retail electricity production by 2020 and as early as 2006 put forward a plan to put solar on a million rooftops in the state by 2018. But among the many initiatives, Calisolar cites SB71, which Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law on March 24, as an important driver for its recent expansion. SB71 is a sales and use tax exemption for companies involved in renewable energy technologies.

"The state’s bold move in passing SB 71 has established California as a leader in supporting companies that are bringing low-cost technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions", said Calisolar CEO Roy Johnson. "Many believe it’s not possible to be competitive manufacturing in Silicon Valley but with innovative technology and a level playing field created by this legislation, Calisolar is well positioned to effectively compete in a global market."

2010-04-10   Courtesy: Calisolar   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Calisolar

 

TerniEnergia: Construction of photovoltaic plants for a total power of 10.2 MWp in Italy completed in first quarter 2010

PV plant in Umbria
PV plant in Umbria

TerniEnergia (Terni, Italy), a company operating in the renewable energy sector, completed the construction of 10 new photovoltaic plants of industrial size in the first quarter of 2010 for a total installed power amounting to 10.2 MWp. Notably, an amount of 6.5 MWp belongs to the join-ventures, equally owned, companies whilst the remaining MWp have been achieved on behalf of third parties, the company reports in a press release The new plants are located in the regions Marche, Apulia and Umbria.   The total number of plants built by TerniEnergia increases up to 138, for an aggregate power of 50.2 MWp, of which 26.5 MWp belong to the joint venture companies for the relevant power generation activity.


Significant increase of production

"The industrial results that have been pursued in the first quarter of 2010 are very satisfactory for the Group and they represent a significant increase of the production in respect of the same period of the year 2009. Activity in the working sites continues regularly and for the next quarter a further increase is expected", TerniEnergia announced. TerniEnergia, incorporated in September 2005 and part of the Gruppo Terni Research, operates in the renewable energy sector and is especially active in the photovoltaic field. The company is listed on the Mercato Telematico Azionario of Borsa Italiana. TerniEnergia operates as system integrator, with a turnkey offer of photovoltaic plants mostly more than 20 kWp each, for third parties as well as alone through the joint ventures with EDF EN Italia S.p.A.,i.e.

2010-04-10   Courtesy: TerniEnergia SpA   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: TerniEnergia SpA

 

SolarImpulse completes first test flight

Solar Impulse HB-SIA
Solar Impulse HB-SIA

After seven years of research and testing, solar photovoltaic-powered plane Solar Impulse HB-SIA completed its first test flight from a Swiss airfield on the morning of April 7th, 2010. Pilot Marcus Scherdel spent 87 minutes in the air testing the ultra light airplane, which flew at a height of 1200 meters, before landing. The flight is the first in a series of tests towards flying around the world.   "This first flight was for me a very intense moment!", exclaimed Scherdel, upon stepping down from the aircraft. "The HB-SIA behaved just as the flight simulator told us! Despite its immense size and feather weight, the aircraft’s controllability matches our expectations!"


Solar array and storage

The plane is powered by 11,628 mono-crystalline PV cells, selected for their light weight, durability and efficiency. Each cell is 150 microns thick and the array will cover 200 square meters of surface area. With 12% efficiency of the propulsion chain, the plane's engines will receive an average of 6KW of power. The plane will store its power in lithium polymer batteries, and storage of power accounts for a significant portion of the weight of the plane.


Prototype design

The HB-SIA is a prototype of a plane that the Solar Impulse team of 50 designers and 100 outside consultants plans to build in 2012. The ultimate goal of the project is to fly around the world, demonstrating the vast potential of solar power for transportation, however first a number of shorter flights must be completed, including night flights.


Strange dimensions

Building a plane powered by solar panels that can fly overnight presented the design team with unique challenges. The plane had to be very light, and still have enormous surface area on the wings to provide space for the PV array. The Solar Impulse team describes the HB-SIA as having the wingspan of an AerobusA340, the weight of a family car, and the power of a scooter: the span of the wings is 63 meters, and the whole plane weighs only 1,500 kg.


Larger dreams

While the challenges facing this project are technical, the motivation of the founders is distinctly political. "This project voices our conviction that a pioneering spirit with political vision can together change society and bring about an end to fossil fuel dependency", says Psychiatrist and Aeronaut Bertrand Piccard, who initiated the project and serves as its chairman. Piccard, no stranger to long voyages, holds the record as the first main to fly around the world in a balloon.

The principal partners of the project are international chemical and pharmaceutical group Solvay (Brussels, Belgium), Swiss watch maker Omega (Bienne, Switzerland) and Deutsche Bank (Frankfurt, Germany). Inverter manufacturer SolarMax (Bienne, Switzerland) is a project supplier.

2010-04-10   Courtesy: SolarImpulse   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: SolarImpulse

 

US PV producer AQT to use Intevac manufacturing equipment in new facility, secures USD in new financing

AQT CEO Michael Bartholomeusz
AQT CEO
Michael Bartholomeusz

On April 7th, 2010, thin-film photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturing start-up AQT (Santa Clara, California, USA) announced that it has completed a deal with equipment manufacturer Intevac (Santa Clara, California, USA) to supply AQT with equipment for production of Copper Indium Gallium Deselinide (CIGS) thin-film PV cells at its new manufacturing facility. AQT advertises the CIGS cells that it will produce as "low-cost drop-in replacements" for conventional silicon cells, and the company's CIGS 2.0 system will allow for continuous in-line manufacturing of these cells.   On the same day, AQT announced that it has secured million in new funding from existing and new investors.


Intevac moving into solar equipment manufacturing

Until now, Intevac has manufactured equipment primarily for the production of disk drives and imaging equipment. "This agreement is an important milestone for Intevac as this tool will represent our first shipment in the solar industry", says Intevac President and CEO Kevin Fairbairn. "By leveraging our proven high throughput lean manufacturing platform, Intevac enables the economic solution to AQT and the solar cell industry for conventional cell sizes."

Intevac will deliver the first set of equipment in the second quarter of 2010. Intevac advertises its "lean" processing equipment, designed to minimize time and material waste in the manufacturing process. Lean manufacturing is a term coined by author James Womack used to describe low-waste systems, and is inspired by a history of manufacturing systems innovations, particularly those of Toyota Corporation in the mid-20th century.


AQT gets new funding to expand existing operations

Also on April 7th, AQT announced that it has acquired USD million in new funding from its current investor syndicate and new sources, which the company has so far declined to name. AQT says the funding will be used to build out the new production line to fill existing orders as well as to aggressively expand its staff. The new USD million in funding brings AQT's total funding to USD million.

"We have unique CIGS process technology, a dedicated group of investors, a seasoned team of executives and a core syndicate of established partners", said AQT CEO Michael Bartholomeusz. "This latest investment is a testament to the enormous progress we have made in the last 12 months across our company and will fuel substantial milestones over the next four quarters."

2010-04-09   Courtesy: AQT   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: AQT

 

IBM and Saudi Arabia announce solar powered water desalination research initiative

IBM and KACST announced large-scale water desalination by CPV
IBM and KACST announced large-scale
water desalination by CPV

On April 8th, 2010 IBM and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Saudi Arabia's largest R&D organization, announced the launch of a large-scale water desalination research project powered by concentrated solar photovoltaic (CPV) technologies. The first phase of the initiative will be to build a plant in the city of Al Khafji to desalinate 30,000 cubic meters of water per day, enough for 100,000 people, using ultra-high concentration photovoltaic technologies jointly developed by IBM and KACST.   KACST officials say they expect the plant to be completed within the year, after which Saudi officials will attempt to replicate the project on larger scales.

The ultra-high concentration photovoltaic technologies will have a capacity of 10MW. The plant will also utilize a sub-microscopic membrane jointly developed by IBM and KACST to filter out salts and toxins. "Our collaborative research with KACST has led to innovative technologies in the areas of solar power and of water desalination", said IBM Big Green Innovations Vice President Sharon Nunes. "Using these new technologies, we will create energy-efficient systems we believe can be implemented across Saudi Arabia and around the world."


Cost as a barrier for solar desalination

1.2 million people in 40 countries do not have access to safe drinking water. With 97% of the world's water in the oceans, saltwater desalination offers the potential to meet that need - but cost continues to be a barrier. KACST officials say a major impetus for the project is the high energy use and thus high cost of existing desalination methods. Thermal technology and reverse osmosis, the two current forms of desalination used by the kingdom, cost 2.5-5.5 Saudi Riyals per cubic meter at a scale of 30,000 cubic meters per day. KACST says that their goal with the new project is to bring seawater desalination to a cost below 1.5 Riyals per cubic meter.


A national priority

Saudi Arabia, which produces 18% of the world's desalinated water, has made production of desalinated water a national priority. "Currently, Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of desalinated water in the world, and we continue to invest in new ways of making access to fresh water more affordable", says KACST Vice President for Research Institutes Dr. Turki Al Saud. "Water has the first priority in the Science, Technology and Innovation Plan of the Kingdom, overseen by KACST."

In March of 2008 KACST and IBM signed a multi-year research agreement, and in March of that year, IBM, KACST and Central Glass (Tokyo, Japan) announced the development of a new membrane technology for filtering out salts and toxins.


Future expansion

If the photovoltaic-powered water desalination plant at Al Khafji is successful, Saudi officials plan to build a plant to produce 300,000 cubic meters of water per day within three years. The final phase of this project will be to build several more desalination plants in various parts of the kingdom.

2010-04-09   Courtesy: KACST   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: KACST

 

Business Council issues report supporting the creation of a feed-in tariff for Los Angeles

Los Angeles Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa
Los Angeles Mayor,
Antonio Villaraigosa

In the latest round of debate over whether or not to implement a feed-in tariff in LA, the Los Angeles Business Council (LA, California) on April 1st, 2010 released a report supporting the creation of the policy for the city, which would pay producers of renewable energy more than their estimated cost of production. The report also provides recommendations for design, with an emphasis on adoption of solar. Progress on the proposed feed-in tariff for Los Angeles has stalled after a series of contentious negotiations between Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the Los Angeles City Council, and the Department of Water and Power.   While the LA Business Council is formally a representative for business leaders, it has strong historical relationships with local universities. The Council's stated priorities are sustainable development, workforce housing and education and business development. The feed-in tariff report was produced in collaboration with the University of California at Los Angeles' Luskin Center School for Public Affairs.




About feed-in tariffs

The Feed-in tariff is a policy to pay entities that generate renewable energy a premium rate, typically 4-6% above the cost of production. Such policies typically operate at multiple scales, including both home and utility scale power producers, and have been widely and successfully used by European nations to grow renewable energy industries. The Canadian state of Ontario and the US city of Gainesville, Florida have enacted feed-in tariffs, however such policies are rare in North America. US research institute National Renewable Energy Laboratories has stated that feed-in tariffs are the most successful policy in the world for encouraging renewable energy development.


Breakdown in LA

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has long promoted a feed-in tariff for the city as a way to move away from fossil-fuel based generation, however a recent proposal by the mayor has been held up by disputes over rate increases. On March 15th, the mayor's office proposed a feed-in tariff coupled with a rate increase of 8-28% for residential customers. After the Los Angeles City Council resisted this proposal, Council Members Richard Alarcon and Janice Hahn presented a compromise proposal which would keep the rate increases to 6% for residential customers and between 5.7 - 7.1% for commercial customers. This compromise was accepted and endorsed by Mayor Villaraigosa with the support of business, labor and environmental interests.

However, on April 1st, negotiations broke down between the Los Angeles City Council and the Department of Water and Power over the policy, with Los Angeles Council Members stating that the rate increases were too high. In response, the mayor's office issued a statement comparing the city council's actions to attempts by the Republican Party to block President Obama's policies.

"The politics of no is no more sustainable than the DWP’s over-reliance on coal", stated Mayor Villaraigosa in the April 6 statement. "Instead of acting in the tradition of past city councils, where progressives put partisanship aside and positioned Los Angeles as a national leader, this Council leadership has demonstrated what we've already seen at the national level: they have shown the results of the politics of no."

Ironically, the Department of Water and Power has been seeking a rate increase for some time to cover higher fuel costs for fossil-fuel generating facilities, before considering a feed-in tariff.


The role of the study

The new study makes a practical case for the feed-in tariff and shows the breadth of support that policies to promote clean energy development have in Los Angeles. Mayor Villaraigosa has created a impressive coalition of business, labor, academics and environmentalists to support the feed-in tariff proposal, however it remains to be seen whether this coalition is strong enough to overcome the conflicts inside city government.

2010-04-09   Courtesy: Los Angeles Business Council   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Mayor.lacity.org

 

DuPont to supply materials for voyage to circumnavigate the earth in a solar boat

2010 PlanetSolar was launched on March 31st, 2010
2010 PlanetSolar was launched
on March 31st, 2010

On April 6th, 2010 DuPont Corporation (Wilmington, Delaware, United States) announced that it will supply materials for PlanetSolar, a project to sail around the world in the world's largest solar boat. DuPont will supply both materials for the photovoltaic (PV) system and marine coatings for the vessel, and join the project as the third major sponsor for the voyage. The PlanetSolar team plans to start the journey in 2011, using the boat's 500 square meters of photovoltaic cells to power an electric engine.   "Using technology and our knowledge to improve our energy efficiency and promote renewable energies is the path toward a lasting world", says PlanetSolar Founder and Skipper Rafaël Domjan. "PlanetSolar wants to show that solutions exist."


Dupont to supply both PV solutions and coatings for PlanetSolar

Multiple DuPont materials will be utilized in the boat, including Tedlar polyvinyl flouride (PVF), a high-durability material that will serve as a component of the backsheet for the PV array. DuPont marine coatings will also be utilized. DuPont notes that this voyage will expose the PV system to particularly harsh conditions, creating a need for high levels of durability in all system components.

"PlanetSolar is more than a solar boat. It is the very concrete demonstration of how science and technology can transform the sun’s potential into clean energy", says Ian Hudson, president of DuPont Europe, Middle East & Africa. "We are very proud to be part of this project."


First circumnavigation of the globe with a solar-powered vehicle

PlanetSolar is the brainchild of Swiss computer engineer, adventurer and solar advocate Rafaël Domjan. Domjan conceived of the project in 2006, and in 2008 was able to begin work on the project after securing the first sponsor. The voyage, if completed, will be the first time that any solar-powered vehicle has circumnavigated the globe. PlanetSolar has already set a world record for the largest solar boat at 31m long and 15m wide.

The PlanetSolar expedition will have a crew of two: Domjan and legendary adventurer Gérard d'Aboville, who set a world record in 1980 by being the first person to use human power to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a boat. The crew plans to sail around the world near the equator, stopping in major cities including Monaco, Paris, Marseille, Dubaï, Abu-Dhabi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hamburg, New-York and San Francisco during their 140-day trip.

On March 31st, the boat was put into a German port in the Baltic Sea, where it will remain until it is ferried to the Mediterranean to start its voyage.

Besides DuPont, other partners include Swiss watch-maker Candino and Immosolar energy management.

2010-04-09   Courtesy: DuPont   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Planet Solar

 

Floyd Associates issues report on solar thermal industry, emphasizes stability of CSP

CSP installation at Kramer Junction, California
CSP installation at Kramer Junction, California

On Monday, April 5th, 2010 corporate finance consulting firm Floyd Associates (Beverly Hills, California) released a report on the solar thermal industry, profiling 15 solar thermal companies involved in utility-scale solar thermal (Concentrated Solar Power; CSP). While the firm stated that it will look at solar electricity (PV) in future reports, Floyd Associates prioritized solar thermal because of the lower costs per kWh that can be achieved in favorable environments.  "While PV technologies are suitable where direct sunlight is scarce and where small rooftop or scattered power generation is required, CSP clearly reigns supreme for larger scale generation in desert environments with direct sunlight,” states the report. Of the 15 companies profiled, most are based in the United States. Floyd Associates also gave information on German companies Siemens and Novatec Biosol, Spanish companies Abengoa Solar and Acciona Solar, and AORA solar, based in Israel. The companies profiled are involved in all three major types of solar thermal technologies: dish/engine systems, linear concentrator systems and tower systems.


Report emphasizes stability of solar

The report emphasizes the stability of solar as a power source, particularly the absence of fuel costs and the potential to help mitigate fluctuations in retail electricity rates. The report's authors also mentioned that 1.6 billion persons currently have no access to the electricity grid, and that solar technologies present new possibilities for providing power to their communities.

To read the complete report, please go to: http://www.floyd-associates.com/solar2.pdf

2010-04-09   Courtesy: Floyd Associates   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Sandia National Laboratories

 

EDF Energies Nouvelles commissions an 11.4 MWp solar power plant in Spain

Continuing the deployment of its solar energy activities, EDF Energies Nouvelles announces the commissioning of the Casatejada solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Spain, with an installed capacity of 11.4 MWp. Located in the Extremadura region, in the south-west of Spain, the Casatejada ground-based solar power plant will be equipped with 152,400 photovoltaic panels, based on thin-film technology, supplied by First Solar.  The power plant's annual solar electricity output will be equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 11,000 people.

The Casatejada power plant is 90%-owned by the EDF Energies Nouvelles group via Fotosolar, its local solar energy subsidiary. Following the recent commissioning of the power plants of Arnprior (23.4 MWp) in Canada and La Roseraye (10.5 MWp) on Reunion Island, EDF Energies Nouvelles signs at Casatejada another large-scale photovoltaic project. The Group’s solar energy capacity in Spain now stands at 18.1 MWp gross.

2010-04-09   Courtesy: EDF Energies Nouvelles   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

3,000 MTY manufacturing facility for polysilicon for solar cells and integrated circuits opens in Leshan, China

Polysilicon plant in the city of Leshan in China's Sichuan Province
Polysilicon plant in the city of Leshan
in China's Sichuan Province

In March 2010, Ledian Tianwei Silicon Technology Corp. (Leshan, China) began producing polysilicon at a new plant in the city of Leshan in China's Sichuan Province. The facility utilizes a process technology and equipment package supplied by Poly Plant Project (Burbank, California), and has a nameplate production capacity of 3,000 metric tons of polysilicon per year. The high-purity polysilicon produced by the plant will be used for both integrated circuits and solar cells and modules.   The facility opened a full five months ahead of schedule, and is already producing polysilicon at a rate of 1,500 metric tons annually. Overall investment in the plant totaled .2 billion Yuan (USD4 million), and the facility covers 33 million square meters.



Poly Plant Project supplies high-efficiency equipment

The equipment provided by Poly Plant Project included chemical deposition vapor reactors, thermal converters to recycle and convert silicon-tetrachloride (STC) to trichlorosilane (TCS), pressure vessel power supply systems, and supporting equipment. As part of the package, Power Plant Project also trained operators at the Ledian plant. Poly Plant Project boasts the equipment they have supplied for the plant is not only state-of-the-art, but highly efficient as well. "PPP's CVD reactors, thermal converters and power supplies are designed for safe and efficient operation while minimizing the consumption of electricity, enabling plant owners to enjoy the lowest possible operating costs thereby reducing the cost of each kilo of poly produced", says Poly Plant Project Chairman and CEO Terry T. Kunimune. Ledian Tianwei Silicon Technology Corp. Ltd. is a joint venture between Leshan power company (Leshan, China) and and Tianwei Baobian Electric Co. Ltd. (Baoding, China).



Polysilicon as a limiting factor for the growth of the solar industry

The silicon wafers that are the product of polysilicon manufacturing were primarily used as the raw material for integrated circuits (microchips) before the growth in the global solar industry in the last decade. However, by 2006 half of the world's supply of polysilicon was being used for the manufacture of solar panels. While a shortage of polysilicon continues to be a limiting factor, thin-film technologies, which use amorphous silicon or other materials instead of polysilicon, represent an increasing share of total global solar production.

2010-04-08   Courtesy: Ledian Tianwei Silicon Technology Corporation Ltd.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Ledian Tianwei Silicon Technology Corporation Ltd.

 

IBC Solar establishes new quality standards for its solar modules

SGS-TÜV certification label
SGS-TÜV certification label

With the assistance of testing institute SGS-TÜV GmbH (Germany), German solar photovoltaic (PV) specialist IBC solar AG (Bad Staffelstein, Germany) has developed a new quality standard for its solar modules, utilizing a second-party audit. The new standard looks at not only the quality of solar cells and PV modules, but also manufacturing process to assure that they will deliver quality products.   "With this certification, we want to define uniform standards and maintain these in the long-term in order to guarantee the end customers the highest level of quality", explains IBC Solar Product Management Director Marco Siller.



Multiple factors examined

IBC says that the factors considered in its standard include not only adequacy of production machines, quality management, and test processes, but also such factors as management interaction with employees, employee qualifications and working conditions. "Management, organization and manufacturing processes are the main focus today. In the past, it was necessary to identify product flaws and then eliminate them, but modern companies place more emphasis on eliminating possible sources of errors beforehand", explains SGS-TÜV Key Account Manager Systems & Services Certification Dirk Schmidt. "Efficient forms of organization and processes are an important basis for first-rate quality in every industry and business, regardless of its size. Uniform standards enable international comparison of manufacturing processes and services. We have developed an extensive criteria catalogue together with IBC SOLAR; our experienced auditors therefore ensure high standards in certified manufacturing companies."

IBC Solar AG is involved in many aspects of the solar industry, from planning to providing turnkey systems. Founded in 1982, IBC Solar has implemented more than 100,000 turnkey solar systems globally for a total output of more than 800 MW.

2010-04-08   Courtesy: IBC Solar AG   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: IBC Solar AG

 

First solar PV manufacturing facility to be built in US state of Mississippi

On April 2nd, 2010 Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour announced that solar manufacturer Twin Creeks Technologies (San Jose, California) will locate their new crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing plant in Senatobia, Mississippi. This will be the first such facility to be built in the state, and Mississippi officials say that the plant, which represents 2 million in investments, will bring 512 jobs over five years.   Twin Creeks Technologies itself is something of a mystery. Despite the size of the Senatobia project, the company does not have an operational public web site. The company, founded in 2008, holds a patent, trademarked March 30st, 2010, to "implant ions into semiconductor wafers". Media outlets including Greentech media have commented on the general secrecy of the company and the technologies that it plans to pursue.



Is the Deep South finally embracing renewable energy?

Mississippi is an interesting choice for Twin Creeks Technologies, which operates research facilities in Boston and San Jose, California. While officials with the Mississippi Development Authority state that Twin Creeks "found what it was looking for in Mississippi", Mississippi is far from being a leader in high tech manufacturing or renewable energy.

The Deep South has long been marked by high rates of poverty and uneven development, and with few exceptions, it has also lagged behind the rest of the nation in renewable energy policies and development. While 29 US states and the District of Columbia have passed mandatory renewable portfolio standards, which require utilities to generate or purchase an increasing amount of their power from renewable energy sources, no state in the Deep South has passed even a voluntary policy. The state of Mississippi also provides no tax rebates for small-scale solar installations, such as Louisiana and Georgia offer.

However, a bill recently passed by the Mississippi legislature may indicate a change in direction for the state. The Mississippi Clean Energy Initiative provides a ten-year exemption from income and franchise taxes for renewable energy technologies and nuclear power development, as well as an exemption from sales taxes through the first three months of operation. At the time this article went to press, there was no word from the Governor's office as to whether or not this legislation had been signed.

This potential tax break is not the only assistance that the state is providing for the project, which includes USD million in loan assistance and USD million in infrastructure improvements provided by the state and the City of Senatobia. "The State of Mississippi and the Governor’s office have been extremely helpful in driving the agreement to closure in record time", says Twin Creeks CEO Siva Sivaram.

2010-04-08   Courtesy: State of Mississippi   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories generate voltages of thin-film photovoltaic cells above bandgap limitation

Researchers Jan Seidel and Seung-Yeul Yang describe how the photovoltaic effect in semi- conductor thin-films can overcome bandgap limitations.
Researchers Jan Seidel and Seung-Yeul Yang
describe how the photovoltaic effect in semi-
conductor thin-films can overcome bandgap
limitations.

Researchers with Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories (Berkeley, California) have discovered a mechanism to overcome the bandgap voltage limitation of conventional solid-state PV cells, potentially paving the way for higher voltages and more efficient thin-film photovoltaics. Working with bismuth ferrite, a ceramic material, Lawrence Berkeley's researcher team discovered circumstances where the photovoltaic effect can occur at sub-microscopic scales, as well as discovering ways to control this effect with the application of an electric field.   "We’re excited to find functionality that has not been seen before at the nanoscale in a multiferroic material", said Jan Seidel, a physicist who holds joint appointments with Berkeley Lab’s Materials Sciences Division and the UC Berkeley Physics Department. "We’re now working on transferring this concept to higher efficiency energy-research related devices."


Potential for more effective semiconductor thin-films

Lynne Yarris, a spokesperson for Berkeley National Laboratories, describes the studies as "very promising". While Seidel and his fellow researchers have multiplied the effect by stacking multiple walls of bismuth ferrite, they have yet to test the functionality of these effects at the scale typically used for production of solar cells. "They're looking for ways to increase the efficiency and bring down the cost of photovoltaics", says Yarris. "It has the potential for more effective semiconductor thin-films. They started stacking the bismuth ferrite layers at 200 microns, which is huge compared to the nanoscale structures they are looking at. In terms of scalability they haven't tested it."

Researcher Jan Seidel emphasizes that it is too early to draw too many conclusions. "We are only looking at the very beginning of these things", says Seidel. "At this point it is hard to tell if this will have a broader application in industry a year or two years from now."

2010-04-08   Courtesy: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Roy Kaltschmidt, Berkeley Lab Public Affairs

 

SUNERGY Low-voltage inverters certified for use in multiple European markets

On March 30th, 2010, Sustainable Energy Technologies Ltd. (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) announced that its SUNERGY ELV (Extra-low voltage) and LV (low-voltage) inverters have been certified for connection to the power grid in Germany, France, Brussels, the Czech Republic and other nations. German certification agency Berufsgenossenschaft Energie Textil Elektro Medienerzeugnisse has approved the inverter designs under the "DIN VDE 0126-1-1" standards.   "This is the second of two major product milestones achieved in this Quarter", says Sustainable Energy Technologies co-founder and Vice President of Product Development Brent Harris. "With UL/CSA certification for North America achieved in January and VDE certification achieved this month, we have now cleared the way for entry into all major global solar markets. Not only are the VDE and UL standards the most technically comprehensive in the industry, but in combination they grant admission to 75% of the world market for grid-tied photovoltaics."


Competition among inverter technologies

The SUNERGY inverters are a key component of Sustainable Energy Technologies' PARALEXTM architecture, which allows each solar module in a series to operate independently of every other module. As with micro-inverters, this innovative approach helps avoid cumulative power losses from shading and other factors. However, Sustainable Energy Technologies claims that their products are both less expensive and have lower maintenance costs than micro-inverter technologies.

Sustainable Energy Technologies will have plenty of competition from the increasing popularity of micro-inverters. In particular, micro-inverter maker Enphase has seen rapid growth in the last year, and on March 30th announced million in new private funding to expand its reach.


Other advantages

Sustainable Technologies also stresses the safety advantages of their low-voltage system, which can be used in schools and public buldings where the potential for electric shocks from higher-voltage systems is a risk.

2010-04-08   Courtesy: Sustainable Energy Technologies Ltd.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Sustainable Energy Technologies Ltd.

 

Solar Power, Inc. contracted for solar PV solution at San Sevaine Villas affordable housing complex

Solar Power, Inc. (SPI; Roseville, California) on April 1st, 2010 announced that it had entered into a sub-contract agreement to install a 230 kilowatt (kW) direct current (DC) photovoltaic (PV) system at San Sevain Villas, an affordable housing development located in Rancho Cucamonga, California.   The solar array is expected to provide approximately 374,770 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity annually, offsetting a portion of the complex’s common area electricity costs. According to the press release, two of the complex’s biggest power consumers are the community center and the laundry facility. The solar system is expected to allow the complex to reduce energy costs by an estimated 52,000 US-dollars annually.


Solar PV system to be incorporated into parking shade structures

SPI reports that it has designed and installed PV systems for other major affordable housing developers including the Community HousingWorks' award-winning "Solara" development in Poway, California. According to the press release, the company was engaged by Wermers Companies (San Diego, California), the general contractor for the San Sevaine Villas project, to design and build the solar system incorporated into the complex’s parking shade structure. The two companies have reportedly worked together on affordable housing developments in the past. "We have a successful history of producing solar systems for the affordable housing industry", said Bradley Ferrell, President of Business Development for Solar Power, Inc. "We look forward to working with the team at Wermers Companies again to help the project owner, Northtown Housing Corporation, deliver a low-cost energy solution to its residents."

2010-04-08   Courtesy: Solar Power, Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

SunPower to build 16.5 MW of utility-scale solar PV plants in Sicily

SunPower's T0 Tracker system
SunPower's T0 Tracker system

On March 31st, 2010 SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California) and Sol.In.Build Srl, a majority owned subsidiary of Veronagest SpA (Verona, Italy) announced a deal to build seven solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in Sicily with a total capacity of 16.5 MW, which the company expects to complete in September of this year. The seven plants will range in size from 1 to 3.5 MW and utilize fixed tilt systems and SunPower's T0 Tracker systems.   SunPower claims the tracking systems will greatly increase the efficiency of the project. "SunPower's high-efficiency solar technology makes sense for these projects because it can be constructed quickly anywhere, including on the very sloped terrain at some of these sites", said Alberto Malagodi, CEO of Veronagest.


Italian and international banks involved in financing

Financing for the construction will involve a team of Italian and international banks including Société Générale, Unicredit Medio Credito Centrale and Dexia. Several of these banks, including Société Générale, are also involved in a recent EUR3 million financing deal for a 34 MW thin-film solar plant in the Puglia region of Italy.


Italians ready for solar

The SunPower project joins a number of large solar PV projects planned for Italy, particularly in the nation's southern region, which can claim both better solar potential and a need for jobs; southern Italy has long been economically behind the northern part of the nation and has suffered from high unemployment. SunPower estimates that this project will create up to 50 construction jobs.

SunPower growing

US solar company SunPower claims more than 200 MW of installed solar globally, including the largest solar plant currently operating in Italy, the 24 MW Montalto di Castro plant. With the recent acquisition of Italian solar company SunRay Renewable Energy, SunPower will expand the total size of its projects in the planning or construction stages to more than 1,200 MW in Europe, the UK and Israel.

2010-04-07   Courtesy: SunPower Corp.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: SunPower Corp.

 

UNI-SOLAR PV laminates used in 2.1 MW Italian rooftop PV power station

UNI-SOLAR PV laminates
UNI-SOLAR PV laminates

On March 31st, 2010 Energy Conversion Devices (ECD, Rochester Hills, Michigan, USA) announced that a photovoltaic (PV) installation on an Italian steel plant is the latest project to utilize their UNI-SOLAR thin film PV laminates. The rooftop PV array of the Marcegaglia Cassalmaggiore plant with a capacity of 2.1 megawatt (MW) is among the largest rooftop PV installations in Italy. The roof design incorporates PV laminates into a corrugated insulated panel.   "We were pleased to work with Marcegaglia on this large-scale project and the Brollo Solar product was an excellent fit for the low-pitch industrial rooftop", says ECD CEO Mark Morelli. The installation provides the functionality of an insulated roof with a fully integrated solar solution that is installed in one simple step, saving both time and money and providing an excellent cost/revenue ratio for the system owner, Morelli explains. The plant is operated by the Marcegaglia group, which runs both steel and renewable energy divisions. Since 1995, Marcegaglia Energy has been producing power from biomass. In 2006 it launched its first solar power station.


Marcegaglia deal latest among ECD's international installations

Energy Conservation Devices' product lines include both electronics and thin film PV laminates, specializing in building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and rooftopPV. The US-based solar manufacturer's work with Marcegaglia, which includes another 4MW installation at an industrial facility in Taranto, is the latest in a series of international installations. In February the company announced that it would supply up to 25 MW of PV laminates to Enel Green Power, the renewable energy division of Italy's largest power company, for use in rooftop solar power stations. In recent months the company has also announced large-scale installations in Ontario, Canada, Belgium and the US state of Oregon.

2010-04-07   Courtesy: Energy Conversion Devices   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Energy Conversion Devices

 

Natcore acquires Vanguard Solar

One month after announcing the formation of a joint venture in China to produce equipment and materials for use in making solar cells, Natcore Technology Inc. (Red Bank, New Jersey) on March 29th, 2010 announced that it had acquired Vanguard Solar Inc. (Vanguard), a private firm controlling key intellectual property in the field of solar energy. The closing of the transaction is reportedly subject to the completion of due diligence and mutually agreeable legal documentation. Natcore reports that Vanguard has focused on the development of a flexible, thin-film photovoltaic (PV) material with high-efficiency performance at low manufacturing cost and capital investment.   To do so, the company employs a proprietary chemical bath process similar to Natcore’s liquid phase deposition (LPD) technology, although Vanguard is growing II-VI compound semiconductor thin films on carbon nanotubes at room temperature and ambient pressure, while Natcore has thus far concentrated on growing silicon dioxide films on silicon substrates.


Solar PV technology to be integrated in existing roll-to-roll film coating production line

According to the press release, the first-generation products from Vanguard’s method could produce 15-16 % efficiencies at module costs of 60 to 70 US-cents per watt. It is anticipated that second-generation technology could achieve 20 % efficiencies at even lower costs per watt. The investment for production facilities is projected as low as 10 to 15 million US-dollars per 100 to 150 megawatt (MW) production capacity. Natcore reports that Vanguard’s production equipment is to be designed for insertion into an existing roll-to-roll film-coating line. All production materials are widely available and dramatically cheaper than silicon and other thin film systems. If successfully developed, the process is expected to enable a very cost-efficient production capability in large-scale facilities.

Company acquisition seen as natural fit

Two of Vanguard’s Founders and shareholders are Professor Andrew Barron and Dr. Dennis Flood, both of whom are also scientific Founders of Natcore. According to the press release, it was collectively felt that the acquisition of Vanguard Solar and the integration of its technology into Natcore’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio would continue to expand the depth and breadth of Natcore’s impact on the solar industry. Specific terms of the transaction are to be provided upon closing of the acquisition. "We are particularly excited about this acquisition, because it represents another compelling outgrowth of Prof. Barron’s foundational work in chemical processes that mimic materials growth in nature", said Chuck Provini, Natcore’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). "In fact, the very name of our company, being a combination of 'nature' and ‘core’, was chosen to reflect this remarkable synthesis of natural processes, such as the growth of an abalone shell, that grow extraordinary materials in widely varied environments. By employing ultra-pure chemicals and modern materials science, Prof. Barron has been able to combine the best of man and nature."

Expansion of intellectual property believed to benefit growth strategy

Brien Lundin, Natcore’s Chairman, noted: "While we remain focused and committed to advancing our LPD technology for anti-reflective (AR) films and super-efficient tandem solar cells, the acquisition of Vanguard Solar provides significant additional value to our intellectual property portfolio. Meanwhile, our work to advance our LPD technology, and to finalize our joint venture agreement with our Chinese partners for the design and sale of AR-growth equipment, continues on schedule. We expect to provide more-detailed updates in the very near future." Natcore Technology is the exclusive licensee, from Rice University, of a thin-film growth technology enabling room-temperature growth of various silicon oxides on silicon wafers in a liquid phase deposition (LPD) process.

2010-04-07   Courtesy: Natcore Technology Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Upsolar's PV panels received "very good" rating from German Öko-Test magazine

Following the independent testing results of the German magazine Öko-Test (Frankfurt am Main, Germany; April 2010 issue), China-based Upsolar Co. Ltd. (Shanghai) was rated "very good" among 15 international solar photovoltaic (PV) suppliers. On March 30th, 2010, the company reported in a press release that only four companies were able to obtain a "very good" rating, and that it was the only one of seven Chinese companies participating in the tests to achieve this.   According to the press release, the testing of the company’s "UP-M185M" panel was conducted by a Photon laboratory (Aachen, Germany) on behalf of Öko-Test, and it focused on the actual power output compared to the data sheet, tolerances, module efficiency, cell quality, as well as performing tests for micro cracks.


Components for PV modules undergo rigorous testing before assembly and shipment

Upsolar reports that the cornerstone of its success has been the rigorous quality-control management system that was developed in-house, as well as its employees’ implementation of online QC management standards at all of the company’s partners’ manufacturing platforms in collaboration with the third party QC management provider, Bureau Veritas (BV). BV reportedly also helps Upsolar to continually improve upon these processes while at the same time conducting audits of all Upsolar products prior to their shipment. According to the press release, Upsolar uses top-quality module components from qualified international manufacturers to ensure the delivery of a consistently high quality product. All potential components are strictly tested in the company’s testing center, and are selected according to their performance and ability to withstand a range of different climatic conditions including high wind and snow loads.


Company aims to offer high-quality PV products at competitive prices

"We are proud of the quality and efficiency of our products and happy to prove that our quality controls and strict component selection were not vain", said Mr. Jiang, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of Upsolar. "They enable us to deliver safe solar." Upsolar reports that the company mission is to provide the global PV market with a made-in-China product of market-leading quality, at a competitive price.

2010-04-07   Courtesy: Upsolar Co. Ltd.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Öko-Test

 

AES and Riverstone launch solar joint venture, target 1 billion US-dollars in investment

The AES Corporation (AES; Arlington, Virginia), one of the world’s largest power companies, and Riverstone Holdings LLC (New York, New York) in March 2010 announced that they had committed up to one billion US-dollars as part of a new joint venture to develop a global platform of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects.   Under terms of the agreement, AES and Riverstone, an energy and power-focused private equity firm, will each provide up to 500 million US-dollars of capital over five years to invest in solar PV projects around the world. The jointly owned entity, which is to be named "AES Solar", is to seek to become a leading global developer, owner and operator of utility-scale grid-connected solar power plants. These installations, ranging from fewer than two to more than 50 megawatts (MW) in size, are to consist of ground-mounted solar PV panels.


Joint venture to develop a global platform of utility-scale solar PV projects

AES Solar’s business will be to follow the traditional independent power producer and wind business growth models by initially focusing on developments and projects in those countries offering the most attractive tariffs. As the costs of both PV panels and installation come down, AES Solar plans to expand into other countries with appropriate market incentives. "Renewable energy is an increasingly significant part of AES’s overall portfolio and currently accounts for 20 % of our global generation capacity", said Paul Hanrahan, AES President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). "Solar is a natural extension of our business, much as wind generation has been, and we see tremendous opportunity for growth in this market."

Seven-member board of directors to manage solar company’s endeavors

Ralph Alexander, a Managing Director of Riverstone Holdings, said: "Because of its scale, this joint venture has the potential to change the fundamental economics of solar power. The timing is right for this project given the spread of renewable power standards around the world, high energy prices and the continued progress of the solar photovoltaics industry to improve performance and reduce costs. Together, these trends present a substantial opportunity to create value and meet the world’s growing demand for clean energy." AES reports that the solar joint venture is to be managed by a seven-member board of directors, consisting of three directors to be appointed by each AES and Riverstone, respectively. Robert Hemphill is to serve as President, CEO and the seventh member of the board. Hemphill reportedly held a series of senior leadership positions within AES, including serving as its Executive Vice President of Global Development and holding a position as a member of the AES Board of Directors.

2010-04-07   Courtesy: AES Corporation   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

AES secures EUR173 million in funding for Italian solar PV facility

A 34 MW solar photovoltaic project in Italy came one step closer to completion on Thursday, April 1st, 2010 when AES Solar Energy Ltd. (Arlington, Virgina, USA) announced that it had secured EUR173 million in financing for the Cellino San Marco (CSM) photovoltaic (PV) project. The facility will utilize thin film solar panels manufactured by First Solar and according to AES is the largest of its kind in Italy to secure funding.   The project is already under construction and AES plans to be supplying power by the end of 2010, which will qualify AES to receive the benefits of a feed-in tariff under Italy's "Conto Energia" policy.


Five banks participate in finance

Five different banks were involved in the financing arrangement: Société Générale, Unicredit Mediocredito Centrale, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank and Dexia Crediop. "While the Italian regulatory environment makes solar PV a highly attractive investment, its dynamics make innovative financing solutions necessary", notes Société Générale Managing Director Massimiliano Batisti. "This poses a significant barrier to entry for less sophisticated investors. In this environment we believe that it is very important to have partners like AES Solar who are among the most experienced sponsors in this sector, as they have both the industry and the financial expertise as well as the ability to understand the subtleties of the local market to enable them to successfully deliver the project."


About AES Solar

AES solar already operates 38 MW of solar photovoltaic plants in Greece, Spain and France, and the addition of this project will more than double its portfolio. AES Solar is a joint venture between the AES Corporation and Riverstone Holdings, LLC.

2010-04-06   Courtesy: AES Solar   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

Suniva selected for USD1 million loan guarantee from US Department of Energy

Ajeet Rohatgi, Ph.D., Founder, Chief Technical Officer at Suniva
Ajeet Rohatgi, Ph.D., Founder,
Chief Technical Officer at Suniva

On April 1st, 2010, US solar company Suniva, a maker of monocrystalline solar cells and modules, announced that it had been selected by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to receive a 1 million loan guarantee. The loan was made possible through President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the "stimulus package"), and Suniva officials say they plan to use the funds to construct a manufacturing facility in Saginaw County, Michigan, that will employ 500 people.  More investments in solar

This is the third solar company the Department of Energy has awarded a large grant to in the last year. Last September, the DOE awarded a 5 million loan to Solyndra, a maker of cylindrical solar tubes, and in February awarded a .37 billion loan to Bright Source Energy to create three enormous solar thermal plants in the Mojave Desert. This time the funding will go to America's industrial heartland.


Investing in the rust belt

For much of the 20th century, Michigan was the center of US manufacturing, particularly for automobiles. However as more and more manufacturers shifted their production first to other states and then to other nations, the city became first in the “rust belt” phenomenon of deindustrialization, and was particularly hard hit by the global recession. At 14%, Michigan currently has the highest unemployment rate in the nation. However, it is also has the second largest output of solar cells and modules. Putting former auto workers and other unemployed urban residents to work in renewable energy manufacturing is a vision that has been articulated by both Obama's former "Green Jobs Czar" Van Jones and controversial American Filmmaker Michael Moore.

Suniva boasts that last year it exported over 90% of its products to Asia and Europe, and Suniva officers and US government officials have framed the loan in terms of economic nationalism. "Suniva exemplifies the innovative force behind the development of America’s leading-edge green technology, and it exports to the global marketplace", said Fred P. Hochberg, chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, which awarded Suniva with its "Renewable Energy Exporter of the Year award". "America will lead in exports when its businesses deliver value and innovation, which will also drive job growth."

2010-04-06   Courtesy: Suniva Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Suniva Inc.

 

North America’s Concentrated Solar Power industry to convene in San Francisco this June

CSP plant
CSP plant

Over 650 Concentrated Solar Power industry leaders are set to meet in San Francisco this June 24th -25th for the 4th Annual Concentrated Solar Power Summit, the largest industry event of it’s kind in North America. Most recent CSP Today findings have shown that over the next three years North America will prove to be a booming market for Concentrated Solar Thermal Power - set to be worth in excess of US0bn. Responding to this market potential North America has initiated brand new regulatory, legislative, permitting and financial support developed specifically to foster the development of this industry in the region.  

1000’s of megawatts projects move through the permitting, certification pipeline and into the ground

Initiatives such as the Bureau of Land Managements Fast Track Scheme, which could see over 12 CSP projects approved for development by the end of December 2010. Meaning that North America could see 1000’s of Megawatts worth of projects move through the permitting, certification pipeline and into the ground. Responding to this critical stage in the development of the CSP industry in North America, CSP Today, have announced the dates of their 4th Annual Concentrated Solar Power Summit, the industry's most highly regarded meeting place for learning, networking and setting up deals.

Every year, over 650 global CSP leaders converge on San Francisco, representing leading developers, key material and component suppliers, influential financiers, government organizations and agencies. The two day conference and exhibition will seek to address the fundamental challenges currently facing the CSP industry in the USA with a keen focus on regulation, project development, technology, permitting, thermal storage, finance Transmission and site selection.


CSP industry in North America poised for massive growth

Speakers at the conference will range from International Renewable Energy Agencies to State energy offices and leading project developers to key component suppliers. Speaking about this year's conference the summit organizer Joshua Bull said "We are extremely excited about this years summit, it couldn’t have come at a more pertinent time. The CSP industry in North America is poised for massive growth as projects finally begin to move through the certification phase and into development. This conference offers the industry an opportunity to come together as one to discuss what needs to be done to now to ensure North America becomes one of the leading markets for CSP in the world."

The 4th Annual Concentrated Solar Power Summit USA taking place June 24th -25th in San Francisco will provide the critical intelligence and tools to develop a profitable, productive and commercially successful CSP business. With the IEA, SEPA, ESTELA. California Energy Commission, FERC, ACS Cobra, Abengoa, Acciona, Arizona Corporate Commission, Protermosolar and many others set to share their CSP experience. Find out more at www.csptoday.com/us

2010-04-06   Courtesy: CSP Today   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: MAN Ferrostaal AG; Dressler

 

Indian solar companies join forces to create new solar thermal industry federation

Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI) launched On March 18th, 2010
Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI)
launched On March 18th, 2010

On March 18th, 2010, fourteen Indian solar thermal companies, which together control 75% of the Indian solar thermal market, officially launched the Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI), to develop the Indian solar industry, including marketing solar hot water systems to the Indian public, cooperating on research and development, establishing industry standards and investigating other uses of solar thermal. "India receives the second highest solar radiation after California in USA which makes it apt for near universal usage of solar water heating application pan India", says K. Subramanya, chairman of the newly formed federation.   "Most of us in the industry felt the time is ripe for some concerted action to expand the solar water heating space besides exploring applications beyond water heating as well. Having a voice and a platform is crucial to leverage this once in a lifetime opportunity."


Developing appropriate policy frameworks and creating financing mechanisms for solar consumers

The formation of the new federation follows on the announcement of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, which sets bold targets for solar development in India, and also creates new challenges for the emerging Indian solar industry. Officials with the STFI say that they plan to work closely with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Ministry of Power and Ministry of Urban Development to develop appropriate policy frameworks for meeting the targets set out in the Mission and to create financing mechanisms for solar consumers. Another key goal identified by STFI officials is to increase the competitiveness of the Indian solar thermal industry through ongoing investments in research and development.

"There are two key priorities before us today", states STFI Vice-Chairman Hemant Revankar. "One is creating awareness among the common man on the benefits of solar water heaters as an affordable, long lasting and easy to install and maintain option which will lead to increased penetration of the application leading to industry’s growth. The other is to look at applications which convert the abundant reservoir of natural sunlight into energy that can in turn considerably reduce the burden of electricity demand in peak hours and improve the poor load shedding situation in India. Cost effective technology and working together are the only ways these two can happen."

One of the first initiatives of the STFI will be to create a pan-Indian solar thermal installer certification and set industry standards for installation and maintenance.

2010-04-06   Courtesy: STFI   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: STFI

 

Bluestar Silicones launches new range of products for solar applications

Bluestar Silicones offers products for the PV industy
Bluestar Silicones offers products for the PV
industy

Bluestar Silicones (Bluestar; Lyon, France), on March 29th, 2010 announced the launch of a new range of solar application products. According to the press release, these include a new high performance adhesive, dubbed "CAF 530", which is said to optimize the longevity performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. A new range of silicone products, also launched by Bluestar, is said to be able to increase the efficiency and longevity of solar modules by extending their resistance to weather erosion under real-life conditions.   This new range includes mono and bi-component silicone elastomers, dubbed "RTV 1 & 2", that were reportedly designed for sticking and sealing the frame and junction box on the one hand, and bi-component products designed for the encapsulation of components in the junction box and of PV cells on the other hand.


Products to provide long-life protection for PV cells against humidity

Bluestar reports that its new products for the assembly of solar modules include high performance adhesives, encapsulation agents with dielectric and exceptional fire resistance characteristics and transparent encapsulation agents for PV cells that feature high levels of optical transmittance. According to the press release, the high performance CAF 530 adhesive guarantees long term sticking and sealing of the solar module providing long-life protection of the PV cells and associated connections against humidity, the main cause of efficiency troughs in modules over time. Because of its very high degree of elasticity, the CAF 530 adhesive is said to be able to resist and absorb differential dilations of the assembled materials. The development of its new range of products is believed to illustrate Bluestar Group’s determination to become a major sustainable development actor. Bluestar Silicones is a global supplier of silicones with manufacturing sites in all regions of the world.

2010-04-06   Courtesy: Bluestar Silicones   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Bluestar Silicones

 

Enfinity and Videocon Group sign joint venture on PV plants in India; Enfinity opens Pan-Indian head office in Mumbai

Enfinity is focusing on solar energy based on photovoltaic technology and wind energy
Enfinity is focusing on solar energy based on
photovoltaic technology and wind energy

Enfinity, a global renewable energy developer, has signed a strategic collaboration agreement with the Indian conglomerate Videocon Group, active in Telecom GSM Service, Oil & Gas, Power, Retail, DTH and Consumer Electronics to develop large scale Indian projects in solar energy. The agreement was signed in presence of HRH Prince Filip of Belgium, during his royal mission to India. Enfinity also announced to open a new Pan-Indian office in Mumbai to further support the company’s growth strategy. 



Best of two worlds

Via the 50/50 joint-venture between Belgium-based Enfinity and Indian-based Videocon Group, both companies will develop large scale projects in solar energy. The agreement combines Enfinity’s expertise in developing and financing renewable energy projects with Videocon’s strong presence in India. Enfinity already has important activities in India. End of 2009, the company announced an agreement with Titan Energy Systems, a manufacturer of PV modules, to develop, finance and construct 1 GWp of PV installations on 3000 acres of land in Andhra Pradesh in the coming 5 years.


Mumbai head office

To support its further expansion, Enfinity will set up multiple offices in India. These will all be co-ordinated from a new head office Enfinity is setting up in Mumbai. This location was selected because of its position as commercial centre of India, also accommodating many local and international banks. The new office will employ 25 to 30 people. By the end of 2010, Enfinity expects to employ up to 100 people in several Indian offices.

Saurabh P. Dhoot, Director Videocon Group:"Today marks a small step by us for a Giant Leap by India towards an environmentally responsible and sustainable answer to its ever growing energy requirements. Videocon after creating significant value in Energy business in India and Globally around the world from Brazil to Australia, is proud to promote renewable energy on a large platform for India on the backdrop of a government with a strong mission and vision of clean Energy self sufficiency. We are proud to further this by a JV combining the best of capabilities to take the Government's mission to the Next level."

2010-04-05   Courtesy: Enfinity   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Enfinity

 

Alpha Energy solar project recognized by electrical association award

Alpha Energy received ABC award
Alpha Energy received ABC award

Alpha Energy (Phoenix, Arizona), a full-service engineering and project development company for turnkey renewable energy technologies and photovoltaic (PV) systems, member of The Alpha Group and a division of Alpha Technologies Services Inc. (Bellingham, Washington), recently announced that it was awarded industry recognition by the Southeast Pennsylvania Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC; Arlington, Virginia) association for the installation of a 1 megawatt (MW) elevated solar photovoltaic (PV) racking system on a major auto auction facility in northern New Jersey.   During ABC’s "19th Annual Merit Construction Awards of Excellence", the electrical contractor on the Alpha Energy project, the Tri-M Group, LLC (Kennett Square, Pennsylvania), was named an "Excellence Winner" in the "Best Specialty" category for electrical projects costing less than 1 million US-dollars. ABC reportedly recognized Tri-M and Alpha Energy for the outstanding design, engineering, innovation and workmanship that went into this solar power system.


Photovoltaic system able to generate electricity even if one of the 11 inverters fails

Alpha Energy reports that what it believes to be the largest continuous elevated solar racking structure in the United States is comprised of more than 5500 solar PV modules that were interconnected with eleven 100 kilowatt (kW) inverters. According to the press release, the system is arranged in a way that even if one of the inverters fails, the remainder of the system will be able to continue producing solar electricity until repairs or maintenance can be completed on the defective inverter. "It was important to us the system be built with redundancies in place, and with protections from the whole system going down because of a minor glitch", said Drew Zogby, President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Alpha Technologies. "Tri-M worked with us on the integration of this compartmentalization strategy and implemented it on site and on schedule. We are proud to have worked with Tri-M on this project and congratulate them on this award."

2010-04-05   Courtesy: Alpha Energy   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Alpha Energy

 

Recurrent Energy to develop 15 MW of solar power plants at Kaiser Permanente facilities

Solar PV roofs
Solar PV roofs

Recurrent Energy (San Francisco, California), an independent power producer and a leading developer of solar power projects, on March 30th, 2010 announced that it had signed agreements with health care provider Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, California) to develop solar power systems with a combined generating capacity of 15 megawatts (MW) at multiple locations across California. According to the press release, Recurrent Energy will build, own, and operate 16 solar power systems to be located at 15 Kaiser Permanente hospitals and office facilities by the summer of 2011.   The installation of solar panels on these buildings is reportedly the first part of a larger plan to use onsite renewable energy sources to power the organization’s facilities nationwide to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.


Kaiser Permanente to buy all power generated by 16 solar power systems through PPAs

Recurrent Energy reports that the 16 solar power systems for Kaiser Permanente will include rooftop solar, ground mount solar, and elevated solar installations above existing ground-level parking spaces and garages. Several of these projects are reportedly already underway. Kaiser Permanente is to purchase the solar power from Recurrent Energy through power purchase agreements (PPA), the companies report. Citigroup, an equity investor on some of the projects, was a key partner in structuring these agreements, which allow the not-for-profit health plan and hospital system to partner with a private entity that is eligible for a 30 % tax credit available to private companies such as Recurrent Energy. Kaiser Permanente is to retain all the Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) awarded for these solar projects.

Hospitals, medical centers and office facilities to be powered in part by solar energy

The 15 MW of solar power is to provide part of the electricity needed to run the buildings at the sites, which include Vallejo and Santa Clara medical centers in Northern California, and Fontana and San Diego medical centers in Southern California. The solar power systems are expected to produce an average of 10 % of the power Kaiser Permanente uses at these sites, equivalent to the annual electricity demand of about 1,900 average homes. "What’s good for the environment is good for our health", said Raymond J. Baxter, PhD, Senior Vice President, community benefit, research and health policy at Kaiser Permanente. "By expanding the use of solar power, Kaiser Permanente is demonstrating its commitment to greening its energy portfolio and reducing its carbon footprint."

Solar energy part of broader plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, become ‘greener’

"With a massive need for clean energy generation located close to where power is actually used, customers like Kaiser Permanente are playing a key role to make the vision of distributed-scale solar a reality", said Arno Harris, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Recurrent Energy. "These solar power systems reaffirm the demand for distributed-scale projects, which can be aggregated together to generate a significant amount of power." Kaiser Permanente reports that in the future, the organization’s energy sources could include thermal energy, wind, and fuel cells in addition to solar. Kaiser Permanente reports it saves more than 10 million US-dollars per year through energy conservation strategies under its green building efforts. Kaiser Permanente reportedly started using solar power when it opened one of the country’s "greenest" hospitals in Modesto (California) in 2008, which features a solar panel array that generates enough electricity to power about 25 homes.

2010-04-04   Courtesy: Recurrent Energy   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Recurrent Energy

 

PV inverter producer Enphase Energy closes 40 million US-dollars in financing

Sanjeev Kumar: Enphase has captured significant market share in the inverter space
Sanjeev Kumar: Enphase has captured
significant market share in the inverter space

Enphase Energy (Petaluma, California), a manufacturer of solar microinverter systems, on March 30th, 2010 announced that it had secured 40 million US-dollars in funding, with venture capital firm Bay Partners, LLC (Palo Alto, California) leading the equity financing. This round of financing reportedly also includes participation from Horizon Technology Finance Management LLC, Bridge Bank N.A. and existing investors Third Point Ventures, RockPort Capital Partners, Madrone Capital Partners and Applied Ventures LLC.   "Enphase has captured significant market share in the inverter space in an extraordinarily short time frame. This financing will be used to fund our expansion plans and further strengthen our balance sheet", said Sanjeev Kumar, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Enphase Energy.


Microinverter manufacturer has experienced outstanding growth

Recognized as the fastest growing inverter company in the U.S. in 2009, Enphase Energy reports it has sold more than a quarter million of its microinverter systems since product launch. According to the press release, these systems are the first and only commercially available of their kind, offering a number of advantages over traditional central inverters. They are said to be able to increase the energy yield by 5-25 %, increase system reliability and allow for a simpler and safer installation. In addition, a proprietary communications technology allows for continuous, remote, per-module monitoring, Enphase Energy reports. "Enphase has a remarkably driven management team, and an excellent track record of technology innovation", said Sandesh Patnam, General Partner at Bay Partners. "We’re excited to invest in a company that is leading the transition in the inverter market from central to microinverters." Greg Clark, Managing Director of Horizon Technology Finance, added that he expects the new round of financing to enable Enphase continue its remarkable growth.

2010-04-04   Courtesy: Enphase Energy   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Enphase Energy

 

Inventux Technologies AG wins renowned red dot design award for its micromorph photovoltaic module

"red dot design award" for micromorph
photovoltaic modules by Inventux

Great honor for the Inventux Technologies AG (Berlin, Germany) and its micromorph thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) modules: An international jury of experts awarded the frameless glass/glass module from Berlin with the prestigious red dot award for product design. Well-known companies such as Apple, Nokia and Porsche Design were able to win the sought-after design award for their products - now the Inventux Technologies AG from Berlin is among them. The successful product composition with consistent black module surface in "pin-stripe" appearance paired with rear-integrated stainless steel back-bars provide for highest aesthetic and design demands.   With an ideal module surface of 1.43 square meters in nearly square shape and only 8 millimeters thickness of the glass-PVB glass laminate micromorph Inventux modules are applicable for different requirements. They are perfectly suitable for PV-systems on small and medium-size residential roofs as well as larger industrial roofs. The intelligent module design allows for fast, easy and efficient installation.

"We are particularly honored to receive this award from an international jury", says Christian Plesser, Chief Marketing Officer at Inventux. "The prize clearly confirms that Inventux manufactures and markets excellent and durable PV-modules by using first-class components and focusing on production quality."

The red dot is awarded since 1955 and belongs to the biggest and most prestigious awards of its kind worldwide. The prize is considered as a seal of quality for excellent design and is renowned among circles of experts. Decisive assessment criteria are the degree of innovation, the functionality and the product quality. The prestigious award has always been awarded to companies focused on innovative design. As one of only very few solar module producers Inventux joined the list of innovative and high-quality winners on March 15th.

2010-04-03   Courtesy: Inventux Technologies AG   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Inventux Technologies AG

 

Detroit Edison invites business, education participants to its 15 MW "SolarCurrents" photovoltaic pilot program

Trevor Lauer, DTE Energy Vice President, retail marketing
Trevor Lauer, DTE
Energy Vice President,
retail marketing

The U.S. utility Detroit Edison (Detroit, Michigan), a subsidiary of DTE Energy (Detroit, Michigan), on March 29th, 2010 announced that the company is looking for several businesses and educational institutions with large rooftops or ground area to host solar energy installations. According to the press release, the utility is starting another aspect of its pilot "SolarCurrents" program that calls for photovoltaic (PV) systems installed on customer rooftops or property to generate 15 megawatts (MW) of electricity throughout its Southeast Michigan service area over the next five years.   According to the press release, Detroit Edison plans to invest more than 100 million US-dollars in the program, which requires customers to participate for 20 years. The solar energy systems are to be owned, installed, operated and maintained by the utility, and customers will get an annual credit on their energy bill in return. The amount of the return is to be based on the system size, as well as a one-time, upfront construction payment that is to cover any inconvenience during installation.


Vacant rooftop or ground areas sought for solar PV program

"SolarCurrents represents one of the largest distributed solar programs in the country, which will provide opportunities to the emerging solar manufacturing industry", said Trevor Lauer, DTE Energy Vice President, retail marketing. "The program also will encourage the development of new green energy projects by providing financial incentives to non-residential customers interested in solar energy systems." The utility reports that it will be accepting applications until April 29th, 2010. Interested participants should own a facility with 15,000 square feet of unobstructed roof in good condition, or a similarly sized area on the ground. Detroit Edison reports that it continues to offer incentives to residential customers who install their own photovoltaic (PV) systems. For more information on both programs, interested parties are invited to visit dteenergy.com/solar.

Utility to invest nearly 2 billion US-dollars in renewable energy generation facilities

Detroit Edison expects to invest nearly 2 billion US-dollars in the coming years to add more than 1,200 MW of renewable energy to meet the Michigan's renewable energy goals. In addition to the solar installations, the company plans to acquire or build wind farms and other green energy facilities for half of that capacity, and contract with third party vendors for the rest.

2010-04-03   Courtesy: Detroit Edison   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Detroit Edison

 

MP2 Capital completes solar PV system to power Connecticut school district

PV array powers Regional School District
PV array powers Regional School District

MP2 Capital (San Francisco, California), a developer, financier and operator of solar photovoltaic(PV) systems throughout North America, on March 29th, 2010 announced the commissioning of a 445 kilowatt (kW) PV array in Winsted, Connecticut. MP2 Capital reports that the company had entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) to sell all of the electricity generated by the system to the Regional School District No. 7 for a period of 20 years.   According to the press release, this clean energy project was made possible by a grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), whose mission is to promote, develop and invest in clean energy sources to strengthen the state’s economy, protect community health, improve the environment, and promote a secure energy supply.


PV system expected to save the district 26,000 US-dollars in energy costs during the first year

The solar power system, which sits atop multiple rooftops of the school district, was built by groSolar (White River Junction, Vermont), and is composed of 1,937 PV panels from manufacturer Canadian Solar (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada). It is expected to produce approximately 492,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean solar electricity and save the school district an estimated 26,000 US-dollars in energy costs during the first year of operation. Over the term of the agreement, the system is expected to produce approximately 9,380,000 kWh to offset the school's energy use. "This represents MP2 Capital’s second completed project in the state of Connecticut", said Mark Lerdal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MP2 Capital. "We are pleased to partner with the School District to help improve the environment, both by reducing the carbon footprint of the school district and creating a shining example of clean, renewable energy for the students and the community."


School’s students became leaders in advocating clean and sustainable energy for their school district

Clint Montgomery, Superintendent of Schools for Regional School District 7, noted that the solar project has provided a concrete example of what can be done to reduce a school's carbon footprint. "As we anticipated, the students have become the leaders in advocating for clean and sustainable energy for our school district", Montgomery said. "They are proud of the solar panels on the building and excited about the ways this new system has been integrated in the entire school curriculum and school culture." Lise Dondy, President of CCEF, believes that the school district’s solar power plant will serve as an excellent teaching tool to help educate students about the importance of renewable energy in meeting future energy needs while protecting the environment at the same time. "We are pleased to see this school district and many educational institutions around the state taking a leadership role in making the commitment to clean energy in such a significant way."

2010-04-02   Courtesy: MP2 Capital   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: MP2 Capital

 

ICLEI and REN21 launch the Local Renewables Web Portal

Local Renewables Web Portal
Local Renewables Web Portal

The launch of the Local Renewables Web Portal marks the inauguration of a comprehensive collection of information and resources on renewable energy at the local level, REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century) reports inj a press release. The Portal serves local officials and users from civil society and business by highlighting local action on renewable energy and providing helpful tools for incorporating renewable energy in city energy plans. "Anyone interested in renewable energy at the local level should find answers to just about any question she or he may have", says Virginia Sonntag-O’Brien, Head of the REN21 Secretariat in Paris.  Local governments worldwide have responded to the multiple challenges of climate change, energy security, and local economic development and revitalization by creating renewable energy policies and programmes. "With this Web Portal we want to enable local officials to learn about successful actions and help them find ways to be able to replicate them", says Monika Zimmermann, Director of the International Training Centre of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. The Web Portal will also provide channels for people to add their own input and exchange ideas. Initiatives and organizations working on renewables at the local level will be invited to actively support the portal.

The Local Renewables Web Portal was commissioned by REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century) and developed by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, with support from ISEP (Institute for Sustainable Energy Policy). Funding came from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) through the GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit/ German Technical Cooperation).

Visit the Local Renewables Web Portal at: local-renewables.org or www.local.ren21.net

2010-04-02   Courtesy: REN 21   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: REN 21

 

PV production: Equipment provider Manz Automation AG publishes annual report 2009

Manz Automation AG (Reutlingen, Germany) one of the world’s leading technology providers for the photovoltaic and LCD industries, recorded revenues of € 85.9 million in fiscal year 2009 (previous year: € 236.5 million). In the fourth quarter of 2009 alone, revenues totaled € 39.2 million (previous year: € 77.4 million). This accounts for around 45.6% of the total annual revenues, and is an initial indicator for a successful turnaround. During the 2009 reporting period, total operating revenue totaled € 101.1 million compared to € 234.8 million in 2008. Consolidated EBIT fell to € -15.9 million (previous year: € 28.6 million). It was already possible to realize positive effects thanks to the cost cuts which were put in place last fiscal year.   For example, Manz recorded operating profits again in Q4 totaling € 0.2 million, thus underscoring its successful cost-cutting activities.

Pre-tax earnings (EBT) sank to € 13.0 million in 2009 after € 28.6 million in the previous year. This resulted in a consolidated net loss for the period of € -11.0 million compared to net income of € 21.2 million last year. This corresponds to earnings per share of € -2.15 (previous year: € 5.04). In contrast, the cash flow from operating activities increased significantly last year to € 39.7 million (previous year: € -16.8 million) as a result of the lower requirements for working capital last year.


A new impetus for solar industry by future-proof solutions

This means that the revenue and earnings growth reflect the recession and its impact on the solar industry. The new orders received from Asia show that the current situation and further prospects have increased significantly. Manz Automation is already enjoying excellent capacity uptake in all of its divisions in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. It was possible to stop the short-time work started in May 2009 on January 1, 2010. This confirms the decision to sustainably invest in research and development and to continue to employ and train employees at the German locations during the crisis. As a result, Manz is able to give the solar industry new impetus as an innovational motor with future-proof solutions, and participate in the market’s recovery at an early stage. The increased equity ratio of around 78%, cash and cash equivalents of € 79 million and extensive lines of credit that have not yet been used mean that the company has the foundations needed for new growth.


Dieter Manz: Effectively combating the increasing cost pressure

Dieter Manz, Manz Automation AG’s CEO, is optimistic about the future: "Manz Automation is excellently positioned - we did our homework last year. Our further-developed product range means that we lead the market for technology. The use of state-of-the-art equipment is particularly important for our customers - especially during the current phase - in order to effectively combat the increasing cost pressure." He went on to comment on the forecast for fiscal year 2010: "That is why we are forecasting high double-digit percentage revenue growth and positive EBIT for the current fiscal year."

2010-04-01   Courtesy: Manz Automation AG   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH

 

California: Solar Power, Inc. to establish PV manufacturing facility at McClellan Business Park

Governor Schwarzenegger: More homes and businesses will be powered by sunshine
Governor Schwarzenegger: More homes
and businesses will be powered by sunshine

Solar Power, Inc. (SPI; Roseville, California) on March 29th, 2010 announced that it had selected McClellan Business Park as the site for its U.S. manufacturing facility, subject to finalization of building agreements. As announced earlier in March, the company received an initial commitment of 24.7 million US-dollars in Recovery Zone Facility Bonds (RZFB) from Sacramento County, and plans to use the proceeds from the sale of these bonds to help finance renovation and outfitting of the manufacturing facility to build its high-performance solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.   The company reports that a portion of the RZFB Bond proceeds, upon successful placement, will also go in part towards the development of a utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar system in Sacramento County that is to exceed 10 megawatts (MW) at an estimated value of 50 million US-dollars.

New solar manufacturing facility to bring 100 permanent full-time jobs to the region

According to the press release, the proposed manufacturing facility at the McClellan site will be approximately 100,000 square feet with an annual production capacity of 50 MW of SPI’s top-ranked solar panels. It is estimated that the facility will bring120 new construction jobs to the region during the 9-month construction period, and 100 full-time skilled workers and office staff upon completion. SPI anticipates that the construction will start in July, while the completion of the project is scheduled for early 2011. Together with SPI’s current manufacturing facility in China, the McClellan facility would double the company’s annual production capacity to 100 MW. "We are very excited to have one of the solar industry’s leaders select McClellan Business Park for its world headquarters and manufacturing operations", said Ken Giannotti, Senior Vice President with McClellan Business Park, LLC.


California Governor welcomes PV manufacturer to Sacramento County

SPI reports that the company’s recent announcement of plans to open a major manufacturing operation in Sacramento has garnered attention and support from the State’s capitol, as well as from leading regional business development organizations. Heralding the company’s move, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said: "The addition of this renewable energy manufacturing facility is great news for Sacramento and the rest of the State because it will lead to more homes and businesses powered by sunshine while creating jobs in the clean-tech industry. California has led the world in enacting policies that harness the sun, combat climate change and reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and it is companies like Solar Power, Inc. that are helping us reach a more sustainable, clean energy future." Steve Kircher, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SPI, said the company was very pleased with its site selection at McClellan Business Park. "The site provides an excellent geographic location for us as we pursue a growing number of new business opportunities within California and across the country", Kircher said.

2010-04-01   Courtesy: Solar Power, Inc.   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Solar Power, Inc.

 

SunPower finalizes acquisition of SunRay, expanding operations in Europe and Middle East

PV plant with trackers by SunPower
PV plant with trackers by SunPower

SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California), manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, on March 29th, 2010 announced that it had completed its acquisition of SunRay Renewable Energy (Floriana, Malta), a leading European solar power plant developer with offices in Europe and the Middle East. As a direct result of this transaction, SunPower reports it has expanded its project pipeline to include more than 1,200 megawatts (MW) of solar PV projects in various stages of development in Italy, France, Israel, Spain, the United Kingdom and Greece.   SunRay's power plant development and project finance team reportedly consists of approximately 70 employees. The total consideration for the acquisition is estimated at 277 million US-dollars, including approximately 263 million US-dollars in cash and 14 million US-dollars in promissory notes.


Acquisition of European solar developer expected to increase company’s visibility through 2011

"With this acquisition complete, SunPower is accelerating growth in the Italian market, and pursuing new opportunities in other parts of Europe and Middle East", said Howard Wenger, President of SunPower's utilities and power plants business group. "The acquisition of SunRay provides us with strong visibility in the second half of 2010 and in 2011, and is consistent with our long-term company strategy to develop a strong brand and complementary channels to market." Yoram Amiga, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SunRay, added: "The global experience of SunPower and SunRay combined benefits our customers with the delivery of reliable energy at competitive prices."

2010-04-01   Courtesy: SunPower Corporation   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: SunPower Corporation

 

PV production: Spire Corporation ships 100th SLP solar simulator to Saflex

Spire shipped 100th SLP solar simulator to Saflex
Spire shipped 100th SLP solar simulator to Saflex

Spire Corporation (Bedford, Massachusetts), a global solar company providing turnkey manufacturing lines for the production of photovoltaic (PV) modules and solar energy systems, in March 2010 shipped its 100th "Spi-Sun Simulator" 4600 SLP to Saflex Solar Encapsulants (Springfield, Massachusetts), a unit of Solutia Inc. Spire explains that the Spi-Sun Simulator PV module testing systems feature light sources that closely match the solar spectrum while avoiding the excessive solar cell heating caused by continuous sources.   According to the press release, the Spi-Sun Simulator SLP received a "Beyond AAA Classification," and was uniquely designed to create a very stable uniform single long-pulse (SLP) of light during which the entire I-V measurement is performed. Spire reports that manufacturers of both crystalline silicon and thin film solar PV modules use the company’s simulator.


Simulator equipment to be used in PV research center

"Although we have been manufacturing solar simulators for many years, the SLP Series is new to the market", said Roger G. Little, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Spire Corporation. "We just introduced it in the first quarter of 2008, so I am happy the 100th simulator is already being shipped. It is also pleasing that it is now being used by many UL and CE module qualification laboratories throughout the world. Saflex is developing critical material for PV module encapsulation, so they need to have a state-of-the-art tool for their material evaluations." Francois Koran, Saflex Photovoltaic Development Manager, commented that Saflex had recently added a PV research center, and that state-of-the-art equipment like the Spire Spi-Sun Simulator is critical to develop break-through product and process solutions.

2010-04-01   Courtesy: Spire Corporation   Solarserver.de   © Heindl Server GmbH
Picture Courtesy: Spire Corporation

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