Your daily dose of Photovoltaic Technology Developments and Solar News
Top Story
LDK Solar revises capacity expansion plans amid slowing market demand
LDK Solar has succumbed to the slowing demand for solar wafers from its customer base that includes Q-Cells, Sharp and Suntech, having revised revenue estimates significantly downwards for its fourth quarter guidance. The revised revenue is between US$425 to US$435 million, compared to its previous projection of between US$555 to $565 million. Wafer shipments were previously projected to be in the range of 260 to 270MW but are now expected to be in the range of 245 to 255MW. Gross margins have also been seriously affected with guidance revised to between 10% & 13%, compared to gross margins of between 18% and 21%, issued previously.
News
Solaria places order with Spire for 100MW production line
Spire has received its sixth sales contract from Solaria Energia y Medio Ambiente, S.A. that will see Spire supply a 100MW production line to the Spanish company. Spire will supply provide state-of-the-art assembly machines, laminators, and a module simulator to Solaria for a sum that has yet to be disclosed. The equipment will be installed in Solaria Energia’s new facility in Fuenmayor, Spain.
AES Solar Energy closes €70 million non-recourse debt facility for five Spanish PV projects
AES Solar Energy Ltd. released financial news on December 30th 2008 of its closure of a €70 million non-recourse debt facility for five of its eight Spain-based photovoltaic projects. Utility-scale solar installer AES Solar Energy Ltd., a joint venture between The AES Corporation and Riverstone Holdings LLC, received the loan extension from UniCredit Mediocredito Centrale of Italy and Rabobank of the Netherlands. The installations also qualify for the regulated tariff of the Spanish Special Regime for renewable projects.
SpectraWatt stops construction on solar-cell plant in Oregon, may relocate, local news story says
SpectraWatt, the solar cell spinoff from Intel, has stopped construction on its Hillsboro, OR, manufacturing facility and may seek another plant location because of financing difficulties, according to a news report in the Oregonian. The story says that Andrew Wilson, SpectraWatt's CEO, "confirmed Wednesday that the company had suspended construction plans and was searching inside and outside the state for an existing building to retrofit for less money."
CIGS thin-film PV company HelioVolt lays off small number of workers, report says
The Austin-American Statesman reports that HelioVolt has enacted "a 'modest' reduction in its workforce," cutting about 15 jobs. The copper-indium-gallium-(di)selenide thin-film PV company "made the cuts because of a weak economy and because the company is shifting away from pure research and toward becoming a manufacturer of solar power products," according to the story.
SunEdison, Developers Diversifed Realty partner on large-scale solar distributed generation program
Sharp shuffles new thin film plant production schedule
Long Island Power Authority expands Solar Pioneer program to US$14.4million
EMCORE to cut workforce due to liquidity issues
SunPower completes and dedicates Hawaii’s 1.2MW solar farm
Blogs
Acciona’s Portuguese PV plant may be big, but one of the numbers just doesn’t add up
The newly activated photovoltaic power plant run by Acciona Energy in Portugal, with its 46 MWp capacity, sets the bar higher than ever for ground-based solar farms. With more than 262,000 crystalline-silicon-based modules deployed on some 2500 tracker arrays spread out over 250 hectares (that's alot of soccer pitches), the installation is physically very impressive--a heady holiday gift for the entire renewables community. But one of the numbers cited in the company's press release strains credulity, because it's flat-out wrong. Unfortunately, most of the media reports about the project just picked up the erroneous info without blinking--or thinking.
Solar deal stirs controversy in L.A., while EuPD and Applied Materials show their charitable sides
A news story in the Los Angeles Times reports that a consultant's study casts doubt on the economics of upcoming local ballot Measure B, a key component of the Solar L.A. initiative. On the brighter side, EuPD Research and Applied Materials both show their charitable sides during the holiday season.
Solar Santa: Ohio doles out millions in development dollars to local PV companies
Recession, what recession? Cavalcade of solar PV, renewable investments total billions in a day
Wal-Mart continues solar push with thin-film, building-integrated PV initiative
Going Places
Dynamic Engineering names new CEO
Dynamic Engineering, Inc., high purity chemical process technology supplier to the polysilicon industry, has named Joe Ausikaitis as its new CEO and President. Ausikaitis replaces company founder Lee Kennedy, who passed away in November last year. Mr. Ausikaitis brings over 30 years of process technology and chemical management experience to the company.
Thin-film solar PV firm Odersun taps former NXP exec Van der Zeeuw as new CEO
Thin-film solar PV manufacturer Odersun has appointed former NXP Semiconductors exec Hein van der Zeeuw as its new CEO. Van der Zeeuw has 26 years of experience in the electronic components and semiconductor industry and is a former member of the board of management of Philips spin-out NXP, which he resigned from in July, 2008 after serving as executive VP of operations.
JA Solar rings in New Year with new CFO
JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. has brought on board a new Chief Financial Officer to steer the company’s finances for 2009 and beyond. Anthea Chung will replace Daniel Lui as CFO, while Mr. Lui switches roles to become the company's new chief strategy officer, in which role he will pursue strategic business opportunities worldwide. Ms. Chung joins JA Solar from her former CFO role at Solar Enertech Corp.
Product Briefings
New Product: Pasan SA’s new electronic load enables higher accuracy solar cell/module testing
Product Briefing Outline: Pasan SA has introduced a new electronic load that is more accurate and offers several additional features for the testing of solar cells and modules. This electronic load not only is fitted to module and cell flashers, but also can be combined with continuous light sources. Furthermore the equipment is suitable for outdoor testing.
New Product: Bekaert offers turnkey solution for rotating cylindrical magnetron applications
Product Briefing Outline: Bekaert Advanced Coatings, a total solution provider for rotatable sputter technology, has developed a series of flexible and high performing sputter hardware components for rotating cylindrical magnetron applications. With these key components a customized and complete sputter solution can be worked out in close collaboration with the customer. Whether it concerns an existing coater in an upgrade/rebuild project or a new coater in a green field project, maximum flexibility can be offered for building in all critical components needed for sustaining a controlled process to realize high end products.
Top 5 new product reviews of 2008
In our first full year online, we have steadily increased the number of new products we have reviewed and also seen the new products section gain increasingly greater traffic levels throughout the year. Looking through the traffic numbers, we have identified the Top 5 most popular reviews of new products for your enjoyment.
Recruitment News
GT Solar starts breaking ground for expansion
ECN and partners set up Solar Academy
Oerlikon Solar to start skilled recruitment drive
