Your daily dose of Photovoltaic Technology Developments and Solar News

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) has reaffirmed its commitment to energy efficiency and renewable energy through the adoption of its 2009 operating budget. The budget provides incentives of up to US$14.4 million through ...

Situated in south Lana'i, the recently completed La Ola 1.2MW solar farm is anticipated to provide close to 30% of the island’s peak energy needs. The 10-acre site, completed by Castle & Cooke Hawaii and SunPower Corporation, has been installed with a single-axis SunPower Tracker system, power generated by which will be purchased by Maui Electric Company (MECO).

The juwi group announced the completion of the Waldpolenz energy park in Brandis, in eastern Germany, ahead of schedule in December 2008. The 40MW plant has a surface area of more than 100 hectares and consists of over half a million thin-film modules supplied by First Solar. Juwi acted as general contractor, overseeing the site’s construction, planning and logistics management.

Toshiba Corporation has announced plans to enter the solar photovoltaics market as a large scale utility and industrial systems integrator and components supplier. Toshiba has formed a dedicated business unit (Photovoltaic Systems Division) within its global Transmission Distribution & Industrial Systems Division. The company said that is would be targeting sales of approximately US$2.2 billion by fiscal year 2015, through its existing global sales channels.

China Technology Development Group Corporation has signed an initial contract with the local government of Qinghai Haixi Mongolian-Tibetan Autonomous Region for the construction and operation of a 30MW on-grid solar power plant at a cost of US$150 million. Construction is expected to start sometime in 2009 and has a targeted capacity of 1GW, according to CTDC, without providing a timescale or further financial details of the ambitious and potentially the largest single PV based power plant in the world.

Several of the most popular stories in the Power Generation section of PV-Tech were related to research on new technologies for the improvement of cell efficiencies. A very recent report by Greentech Media on First Solar’s apparent achievement of grid parity created ripples throughout the industry. Mark Bachman, a senior research analyst with Pacific Crest, presented his aggregated numbers via the report that claimed that First Solar has indeed reached the grid parity mecca.

What is being called the largest solar power plant of its kind was connected to the grid last week by Acciona Energy in the Alentejo region of Portugal. The 46-MWp farm, located on 250 hectares in Amareleja parish near the Spanish border, was built in 13 months and represents an investment of about €261 million by the company (which 100% owns the plant).

First Solar has completed its first 10-MW ground-mounted photovoltaic power plant for Sempra Generation near Boulder City, NV, a project said to be the largest thin-film solar power plant in North America. Under the terms of a 20-year power purchase agreement with the El Dorado Energy subsidiary of Sempra, Pacific Gas and Electric will buy the solar-generated electricity produced by the plant, with first power deliveries expected by Jan. 1.

Sopogy, Inc., the proprietary MicroCSP concentrating solar thermal energy system manufacturer, has signed an agreement for the development of a 50MW solar power plant using its MicroCSP technology in Toledo, Spain. The agreement is with solar project developer Inypsa Informes y Proyectos, S.A., a Spanish company, and Germany-based solar project financer Omniwatt. The plant is set to be completed by early December, 2010.

BP Solar says it has completed the final three photovoltaic systems specified under the terms of its solar power construction program agreement with Wal-Mart. The company recently finished building a 493.7-KW system at the Sam's Club in La Habra, a 605.9-KW array at the Wal-Mart Super Center in Palm Springs, and a 675.2-KW system at the Beaumont Super Center.