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Having started production of CdTe thin film modules at its first facility located in Longmont, Colorado in 2009, Abound Solar said it would close the facility to accelerate the migration to its Gen 2 higher efficiency modules with the loss of 180 jobs. Abound Solar received a US$400M loan guarantee from US Department of Energy to build and expand capacity in 2011. The new plant is being built in Tipton Indiana.
Solar Fields, the owner of CdTe thin-film module manufacturer Calyxo, will continue to financially support the company through 2012 thanks to Calyxo’s new aperture area efficiencies of 13.4%, as confirmed by SGS Germany. The latest improved module performance is said to be the cornerstone of its next-generation module series and potentially improves their market competitiveness in the future.
Bad timing of revenue recognition for PV power plant projects and lower module sales impacted First Solar’s fourth-quarter results, while industry dynamics have forced the company to lower its 2012 revenue guidance, issued in December 2011. Net sales in Q4 were US$660 million - a decrease of US$345 million from the third quarter of 2011. Full-year revenue reached US$2.8 billion.
Thin-film market leader and number two ranked PV module supplier First Solar is said to have almost secured around 80–90% of projects (200MW-plus) under India’s 2012 National Solar Mission projects, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Vishal Shah. Shah was cited in an investor note previewing First Solar’s fourth quarter results to be issued February 28.
Billed as one of the largest PV power plants so far built in Thailand, a 7.5MW project, know as the Nakhon Ratchasima Solar Farm in Khorat region, northeastern Thailand has been completed by project developer Sonnedix using First Solar’s CdTe thin-film modules. The project is also the first in Thailand undertaken by Sonnedix with support of Assyce Fotovoltaica and Ch. Karnchang Group.
Exelon and First Solar have extended their deadline for initial funding of the DOE loan for the 230MW Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One (AVSR) project, in northern Los Angeles County, California. A revised construction permit has been approved but the delay could have meant First Solar repurchase the project from customer, Exelon today, February 24, 2012 as federal loan and loan guarantee would not be released in time of contract clauses kicking-in.
A US$646 million US DOE loan and loan guarantee for First Solar’s 230MW Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One (AVSR) PV power plant project in northern Los Angeles County, California has hit a snag over an outstanding construction permit issue. The timeframe for initial funding of the loan has been pushed back to February 24, 2012 but if the issue isn’t resolved by that date, First solar said it could have to acquire the project from customer, Exelon for approximately US$75 million.
_First_Solar-80x80.jpg "The company has announced to reduce production as declining subsidies reduce European demand.")
Last November, First Solar celebrated the production of its one millionth module at its Frankfurt (Oder) plant. This year, the company has announced plans to reduce production as declining subsidies reduce European demand.
The chief operating officer of OPEL Solar has returned to retirement, citing the recent success and continued market growth the company has seen lately as his reason. Francisco Middleton came out of retirement in 2006 to develop the company’s HCPV technology and universal solar tracking systems.
Although new conversion efficiencies have yet to be ratified by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), Abound Solar would seem to have caught-up with CdTe thin-film leader, First Solar. It may have an enormous task to close the gap on manufacturing metrics, but aperture area efficiencies of 12.2%, generating modules with 82.8W specification on existing production equipment is a good start. First Solar reached volume production of modules with an average efficiency of 11.7% in 2011.
