The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will invest up to US$12 million in total funding in four companies to support the development of early stage solar energy technologies and help them advance to full commercial scale. The money will go towards expanding the U.S. clean energy economy and the development of solar energy as a more cost-competitive source of electricity.
Suniva has completed a 240kW solar installation on a retail center in Cary, NC. The PV module array is on the rooftop of the Mayfair Plaza Shopping Center and is one of the state's largest rooftop arrays. This project is the second to be built by FLS Energy and powered by Suniva.
EDF Energies Nouvelles has released the report on its solar activities ending December 31, 2009. Capacity in service almost quadrupled from 20.8MWp at December 31, 2008 to 80.9MWp at December 31, 2009. Overall, capacity in service or under construction at year-end 2009 came to 219.7MWp, compared to 49.9MWp at the end of 2008. The group has exceeded the target it announced at the beginning of 2009 of 100MWp to 150MWp in service or under construction.
Solar-Fabrik has now completed the largest solar power plant in Schleswig-Holstein. The project was set up through community involvement and inaugurated during January 2010 in Nindorf, Germany.
Ferro Electronic Materials has been awarded US$1 million by the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) to develop advanced durability sealing systems for solar cells. The project will involve collaboration with Edison Welding Institute, StrateNexus Technologies, and The Ohio State University in developing, testing and commercializing this new technology.
After a fair amount of digging and the much needed help of our German correspondent we can now confirm that the reports of a 16-17% cut in feed-in tariff rate for Germany were true, and the cuts are to go ahead from April 1, 2010. Click here to see the analyst's thoughts on these cuts.
Day4 Energy has completed the delivery of a turnkey 2.4MW photovoltaic power plant for Gunther Heiss Solar in Germany. A local Volksbank, backed by Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank, Frankfurt am Main, financed the project.
Spire Semiconductor, the wholly owned subsidiary of Spire corporation, has received confirmation from the US Department of Energy (DOE) that it will receive US$2 million under the Advanced Energy Manufacturing tax credit (MTC) program. The funds will be used to expand the company's III/V Compound Semiconductor Foundry facility in Hudson, New Hampshire.
Satcon Technology has delivered 23MW of its PowerGate Plus 500kW solar PV inverters to GCL Solar for its 20MW Jiming Hill Xunzhou solar plant and its 3MW Yancheng Guoneng rooftop installation.
