Emma Hughes

Del Webb will now include solar power alongside other energy-efficient features at its two new home Sun City communities in the Phoenix metro area. Featuring a 1.8kW roof- integrated solar system provided by SunPower, approximately 11,200 new buildings will now generate their own renewable energy, reducing the operational costs of each home.

Solutia has been awarded a contract to supply its Therminol VP-1 synthetic heat transfer fluid for the US$2 billion Solana solar power plant project, which is being developed by Abengoa. Once complete the Arizona-based plant is expected to be the largest parabolic trough concentrating solar plant in the world, and the first large-scale solar plant in the US capable of storing energy for continued power generation during periods of low light.

Solectria Renewables has been selected by Tecta Solar to supply four Massachusetts rooftop installations with SGI series inverters. As part of the 5.3MW deal, Solectria will provide one SGI 300 (300kW) and 10 SGI 500 (500kW) inverters.

Satcon has been selected by Solon to supply 12 of its 1.25MW Prism Platforms for Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) 15MW ground mount installation near Fresno, CA. Each Prism Platform will be configured to include Satcon Equinox inverters, which deliver 98.5% efficiency combined with the industry’s widest thermal operating range.

Despite the latest report by the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) advising that the feed-in tariff rates in Australia’s Capital Territory (ACT) need to be reduced, the Territory’s Minister for Energy, Simon Corbell, said the rates would remain unchanged.

Alstom will invest a further US$75 million in BrightSource Energy, adding to its original commitment of US$55 million in May 2010. The companies signed a partnership agreement in August 2010 to provide fully integrated solar thermal power plants around the world.

Since the fast track review bombshell was dropped last week I have been thinking about what kind of implications this will have on the UK solar industry as a whole -- not just how it will affect the large-scale market. As we all know, one of the many things this country’s renewable energy industry lacks is experience, which is why it was so encouraging to see some of the world’s largest and most influential solar players step onto British soil.

Solar experts and university researchers will gather together in Abu Dhabi from March 27-28 to attend the city’s first forum on photovoltaics. The event, which will be presented by Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, will explore the route for development of cost-effective systems capable of achieving 25% energy conversion from solar resources in Abu Dhabi by the year 2020.

China Sunergy saw its revenues increase sequentially and year over year, while its quarterly shipments came up a bit short of guidance. The company’s results reflect the shift in focus to in-house module manufacturing that occurred in November 2010, following the acquisitions of CEEG (Shanghai) Solar Science & Technology and CEEG (Nanjing) New Energy.

According to the latest report by the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) the feed-in tariff rates in Australia’s Capital Territory (ACT) need to be reduced. The report proposes that the premium cash rate paid to generators of renewable energy - including those with home solar energy systems - should drop from 45.7c a kilowatt hour to 39c a kilowatt hour. Any changes made will only affect new market entrants who install after July 1, 2011.