An official announcement that will influence Greece’s future potential in the PV industry was released by the Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies (HELAPCO), which outlines a new incentives program for small rooftop applications up to 10kWp. It is hoped that this is the first of several such announcements by HELAPCO, with this small-scale incentive acting to spur on solar energy demand in the country.
Responding to demand and adding to its sales office base that includes California, Colorado, Oregon, Hawaii and New Jersey, REC Solar, Inc. has opened an Arizona office and has started installations in the area. The California-based system integrator’s move is in reaction to the increased demand in the Arizona area.
Receiving recognition for his contributions to the development of SunPower's high-efficiency, all-back contact solar cell, company CTO Richard Swanson (pictured) was honoured with an SEIA Industry Innovator Award at the PV America conference in Philadelphia. The SEIA Award aims to recognise entrepreneurs, scientists and advocates working towards improving the quality and efficiency of solar technology.
SunPower Corp. has announced its addition of Navneet Govil (pictured), former controller for Sun Microsystems’ Microelectronics Group, to its team as vice president and treasurer. This role will see Mr. Govil spearhead the company’s treasury and foreign exchange activities, credit risk management, capital structure planning, and banking relationships, as well as overseeing insurance and stock administration activities.
Further developing its plan to increase the company presence in the U.S., German module manufacturer aleo solar AG has revealed that it has set up a wholly-owned subsidiary, entitled aleo solar North America, Inc. Headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, the company has already secured UL certification for its modules for sale and installation in the U.S. and Canada.
Senate Bill 7, legislation introduced by Senator Patricia Wiggins, stipulates that utility providers allow customers who produce their own solar power to roll over unused energy credits for up to two years. The Bill was voted on in the California Senate, and approved unanimously at 29-0. The Bill will now be passed to the Assembly for consideration.
Responding to growing demand for the company’s PV modules and products, Trina Solar has established a warehouse operation in The Port of Oakland, California, to be opened in June 2009. The warehouse will aid in the speedy distribution of products in the state, which contributed 530MW of the U.S.’s 800MW (grid-tied) in 2008.
In a multi-year collaboration agreement, SunPower Corp. has committed to working with Jabil Circuit, Inc. on the manufacture of solar panels. Jabil will begin manufacturing solar panels in Mexico for North America’s solar market in the second half of 2009.
Phoenix Solar’s wholly-owned subsidiary Phoenix Solar Energy Investments has extended its project development agreement with Trier-based Bürgerservice GmbH for a further two years. The agreement, which was finalised at Intersolar in Munich at the end of May, will see the construction of PV power plants with a volume worth approximately €100 million in 2010 and 2011.
U.S.-headquartered Worldwide Energy and Manufacturing USA, Inc., via its Shanghai-based wholly-owned subsidiary Shanghai Intech Electro-Mechanical Products Co., Ltd., has announced that it has dispatched its first PV module shipment in the U.S. The company has also received UL certification for its solar module products, which was required in order for the company to sell modules in the U.S. market.
