One of the largest solar power installations in Maryland, Constellation Energy’s 1MW power plant in McCormick’s Spice Mill in Hunt Valley has been completed and will contribute savings of close to 30% of the Mill’s energy costs. The plant is comprised of 2,100 Solar World 175-watt crystalline solar panels and 92,000 square feet of lightweight, flexible thin-film photovoltaic material.
A subsidiary of Trina Solar Limited, Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd., has entered into a module supply contract with Gestamp Asetym Solar, S.L. (GA Solar). The order will see Trina supply between 20 and 36MW of modules over the next year. Some shipments of the modules, prices of which have been pre-determined as part of the deal, have already been received by GA Solar.
Entech Solar has announced its decision to promote the recent addition to its executive team, Sean Rooney, to the role of COO. Mr. Rooney joined the company in February 2008 as Vice President of the Company’s EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) Operations, and his appointment marks the second senior executive appointment in a few days, with Kent Van Houten’s appointment to the CFO role announced last week.
Thin-film PV power plants developer COLEXON has announced its decision to enter into a strategic cooperation agreement with TNP, an investment company. The new deal stipulates that COLEXON will offer solar development projects of at least 10MWp to TNP by 2010, while TNP will in turn provide between 7MWp and 15MWp of solar projects, depending on the extent of the equity available.
In a move that brings focus on Ascent Solar’s contributions to the global clean power effort, the Colorado Governor has granted the esteemed 2008 Governor’s Excellence in Renewable Energy (GERE) Award for the Large Business category to the company.
Product Briefing Outline: First Solar’s FS Series 2 PV Modules are designed for use in grid-connected, commercial power plants and are sold to leading system integrators, independent power project developers and utility companies worldwide. The modules are CdTe thin film in construction that will generally produce more electricity under real-world conditions than conventional solar modules with similar power ratings and the lowest cost per watt overall.
Plextronics, Inc. has officially opened its new development line, or D-Line, that will focus on technology developments for the company’s printable solar inks. The new manufacturing facility will print solar demonstration modules to be used in research and progression of its solar inks using commercially viable manufacturing techniques.
Despite the industry’s economic woes, Jenoptik Group has released details of its financial outcome for 2008 showing organic growth and an overall successful 2008. As predicted by the company, group sales are set to reach just under €550 million while the group operating result will come in at about €37 million. Figures for 2008 are an improvement on 2007’s earnings, and the company expects this positive outlook to continue into 2009.
Intersolar’s organisers have reiterated their support of young and innovative companies in the solar industry today, and will continue to offer reduced rates for such participants at Intersolar 2009. The solar technology trade show has entered into a support initiative with the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) in presenting Germany as an attractive location for starting a business.
In a move that will signify the company’s initial foray into the European market, SunEdison has purchased Business Institute Solar Strategy GmbH (BISS). The company has brought with it 38MW of PV projects that are currently under development in Italy and Spain and opens the door to close to 300MW of development opportunities in Europe.
