Syanne Olson

SolarReserve named Alistair Jessop as Vice President to oversee its European and other international markets. He will be developing solar power projects in the regions by utilizing SolarReserve’s technology.

Signet Solar has produced and shipped its first MW of panels from its Mochau, Germany manufacturing facility only one month after it became the first licensee of Applied Material’s SunFab thin-film modules. The first shipments are being sent to Hannover-based alfsolar Vertriebsgesellschaft GmbH. Other Signet customers include Phoenix Solar AG, Soleg GmbH, Goldbeck Solar GmbH and SolarMarkt AG.

Sputnik Engineering has announced its intention to open a new production facility in Biel, Switzerland next year so that it can meet the increasing demand of its string inverter series SolarMax S.

Optomec has received significant orders for its Aerosol Jet Solar Lab system, which was introduced earlier this year. The Solar Lab is a process development platform that lets customers define and develop improved collector line patterns for current and next generation high-efficiency solar cells by printing much finer collector lines than is presently possible with traditional screen-printing methods.

Suntech Hawaii completed its largest PV system to date: a 223kW high-efficiency PV installation at D. Otani Produce in Kalihi, Hawaii. The Honolulu Advertiser reports that the project consists of 1,275 panels, which took seven weeks to install and is expected to produce enough energy for around 40 homes for one year.

ICP Solar Technologies, Inc. is to begin shipping its new and patented Sunsei GreenMeter. The initial customer is an education products company that will establish the GreenMeter in 30 high schools throughout North America, which will make scientific training stations available for labs within a curriculum that focuses on renewable energy.

BioSolar, Inc. has announced that it plans to begin commercial production of its BioBacksheet over the next few months and is currently getting ready for pre-production runs. The company’s announcement comes after a news reports states the Bio Solar has filed a comprehensive patent application to ensure BioSolar’s full protection on the BioBacksheet.

The North Face, a supplier of outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, announced its completion of a 1MW solar electricity system at its West Coast distribution center in Visalia, California. The new system will power between 25 and 30 percent of the facility’s energy needs. It was designed, engineered and installed by Suntech Energy Solutions, while financed, owned and operated by Recurrent Energy. 100 percent of the electricity will be sold to The North Face under a power purchase agreement from Recurrent Energy.

Kyocera Corporation is to construct a new large-scale solar cell manufacturing facility, which will be located in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, and will be the largest of the Kyocera Group’s Japan-based solar cell manufacturing plants. The new plant will manufacture the Back Contact Cell, developed in 2006, which achieves an 18.5% energy conversion efficiency rate. Construction is scheduled to start in 2009 with completion within the year so that production can begin in the spring of 2010.

Clal Energy, the energy division of IDB, and Tigo Energy have signed an agreement to distribute Tigo Energy products and technologies for the enhancement of energy output across a wide range of renewable energy projects.