BrightSource Energy has supplied its solar thermal technology for use at Chevron Technology Ventures’ enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project in Coalinga, California. The 29MW thermal “Solar-to-Steam” facility uses 3,822 heliostats, each consisting of two 10x7-foot mirrors mounted to a six-foot steel pole, which are focused on a boiler on top of a 327-foot tall solar tower.
OneRoof Energy will be collaborating with CertainTeed and Integrated Electrical Services (IES) for a single-source roofing and solar solution. CertainTeed, a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, is set to help with the bureaucratic process that comes with installing a solar system and will also supply solar products, permitting and design services and rebate and incentive processing for the OneRoof and CertainTeed customers including the offering of its SolarSelect Lease program for roofing contractors.
The 78MW portion of a 148MW PV plant in Berlin was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Brandenburg. Developed by EPC contractor Saferay, the Senftenberg plants are located on a former open-pit mining area in Eastern Germany. The plant, which is part of what is being called the largest PV power plant complex in the world, was completed in three months and uses 330,000 crystalline solar modules and 62 central inverter stations.
EPC company Enerparc recently completed a new large-scale solar power plant in Gahro, Germany utilizing 27.5MW of ReneSola’s standard Multi and Virtus high-efficiency modules. ReneSola shipped 16.23MW of its 230W, 235W and 240W Multi modules in June and followed the shipment with an 11.23MW delivery of its 235W, 240W and 245W Virtus modules in August.
Constellation Energy has started to construct a 16.1MW solar installation in Emmitsburg, Maryland as part of the state’s Generating Clean Horizon’s initiative. The US$60 million facility will be financed, owned and operated by Constellation Energy with Maryland’s Department of General Services and the University System of Maryland purchasing the produced electricity under a 20-year PPA.
Premier Power will be adding to its installed capacity portfolio with a recent deal that will see the company build four PV power plants, which will total 16.2MW, in Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria. The projects stem from a joint venture with European EPC firm Plaan Czech and will see Premier Power construct plants ranging in size from 3MW to 5MW. Although the value of the deal was not disclosed, the company advised that the installations are funded through a private investment company based in the Czech Republic.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) advised that it had awarded a US$737 million loan guarantee to Tonopah Solar Energy for its 110MW Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project. Sponsored by SolarReserve, the 100MW CSP solar power tower is said to be the first of its kind in the US and the tallest molten salt tower in the world. The project will be built on land leased from the Bureau of Land Management in Tonopah, Nevada.
Solon revealed that its 12.3MW distributed solar project in Italy has been successfully completed with installations having been developed on 18 buildings and 7 carparks for Interporto di Padova. The €50 million project is said to be the largest of its kind in Italy and received financial support from several institutions including, BIIS and Banca Popolare di Verona.
Effective September 22, Steven Pleging was named chief executive officer, president and director of Quantum Solar Power. Pleging has served as the company’s chairman of the board of directors since July. Quantum’s former president and CEO, Daryl Ehrmantraut, will continue working with the company as its chief operating officer and director of operational and administrative functions.
Earlier this year, National Solar Power announced that it had narrowed its list of potential sites for its 400MW solar project to seven counties in the US southeast. After months of deliberation the company made its final decision with plans to build what is being called the largest solar farm in the US southeast in Gadsden County, Florida. While its final decision has been made, National Solar Power does note that the six other counties in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina will continue to be considered for future solar farm projects.
