Energy Conversion Devices’ (ECD) subsidiary, United Solar, revealed its plans for a 75,347 square foot manufacturing facility in Ontario, Canada. Anticipated to be operational by August, the facility will create up to 80 jobs for the production of the company’s thin-film solar laminates, which will be sold specifically in the Ontario solar market. United Solar plans to modernize the building and organize capital equipment, with total first-year project capital expected of US$4 million.
Solar Junction’s concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) cell has achieved a world-record efficiency of 43.5%. The company reported that the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) confirmed the commercial-ready production cell efficiency under their Measurement and Characterization Laboratory.
Constellation Energy has announced its partnership with Holyoke Gas & Electric (HG&E) for the production of a 4.5MW solar installation in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The installation is stated as being the largest in western Massachusetts is expected to begin commercial operation this summer. Using 18,400 SolarWorld PV ground-mounted panels at two locations, the power system will generate 5.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.
In future weeks, SunPower will almost certainly be marking April 12 as not only an eventful day, but a successful one as well. Not only did the company celebrate the opening of its Milpitas module manufacturing plant, but also announced that the US Department of Energy (DOE) has offered the company a conditional loan guarantee for its California Valley Solar Ranch power plant.
Clean Energy Pathways and Green Mountain Properties have signed a joint venture agreement that will see the companies collaborate on a 4MW, US$28 million, solar PV plant in Green Mountain, North Carolina. Green Mountain will supply the 40 acres of land where the facility will be built, while Clean Energy acts as lead developer.
Standard Solar is calling its new 753kW carport PV system at Maryland’s Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) the largest PV system of its kind in Maryland and one of the biggest PV carport systems on the East Coast. Using a Protek Park PV canopy system, the solar installation will be built on top of the community college’s parking structure. Suniva will provide over 3,100 solar panels for the project, which is anticipated to generate around one million kilowatt hours of electricity in its first operational year.
Spire is launching a new customer service initiative where it will make its simulation test facilities and services available to PV system installers. The company has over 30 test facilities and runs the Advanced Technology center, which is said to help material developers, module manufacturers and research groups advance their technology. The technology center also features a complete module assembly line and a Spi-Sun Simulator 4600SLP.
OPEL Solar International, the joint venture between OPEL Solar and Ecotech Environmental Technology, has been awarded its first order, just over three months after its formation. The company will provide 5MW of its HCPV panels and dual axis trackers to one of China’s electric power companies. OPEL Solar International initially expected the order to be for 2MW, but looks at the doubled purchase order as a way for it to break into the HCPV market in East Asia. Deliveries should start in the second quarter of 2011 and be completed during 2012.
Belectric and Sun & Life are staking their claim in what they call the largest solar power plant in Saudi Arabia. The two companies are partnering on a 10MW PV carport system at Dhahran’s North Park offices of Saudi Aramco. The large-scale power plant will cover all of the 4,500 parking spaces and feed into the public grid by the end of this year.
Ascent Solar Technologies will be changing up its work strategy with a new CEO who will lead the company in the pursuit of a new market focus. Farhad Moghadam will be stepping down from Ascent Solar for the pursuit of other interests and opportunities with his position as CEO and president being filled by Ron Eller. Eller has been a board member at Ascent Solar for the past two years and has a 25-year background in technology executive management.
