The 9REN Group recently closed on a funding lease from UniCredit Leasing that will go towards the financing of the Pacione 1 PV power plant. The Italian PV plant, located in the Taranto province, is complete and holds a 6.5MW capacity. Grid connection is expected to occur in the next few weeks.
Lux Research’s new report, “Shorting Out the Myths of Solar Power Electronics: What Fits and What Fails,” has examined the power electronics options that are becoming increasingly available to solar installers and project developers in order to help establish what technologies actually offer the best performance and lowest cost in the residential, commercial and utility solar divisions.
Arizona Public Service (APS) is expanding upon its AZ Sun program with the development of a new 17MW PV facility in Gila Bend, Arizona. With the Paloma Solar Plant, APS’s AZ Sun program will have committed 83MW of solar capacity out of the 100MW it aims to finance and own upon the program’s completion, which is intended for sometime in 2014. First Solar was contracted by APS to design and build the Paloma Solar Plant and expects to have it online by September.
CPV cell developer Cyrium Technologies has opened its new office in Hong Kong, China and appointed Nelson Fan as its general manager for Asian operations. Fan holds eighteen years of experience in the semiconductor industry, having most recently worked with Traxon Technologies as its research and development director. In his new position with Cyrium Technologies, Fan will be charged with concentrating on the company’s supply chain while detecting technology options and supporting their Chinese and other Asian customers.
Scatec Solar has signed on with Fotowatio Renewable Ventures and Italgen to build a 6.16MWp solar project in a former quarry close to Guiglia, Italy. The solar installation should be connected to the grid by this fall and generate over 7.5 million kWh yearly. The companies did not release the financial terms for their agreement nor any information about the 26,000 modules or BOS that will be used for the installation.
Soltec Renewable Energies is calling the 6.7MW PV plant it plans to build with Shikun & Binui Solaria one of the largest in Israel. Construction on the PV project will begin this year in southern Israel at the old Timna Copper Mines. The solar project is part of the joint venture the two companies formed, which aims to construct 12MW of large-scale solar installations in Israel throughout 2011 and 2012.
Enphase Energy has welcomed Dennis Hollenbeck as its new vice president of engineering; a role that will allow him to combine his 25 years of high-volume, low-cost system design and ASIC development experience and executive management skills.
Bisol has completed a 1MW rooftop solar power plant installation in the Koroška region, a northern part of Slovenia. Working with Intereuropa and Volksbank International the company began the PV system installation in November 2010 and, as noted during the system’s opening ceremony last week, was able to connect the solar project to the grid a month and a half later.
SkyPower and Fort William First Nation have signed an agreement that will see SkyPower construct a 10MW solar park on First Nation’s land in Thunder Bay, Ontario. This is the first Canadian large-scale solar project, and is said to be the only, that is being developed on Fort William First Nation’s reserve.
The travel industry will become a little more “green” as Hertz has announced its solar initiative, which aims to install 2.3MW with sixteen solar systems at their facilities located in: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania by Q3 2011. The first project in the initiative, a 235kW solar electric system at the Denver International Airport, has already been completed and is anticipated to generate 342,766kWh of AC output.