SunPower and Iberdrola Renewables will be working together on the construction of a 30MW solar park in Colorado. Located on 216 acres of private land, which use to for agricultural purposes in Alamosa County, the San Luis Valley Solar Ranch will commence construction later this year with the plant expected to be in full operation by the end of 2011.
Nestled close to the Nevada border in Needles, California, NRG Energy was on hand with BrightSource Energy and California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System facility in the Mojave Desert. NRG Solar had recently signed a letter of intent with BrightSource to construct, finance, own and operate the 392MW solar thermal project with a US$300 million investment over the next three years.
Just over a year ago, the Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECo) got approval from the Department of Public Utilities to build 6MW of solar facilities in the New England region over the next two years and the first of its projects has come to a successful completion at the William Stanley Business Park in Pittsfield. The 1.8MW solar installation is the first in the 6MW solar program and is situated on eight acres of land owned by WMECo and the Pittsfield Economic Development using around 6,500 solar panels.
The Chet Holifield Federal Building in Laguna Niguel, California is currently undergoing a 914kW solar PV installation due to a contract between Independent Energy Solutions and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). This is the first utility-scale PV project for GSA and once completed, should be the second largest PV installation in Orange County.
Meyer Burger Technology has signed a purchase agreement where 3S Industries USA will take over certain assets and all employees of SGS Slicing Solutions as well as SGS Machine Tool.
Just over a year ago, the Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECo) got approval from the Department of Public Utilities to build 6MW of solar facilities in the New England region over the next two years and the first of its projects has come to a successful completion at the William Stanley Business Park in Pittsfield. The 1.8MW solar installation is the first in the 6MW solar program and is situated on eight acres of land owned by WMECo and the Pittsfield Economic Development using around 6,500 solar panels.
As part of its Solar 4 All program and a five school solar pilot program by the Newark Public Schools Facilities Management Office, Mercury Solar Systems has finished its 1.2MW installation on two public schools in Newark, New Jersey. Barringer High School saw 2,310 panels installed on its rooftop for a total of 646kW while a rooftop and carport solar system at Park Elementary used 1,704 panels, which will produce 519kW.
Spire was chosen as the recipient for an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract from the Federal Prisons Industries to provide integrator services for PV systems for Federal customers of Unicor. The contract has a five-year term with five, one-year renewal options. Its total value will not exceed US$75 million over the contract period and has no guaranteed minimum.
FM Approvals and TÜV Rheinland have come together to form new approval standards for flexible and rigid PV modules. The FM Approval Standard 4476, Approval Standard for Flexible Photovoltaic Modules, and Approval Standard 4478, Approval Standard for Rigid Photovoltaic Modules, are in the final review stages and set to be released by the end of this year. The new standards were conceived to better allow PV module manufacturers obtain FM Approval for products used as part of an FM Approved roofing assembly.
