Integrated photovoltaics manufacturer CNPV Solar Power has signed a long-term strategic partnership sales agreement with Delta Sud, a French project development and distribution company. The deal calls for the supply of 20MW of crystalline-silicon PV modules over the next three years.
Trina Solar has signed an agreement with ITEC of Germany to supply 40MW of PV modules during 2010. The deal calls for 18MW to be shipped in the first half of the year, with agreed prices for the first quarter.
Suniva and GS Battery will collaborate to develop solar-powered, grid-tied energy storage systems using private-label modules featuring high-efficiency monocrystalline-silicon cells from the photovoltaics manufacturer. The initial demonstration system will incorporate 30KW of PV panels and will be designed, engineered, and constructed by integrator First Century Energy at the battery company’s headquarters in Roswell, GA.
In an expansion of its outsourcing strategy, BP Solar has signed a new deal with Jabil Circuit. The contract manufacturer will assemble BP's photovoltaic modules for the North American market in Jabil’s plant in Chihuahua, Mexico. Production will begin on the manufacturing line in the second quarter of this year; initial capacity will be 45MW, with the possibility for expansion as demand increases, the companies said.
Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA said that it has confirmed that its UD5 and UJ6 photovoltaic modules can be installed near salt water. After extensive factory testing, the company found that its crystalline-silicon panels maintained a sufficient level of insulation from the corrosive effect of salt air and other aspects of the ocean front environment to maintain the power output specifications included in the warranty.
Energy Conversion Devices said that 1.87MW of its Uni-Solar amorphous-silicon thin-film photovoltaic laminates have been installed on the roof of the Flanders Expo in Ghent, Belgium. The laminates were integrated by Derbigum into a lightweight, building-integrated PV Derbisolar product, a durable roofing membrane that forms a waterproof BIPV solar solution.
Solar systems integrator Solis Partners has completed the fourth of six installations for Norkus Enterprises, operator of Foodtown supermarkets in Monmouth and Ocean counties in New Jersey. The combined rooftop system features Solyndra's CIGS PV panels and will be reportedly one of the largest installations of the thin-film company's tubular-module-based products in the United States.
The Canadian government-backed Sustainable Development Technology Canada foundation has announced CAN$58 million in funding for 16 clean technology projects from across the country. The sole solar firm to receive monies to "help move innovative technology solutions to the market" is concentrator photovoltaic company, Morgan Solar.
Former SunPower Systems and PowerLight president Daniel Shugar has joined Solaria as its new CEO. The veteran solar industry executive replaces former CEO Suvi Sharma, who will focus on business development and strategy in his new role as president of the Fremont, CA-based solar photovoltaic module company.
In the first major Chinese move into solar thermal energy, Penglai Electric has signed a master licensing deal with eSolar to build several concentrating solar power plants over the next decade. Penglai, a privately held electrical power equipment manufacturer, plans to develop 2GW of power stations in the Mongolian desert of northern China by 2021 using eSolar’s power tower technology.
