Having increased the allocation of solar projects to 350MW by 2016, in February this year, Karnataka Renewable Energy Development (KREDL) is in the process of seeking government approval for a solar park, following in the footsteps of states like Gujarat. KREDL wishes to build the 1,000 hectare solar park at Mannur village in Bijapur, India, through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. According to the chairman of KREDL, C.M. Nimbannavar, the site is expected to generate 500MW of solar power.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE) has appointed CPV expert Geoffrey S. Kinsey, Ph.D. to the role of director of its Photovoltaic Technologies Group. Dr. Kinsey joins the organization from his former role as senior director of R&D at Amonix, where he led a team working on the optimization of III-V multijunction cells for solar power generators, recently reaching a module efficiency of 33% in outdoor operating conditions.
CNPV Solar Power executives were on hand, May 2, at Enel Green Power’s inauguration ceremony for its solar geothermal hybrid project in Stillwater, Nevada. CNPV supplied its PV modules for the project, which has 33MW of geothermal capacity and 26MW of solar capacity. Initiated and owned by Enel Green Power, the project is said to be the world’s first and only geothermal hybrid project.
Bisol’s latest generation of EasyMount high density polyethylene (HDPE) mounting systems will be launched at Intersolar Europe next week. This second generation of mounting systems are said to be lighter than their predecessor; made specifically for Bisol’s module range, the mounting systems are claimed to allow more efficient cooling of the PV modules they support.
As the largest merchant solar cell producer, JA Solar continues to be impacted by rapidly declining prices as overcapacity continues thought the supply chain. Emphasis has therefore shifted to module production and shipments, though a return to profitability remains a distant goal. First quarter shipments which included cells and modules that exceeded guidance at 366MW, while revenue reached US$254.4 million, down 17.7% from the prior quarter and 56%, year-on-year. Net loss for the quarter was US$39.8 million.
Episolar’s subsidiary, Siginik Energy, advised that it had signed a definitive PPA with the Electricity Company of Ghana for the construction of a 50MW ground-mounted tracking solar installation. The energy produced by the project will be bought by ECG for 25 years. The companies advised that this would be the largest solar installation in West Africa and one of the largest on the continent.
Qatar Solar Technologies (QSTec) and Energy City Qatar (ECQ) have signed an MOU, which will see ECQ implement solar panels and technologies into its upcoming developments. Trade Arabia noted that this agreement will help ECQ meet the national building standards, including QSAS and silver and gold LEED certifications. The MOU outlines that QSTec will start by manufacturing high quality, solar grade polysilicon.
Solaria Energia y Medio Ambiente revealed its plans to build a 60MW solar plant in Calera y Chozas, located in the province of Toledo, Spain. The plant will not have the support of a FiT and plans to deliver its electric output to the local grid, ensuring that it will compete with traditional energy sources.
Tucson Electric Power (TEP) was awarded the 2012 Investor Owned Utility (IOU) of the Year by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) this week for its leadership and investment in solar energy. TEP has over 45MW of solar generating capacity and expects to have more than 240MW of solar generating capacity by the end of 2014.
A day after reports claimed Hanergy and Q-Cells were in discussion over the sale of the German PV manufacturers' CIGS thin-film subsidiary, Solibro, both companies said in a statement that a deal had been signed. Financial terms were not disclosed.
