News

Updated: Sharp has revealed that it is set to increase annual production capacity at its UK-based manufacturing base (SUKM) in Wrexham, Wales, by 100%, doubling up from the current 250MW of crystalline solar cell modules per year to 500MW. The increase will begin in December 2010, with the aim of completion by February 2011. SUKM, which is Sharp's second international production base (the first located in the U.S.), began producing solar cell modules in the spring of 2004. The Japanese manufacturer must now expand its production capacity to meet the ever-growing global demand for solar cells.

Following December’s announcement that Tonopah Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary of SolarReserve, and NV Energy, had signed a 25-year power purchase agreement, the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project has received approval from the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN). The proposed 100MW concentrating solar (CSP) project will be located near Tonopah, in Nye County, Nevada, and supply around 480,000MW hours of solar energy per year.

The German Federal network Agency has revealed that solar capacity increased by approximately 3GW in the first half of 2010 as solar panel operators rushed to register their installations before the feed-in tariff cuts.

Aecom-SPP was recently presented an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command to construct solar power installations on at the Navy and Marine Corps sites in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The contract has one base year and four additional option years...

The process line at Elkem Solar’s Kristiansand, Norway-based facility is to be outfitted with an ABB Automation electrical and automation system on the System 800xA platform. Elkem recently invested US$700 million in the new facility, which holds the capacity to produce 6,000 metric tons of high-purity silicon per year.

Power Finance and Rural Electrification, under the Indian government's Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, will provide financial assistance for the installation of 1,000MW solar power in India by the year 2013.

Organic photovoltaics (OPV) developer Solarmer Energy has once again reported record cell efficiencies, certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at 8.13%. In December 2009, Solarmer reported a plastic OPV champion cell of 7.9%. The company noted that going beyond 8% cell efficiencies had been a psychological barrier for the OPV industry. The new record was achieved with new polymers developed that generated higher conversion rates.

SunPower has now completed the 1MW solar PV installation at the Yolo County Justice Campus in Woodland, CA. Yolo County, which owns the system and associated renewable energy credits, is financing the system using multiple funding sources, including clean renewable energy bonds (financed by Bank of America), qualified energy conservation bonds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and a 15-year loan from the California Energy Commission.

Solarfun has entered into two photovoltaic module supply contracts, which together total 12MW. The first is with GranSolarGhella for 6MW in southern Italy; this order will be delivered in the second half of 2010. The second 6MW contract is with T.R.Z. Tozzi Renewable Energy, which will be delivered to central Italy in the third quarter of 2010.

The Omni Hotel in San Francisco was home to the first ever Solar Engineering & Manufacturing Association (SEMA) meeting, held on the last day of Intersolar North America. A selection of solar professionals from around the world gathered to establish the mission statement, goals and basic structure of the association.