After losing out to the tune of US$6.1 million or US$1.61 per share in the first quarter of 2010, DayStar Technologies has reported more positive financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011. Recording net loss of US$0.4 million or US$0.05 per share, the company says it is now well positioned to capitalize on the increasing market opportunities within the renewable energy industry.
The world’s largest producer of solar panels, Suntech Power, has increased the annual capacity of its new manufacturing facility in Goodyear, Arizona to 50MW. This is the second expansion of the site since it was opened in October 2010 and its new 24/7 operating hours will help raise monthly output to 15,000 panels.
Trina Solar has, via its German subsidiary, completed a sales agreement with German engineering, procurement and construction company Mohring Energie that will see Trina deliver 130MW of PV modules in the second and third quarter of 2011. The modules, which will be sold at pre-agreed US$ prices, will be installed in several projects, one of which is said to be one of Europe's largest PV power plant installations in 2011. Shipments of the modules have already commenced; the value of the deal was not disclosed.
OPEL Solar International was designated the exclusive worldwide supplier of solar trackers for Grape Solar. This marks OPEL’s first exclusive supply agreement with a PV panel manufacturer and supplier. Leon Pierhal, OPEL Solar’s CEO, indicated, "Grape has an impressive product line of high efficiency PV panels from both China and US manufacturing locations, with plans for additional expansion to Ontario, Canada. We expect that Grape's close alliances with leading solar integrators and engineering firms will greatly enhance OPEL's sales channels and, that Grape Solar will become a key supplier of PV panels to OPEL's tracker customers."
Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, is spearheading the Open Solar Outdoors Test Field (OSOTF), a study that aims to investigate how diverse weather conditions effect a solar panels performance. eIQ Energy has signed on to help OSOTF by contributing its vBoost DC-to-DC converter modules on a solar array. The project is being conducted at a grid-connected solar panel testing facility that constantly measures the energy output of 95 different types of solar panels while relating their performance to meteorological data.
GT Solar International has received orders for its DSS multicrystalline growth furnaces totaling US$84.3 million. Orders were place by both existing and new customers including Nantong Zongyi New Material and Inner Mongolia Zhong Huan Solar Material. The orders will be included in GT’s backlog for the quarter, which ends on July 2.
Roth & Rau’s management and supervisory boards have published a statement that publicises the company’s agreement with the proposed €22.00 per Roth & Rau share. This approval, required in order for the takeover by Meyer Burger to go ahead, signifies the support on the part of Roth & Rau’s management and supervisory boards of the takeover and their recommendation for other shareholders to accept the offer also.
Canadian Solar has signed a sales agreement that will see the company supply 81MW of solar modules to Saferay, Berlin-based developer, owner and operator of large-scale PV power plants, at a fixed price for projects based in Germany. With delivery of the modules already underway, the entire 81MW is expected to be delivered to Saferay before the end of the third quarter 2011. The cost of the transaction was not revealed.
Mixed results were seen by Conergy for the first quarter as international sales took the sting out of very weak demand in Germany. Conergy reported sales of €163.3 million in the first quarter 2011, up 8.6% compared to the same quarter in the previous year. However, sales were down significantly from the fourth-quarter 2010, when sales reached €248.5 million.
GT Solar has improved productivity on its latest-generation multicrystalline ingot growth system. The process on the DSS650, which produces ingots >625kg, has been enhanced by 44% over the earlier generation DSS450 tool, as a result of reduced cycle time, while maintaining high crystal quality and mass ingot yield, according to the company.
