Solar PV mounting systems specialist, PanelClaw is revealing its next generation of ballasted commercial flat roof solar mounting systems at Intersolar North America. PanelClaw's ‘Polar Bear’ FR Gen II and ‘Grizzly Bear’ FR Gen II solar racking solutions feature design enhancements that are claimed to deliver lower project costs and offer greater design flexibility.
OAI's Solar Test Division is featuring the capabilities of a recently introduced 350nm to 1800nm Class AAA solar simulator at Interoslar North America, being held in San Francisco, this week. The solar simulator is said to be ideal for multi-junction solar cell testing, high current I-V testing, and as a solar power meter.
The Indian state of Karnataka has published its updated solar policy, which includes a target for 350MW of solar projects by 2016. The Government will allocate 40MW worth of projects for direct sale to the different distribution companies in the state, commonly known as ESCOMS, up to the amount of 200MW. A total of 50MW of bundled solar thermal power will be allotted to state-owned utilities for development. The split between photovoltaic and concentrated solar power (CSP) has not yet been defined.
SolFocus’ latest concentrator photovoltaics array, the SF-1136X, has nearly twice the rated power of the company’s SF-1100P and can be deployed in the field in less than half the time. The firm said it has increased the level of factory integration, simplified the mechanical structure of the system, and improved the logistics packaging.
As one of a growing number of China-based Tier 1 PV manufacturers pushing-hard towards solar cell efficiencies of 20%, Canadian Solar is showcasing its ELPS solar cell technology (Efficient, Long-Term, Photovoltaic Solution), that has demonstrated cell efficiencies of 19.5% with monocrystalline wafers and 18% efficiencies with polycrystalline wafers.
San Diego Gas & Electric has increased its solar and renewable energy portfolio pipeline with the addition of another 190MW of resources, including a 150MW PV power plant to be developed and built in the Imperial Valley. The Southern California utility and Sempra Energy unit has announced signed power purchase agreements for almost 770MW of solar generation since January.
The Solar Engineering and Manufacturing Association (SEMA) will hold a breakfast meeting during Intersolar North America. The event takes place Thursday, July 14, from 8:15 until 9:45am at the Palomar Hotel, a few blocks from the Moscone Center.
It’s almost as if the weather knows. With only a few days to go before Intersolar North America kicks off, the prediction is for four sunny days in a row from Monday to Thursday next week. So be sure to step outside of the Moscone Center every now and again to bask in the sunshine in between booth visits, conferences and networking.
Hemlock Semiconductor’s new polysilicon plant, currently under construction in Clarksville, Tennessee, USA has signed a multi-year contract with Praxair, which will supply hydrogen to the facility. Praxair said it would build and operate an on-site hydrogen generating facility and supply liquid hydrogen by truck. The plant start-up is scheduled for 2012, according to Praxair. Praxair also supplies nitrogen and hydrogen to Hemlock’s polysilicon facility in Hemlock, Michigan.
Not content to match a growing number of PV module manufacturers improved warranty guarantees, Bosch Solar Energy has removed clauses related to customer compensation for lost earnings in the event that a module's output is too low, resulting in lower customer costs and administration related to claims. Inline with some of its competitors, Bosch Solar has also improved the product quality guarantee from 5 years to 10 years and offers a 25-year performance warranty for modules that were delivered before July 2011. The new warranties apply from July 2011 onwards.
