First Solar has begun construction on what will be Australia’s first utility-scale PV project once it reaches completions, Located near Geraldton, the 10MW (AC) Greenough River Solar Farm will be built over a nine-month period, with local civil contractor WBHO Civil providing Phase 1 construction services. Civil work on the project began November 4, with on-site construction for structural supports and above ground electrical work following soon.
Nautilus Solar Energy advised that three of its rooftop PV systems in Ontario, totaling 1.25MW, had reached official commercial operation today. The projects are owned by Nautilus’ unit, Nautilus Solar Canada Limited Partnership and are supported by the Ontario Power Authority’s (OPA) FiT program, which will see OPA purchase the electricity produced by the systems for a fixed rate over a 20-year period.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are evaluating the feasibility of developing renewable energy production on Superfund, brownfields and former landfill or mining sites.
The US’s Export-Import Bank has awarded loans totalling US$103.2 million to two Indian companies to help finance planned projects in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The recipients, Dahanu Solar Power and Tatith Energies, will use the funds to pay for panels and engineering services from US companies First Solar, SolarWorld and American Capital Energy.
After eleven years of research and development, Sharp Corporation has achieved the world’s highest solar cell conversion efficiency of 36.9% using a triple-junction compound solar cell in which the solar cell has a stacked three-layer structure. Measurement of this value, which sets a new record for the world’s highest non-concentrating conversion efficiency, was confirmed at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).
Senersun announced that it had officially become a member of The European Centre for the Recycling of Solar Energy (CERES), joining several other EU-based solar companies. CERES is a non-profit association, which aims to create a voluntary commitment take-back program for the PV community.
China Sunergy and REC Wafer have spent the last few years to-ing and fro-ing between courts in Norway and China in the hope of reaching a settlement over the termination of a supply contract by REC Wafer.
Though a pick-up in demand was seen late in the third quarter, weak demand, pricing pressure and inventory build have impacted China Sunergy. Revised guidance puts module shipments down by as much as 55MW compared to previous guidance, while gross margins are expected to be negative to the tune of around 14%.
Just one week after completing an 80MW project in Ukraine, Activ Solar has added a further 20MW to the country’s burgeoning solar portfolio by installing Phase II of the Perovo Solar Power Station.
Capacity expansions are out, improving manufacturing line efficiencies and productivity is in, according to First Solar’s chairman Michael Ahearn, who took over the CEO role from ousted Rob Gillete last week. Capacity expansions had seen average module efficiencies rates increase modestly in 2011; on the downside, production cost per watt merely flat-lined. Almost unheard of was the fact that manufacturing line utilization rates had dipped below 100% as capacity outstripped demand. Back at the helm, Ahearn said that First Solar would re-focus on markets without energy subsidies such as the Middle East as well as markets with critical energy needs such as India, North Africa and China.
