TechPrecision, a manufacturer of metal components and systems for the renewable energy industry, has received new orders totalling US$2 million for its wafer production equipment. The equipment, manufactured by TechPrecision’s U.S. and Chinese subsidiaries, Ranor and Wuxi Critical Mechanical Components, is expected to be shipped before the end of Q3.
Envision Solar will be collaborating with Reno Contracting on the development of several Envision Solar Tree solar parking arrays using Envision’s CleanCharge and EnvisionTrak technology. The solar-power charging stations for electric cars will be built across various locations in the southwest U.S. The first project is scheduled to commence during 2011’s second quarter followed by a multi-location construction at corporate and commercial properties through 2011 and beyond.
Odersun and Lithodecor have come together for the production of solar façades in the form of an Airtec PV system. Odersun will supply its CIS solar modules for Lithodecor’s Airtec system making Airtec façades available with photovoltaic solutions. This new façade will join Lithodecor’s existing glass and natural stone veneer solutions. Further, since Odersun produces system-compatible and project-specific solar modules for BIPV projects, Lithodecor anticipates being able to offer both standard system sizes as well as individual made-to-order solutions.
The Association of European Distributed Energy Resources Laboratories (DERlab) has admitted four new members to its organization in the form of the VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, the Interdisciplinary Center for Reliability, Security and Trust at the University of Luxembourg, K.U. Leuven for the new knowledge institute Energy Ville and Sandia National Laboratories from the U.S.
An annual survey of cell manufacturers published in the March 2011 issue of Photon International highlights a significant increase in solar cell production that could result in new capacity growing by 80% in 2011 and roughly reach a global capacity of 67GW. This comes on the back of reported cell production figures reaching 27.2GW in 2010, up 118%, compared with 12.5GW produced in 2009.
Although there were no specifics mentioned in the financial forecast for 2011 provided by Q-Cells as it announced full year financial results, sales are set to be at around the same level as last year. As previously reported, Q-Cells sales increased by 70% to €1.35 billion in 2010. In its annual report, 2011 sales guidance is between €1.3 billion and €1.5 billion.
First Solar and juwi solar have become the latest names in the solar industry to enter into the world of sports sponsorship after they signed a joint contract with an amateur U.S. road cycling team.
Leading Chinese polysilicon manufacturer Daqo New Energy has started work on phase two of its new facility in Shihezi, Xinjiang. Manufacturing will begin in the second half of 2012, with an initial capacity of 3,000 metric tonnes.
Solar Nation has installed and commissioned a 876kW solar power system on the rooftop of Sunham Home Fashions distribution center in New Providence, New Jersey. The 130,000 square foot system , which was designed, engineered and installed by Solar Nation, utilizes 3,575 SolarWorld 245W solar panels, two SMA American inverters and a Draker Laboratories web-based monitoring system.
Dr. Simon Bransfield-Garth has been selected by Eight19, an organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology developer, as the company’s first chief executive officer. His appointment comes after a September 2010, US$7.4 million investment from the Carbon Trust and French chemical company Rhodia for the commercialization of OPV technology that will be created at Cambridge University’s Cavendish Laboratory; to which Eight19 is closely associated.
