Solutia has been awarded a contract to supply its Therminol VP-1 synthetic heat transfer fluid for the US$2 billion Solana solar power plant project, which is being developed by Abengoa. Once complete the Arizona-based plant is expected to be the largest parabolic trough concentrating solar plant in the world, and the first large-scale solar plant in the US capable of storing energy for continued power generation during periods of low light.
Solectria Renewables has been selected by Tecta Solar to supply four Massachusetts rooftop installations with SGI series inverters. As part of the 5.3MW deal, Solectria will provide one SGI 300 (300kW) and 10 SGI 500 (500kW) inverters.
Energy Conversion Devices’ (ECD) subsidiary, United Solar, revealed its plans for a 75,347 square foot manufacturing facility in Ontario, Canada. Anticipated to be operational by August, the facility will create up to 80 jobs for the production of the company’s thin-film solar laminates, which will be sold specifically in the Ontario solar market. United Solar plans to modernize the building and organize capital equipment, with total first-year project capital expected of US$4 million.
Solar Junction’s concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) cell has achieved a world-record efficiency of 43.5%. The company reported that the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) confirmed the commercial-ready production cell efficiency under their Measurement and Characterization Laboratory.
The Italian Government is considering introducing an installed capacity cap for solar subsidies as part of its new renewable energy legislation, reports Reuters. If confirmed, this latest twist in the subsidy saga is a major blow to the industry and comes just six weeks after reports circulated that the government had dismissed plans to introduce an industry-wide 8GW.
Satcon has been selected by Solon to supply 12 of its 1.25MW Prism Platforms for Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) 15MW ground mount installation near Fresno, CA. Each Prism Platform will be configured to include Satcon Equinox inverters, which deliver 98.5% efficiency combined with the industry’s widest thermal operating range.
Areva Solar has won the right to install the Southern Hemisphere’s largest solar power system in Queensland Australia. The 44MW solar thermal augmentation project will be installed at CS Energy's 750MW Kogan Creek coal power station and generate around 44,000 MWh of electricity per annum.
Constellation Energy has announced its partnership with Holyoke Gas & Electric (HG&E) for the production of a 4.5MW solar installation in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The installation is stated as being the largest in western Massachusetts is expected to begin commercial operation this summer. Using 18,400 SolarWorld PV ground-mounted panels at two locations, the power system will generate 5.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.
Conergy has finished work on its new 2.2MW PV park in north Brandenburg, Germany. Once connected to the grid, the system, which is made up of 27,300 modules and spans 12 acres, will generate 2,134 MWh of electricity every year.
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has signed contracts with subsidiaries of Soitec Solar Development to build three solar projects in San Diego County with a combined capacity of 30MW. All three systems will use Soitec Concentrix technology and are currently awaiting approval from the California Public Utilities Commission.
