Clean Power Research has released its newly-improved, free, high-resolution solar resource data set, which envelops the entire state of California as part of its California Solar Initiative (CSI) grant. The SolarAnywhere Enhanced Resolution (ER) improves on SolarAnywhere, both of which are web-based solar irradiance data services. The SolarAnywhere ER makes available spatial resolution of 1km x 1km and temporal resolution, or frequency, of 30 minutes.
The Murfreesboro Solar Project has not broken ground yet, but that has not stopped GreenCo Solutions and the North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC) from announcing their intent to buy renewable energy certificates (REC) and electricity, respectively, from the solar project that Duke Energy acquired from SunPower in December 2010.
Nautilus Solar has bought two distributed generation solar projects in Gainesville, Florida and has plans to develop a third Greenfield utility-scale site in the state.
A new report from IMS Research highlights that the PV inverter market has gone from chronic shortages to major overcapacity in the last 12 months. High levels of inventory were recorded in the fourth quarter of 2010 and into the New Year, according to the market research firm. Despite the overcapacity concerns, the global PV inverter market is forecast to reach US$8.5 billion by 2014.
The North County Transit District (NCTD) transportation network has chosen Martifer Solar USA to supply 482.52kW of ground and roof-mounted solar systems for its bus and rail maintenance facilities.
Solar Integrated Technologies and ContourGlobal have finished work on all four of the thin-film PV projects they agreed to build for Coca-Cola Hellenic (CCH). The 905kWP Marcianise, 1249kWp Nogara, 622kWp Oricola and 472 kWp Monticchio plants will generate around 3,330MWh of electricity per annum.
Despite a short and chequered history, Hoku Materials polysilicon plant in Pocatello, Idaho could be in line for further funding, according to a strategic cooperation agreement signed between Baoding Tianwei Group and U.S. bank, Wells Fargo.
Parity Solar has enlisted the help of China National Building Materials (CNBM) to expand the production capacity of its existing PV module manufacturing facility in Zhenjiang, China.
Kisco has agreed to become Tera-Barrier Films’ exclusive distributor in the Asia-Pacific region after making a strategic investment in the Singapore-based company. Kisco made the investment during Tera’s Series A investment round and its funding will help Tera’s attempts to bring its moisture-resistant films for solar cells to market.
The U.S. Department of Energy has made a conditional commitment of a loan guarantee worth up to $967 million for the 290MW (AC) Agua Caliente solar PV farm, located on 2400 acres of former agricultural land site east of Yuma, AZ. Preliminary construction on the site has begun, with the first electricity expected to be produced later this year or early 2012. The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2014.
