The first PV power plant constructed by Kolkata-based EMC has begun commercial operation on March 4. EMC developed the 5MW project as part of the union ministry of new and renewable energy’s Jawharlal Nehru national solar mission. Around 21,300 solar modules have been installed on a site of 25 acres in Naini, near Allahabad. EMC has signed a 25-year PPA with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam.
Canadian deputy minister Fareed Amin sent an update on Ontario’s two-year review of its FiT program, announced in October 2011, to the ministry of energy. The changes to Ontario’s renewable energy scheme include a 20% cut to the FiT for solar and a 15% cut to wind power. All other renewables will remain at the current level. Tariffs will be adjusted annually each November and will take effect on January 1 the following year, inline with market conditions. Prices ill be set once a contract is offered rather than when a project application has been sent to the relevant department.
Hoku Solar has announced signing an agreement with a subsidiary of Alexander &Baldwin (A&B) to design and build 7.2MW Port Allen Solar Farm on the island of Kaua’i, Hawaii.
First Solar has sold the 50MW Silver State North solar power plant to Enbridge, the two companies announced today. First Solar has installed more than 800.000 PV modules on a site of 600 acres in Clark County, Nevada under a fixed-price EPC agreement and will be providing operations and maintenance services to Enbridge.
Emphasis on high-performance module production and increased shipments to markets such as the US and Japan, to take advantage of growing utility-scale and residential businesses respectively, was a key highlight in JA Solar’s quarterly conference call. China, would also receive greater attention as partnerships with utility customers expanded its pipeline.
JinkoSolar Holding’s modules have successfully passed ammonia corrosion testing, which was performed by TÜV Rheinland at its Solar Energy Assessment Centre in Cologne, Germany. The testing inspected the resistance to ammonia on JinkoSolar’s six poly- or monosilicon PV modules using relative power measurements, insulation testing and visual inspections. The testing confirms that all six JinkoSolar modules will receive ammonia corrosion certification.
Dow Chemical announced that it had officially opened its Dow Seoul Technology Centre in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do. The R&D centre will focus on technological advances in display technologies and semiconductor-related applications including lithography, organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), display materials and advanced chip packaging.
The Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) advised that it had recently bought a process development tool (PDT) from SoLayTec, which will use A12O3 deposition and integrate the surface passivation layers into different type of silicon solar cells, which are under development.
The recently formed joint venture between Camco International and Rex Investment Ltd. (RIL) has been awarded a tender to distribute and install solar power systems in rural Tanzania.
Innotech Solar (ITS) and CEO Thor-Christian Tuv have decided to part ways after identifying differing opinions on the company’s future growth and expansion. The company’s board is now focusing on creating a new long-term growth strategy to meet the dynamic challenges of the photovoltaic industry. The ITS board views the introduction of new skills and expertise as an important priority, and has appointed David Hogg to the role of CEO at Innotech Solar with immediate effect.
