A key aim for First Solar in 2010 has been to focus on broadening its customer base in Europe to mitigate potential fluctuations in core markets such as Germany. In 2009, 71% of sales were to Germany but have been declining to around 50% by the second quarter of this year as both utility-scale projects went ahead in the U.S. and important emerging markets in Europe, such as France and Italy continued to grow. Expanded contracts with seven key customers in Europe have led to a 380MW increase in module supply agreements for 2011.
The concentrator photovoltaic sector has taken another step toward enhanced bankability with the introduction of what is being called the first insurance solution to offer an effective performance warranty for CPV panels in the United States. The new plan, which covers systems manufactured by SolFocus, is a collaboration among insurance provider Munich Re, broker Woodruff-Sawyer, and the CPV company.
Upsolar has formed a partnership with Enphase Energy for the incorporation of Upsolar's current and future generation photovoltaic modules into Enphase junction boxes compatible with Enphase microinverters, resulting in the AC-enabled solar module product, ACE.
Once a leading in-house solar module manufacturer, BP Solar has further solidified its outsourced manufacturing strategy by awarding JA Solar a monocrystalline and multicrystalline cell supply contract exceeding 185MW. The new supply deal will see 100MW of cells shipped to BP beginning in the first quarter of 2011.
Once the agreement is finalized and the governmental incentives approved, a former strip-mining site next to a nature conservancy in southeastern Ohio will host what will be one of the largest solar PV power plants in North America. American Electric Power Ohio has signed a memorandum of understanding with New Harvest Ventures and Agile Energy for a 20-year power purchase agreement for the electricity generated by the 49.9MW Turning Point Solar project. In a related deal, Spanish solar manufacturers Prius Energy and Isofoton will set up factories in the region and supply components for the array.
During Solarvalue’s annual general meeting, Dr. Christian Bornhauser (pictured), CTO of Solarvalue, announced that the company had created the first solar grade silicon-ingot, which weighed in at around 15kg during several repeated tests on different plants. He assured that the purity levels of phosphorus and boron were less than 1ppmw and within the demanded specifications.
CNPV Solar Power’s crystalline silicon solar PV modules have successfully achieved UL and C-UL certifications, which are needed for the modules’ use in the US and Canadian markets. CNPV now anticipates listing with the California Energy Commission (CEC) to follow its UL certification and is looking into opening a sales office in California and Canada to meet anticipated demands from the North American sector.
Independent Energy Solutions has completed and commissioned a 1.15MW (DC) solar photovoltaic installation for the Capital Group companies' Irvine, CA, campus. The system, which is mounted on shade structures on the roofs of three parking garages, provides nearly 50% of the energy used to power the campus data center and central plant equipment.
(Updated) Integrating energy harvesting technologies into crystalline solar modules is fast becoming the latest trend, which promises lower BOS costs compared to bolt-on applications. With the number of companies entering this market mushrooming in 2010, Suntech has decided to collaborate with at least four such firms, Tigo Energy, National Semiconductor, Azuray Technologies, and Enphase Energy.
Etrion has now completed the previously announced definitive sale and purchase agreements to acquire the equity in the first two phases of the SunPower Montalto di Castro solar park, for approximately €49 million. The acquisition of the 20MW first phase of the project was completed in August and the acquisition of the 8MW second phase was completed at the very end of September.
