In what they hail as being the largest rooftop solar PV project in North America, OYA Solar and Atlas Tube will be partnering on the project, which will be built atop the Atlas facility in Harrow, Ontario. Covering over 65,000 square feet, with a total investment of US$20 million, the companies are working with Polar Racking (Polar), Conergy Canada and Tremco Weatherproofing Technologies to complete 500kW of the project by next spring.
DelSolar is making a move outside of its comfort zone and starting the process to develop compound thin-film solar cells with the help of IBM. The two companies are working towards improving the next-generation thin-film technology and bringing it into commercial production with hopes of making it potentially available for use in vaulted roof tops, curved glass curtain walls, other non-flat BIPV application or extended applications such as curtains or shutters.
LDK Solar has entered into a strategic financing agreement with China Development Bank (CDB) for the provision of up to RMB 60 billion (approximately US$8.9 billion) of credit facilities for LDK over a five-year period. Terms of the individual credit facilities and lending agreements will be subject to CDB's internal risk management requirements and operational regulations.
A DEK employee for over 15 years, Ed Rabbitt has been appointed by DEK Solar as its new Solutions Engineer. Rabbitt will be responsible for print process solutions for advanced applications, in addition to supporting new solar installations directly with customers. DEK Solar has recently expanded its equipment manufacturing operations at its Weymouth, UK facility and the launched a new screen printer, dubbed Eclipse to meet growing demand.
Possible changes to the recently introduced feed-in tariff (FiT) in the UK are being mooted, according to media reports. The Solar Power Portal, sister-site to PV-Tech and dedicated to the UK PV market, has heard rumors about the possibility that cuts may be made to the tariff prior to the 2012 official review and has produced this update. A Financial Times article published on Friday 24th September alludes to the fact that at this weeks Liberal Democrat conference apparent back room talks have taken place.
Adding to its already established use of renewable energy, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America Modesto, California, manufacturing facility, has had a 1MW rooftop solar PV system installed by Solyndra. The project used approximately 5,600 panels and covers 247,000 square feet. Completed in eight weeks, the 1MW system is, per Solyndra, the largest installation completed by the company in the U.S. This solar installation follows the 2008 installation for Frito-Lay on a five-acre solar concentrator field made up of 54,000 square feet of concave mirrors and 384 solar collectors.
SolarWorld Americas introduced a new no-money-down financing option for the company’s authorized installers and customers. Options include allowing residential customers to lease sunkits solar systems or defer payment until state and federal incentives come to fruition. Commercial customer and non-profit organizations will be able to select different lease opportunities or a power purchase agreement.
Taking a step forward for the advancement of solar energy in the residential sector is United Solar who has agreed to partner with NJR Home Services (NJRHS) and nationally launch Uni-Solar’s PowerShingle and CertainTeed’s EnerGen, which uses Uni-Solar modules. The pilot program in New Jersey will produce a solar product that is fully integrated and blends into the existing asphalt shingle patterns on the home, which is set to provide a more aesthetically pleasing design for homeowner’s.
In the recently published eighth ‘Annual Photovoltaics Status Report’ the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has reported a ‘massive’ increase in photovoltaics production capacity is underway and that worldwide production capacity for solar cells would exceed 38GW by the end of 2010. The report also notes that production volumes in 2008 increased by 80% as compared to 2007, reaching 7.3GW of potential output with China, Taiwan and Europe all adding significant capacity.
SunEdison and office products company Staples have continued on their solar collaborations with the completion of 1.5MW solar power installation at the Staples distribution centre in Hagerstown, Maryland. This brings the solar power installed by the two companies in Maryland to over 2.5MW, having earlier this year completed a 1.01MW installation at the Staples fulfillment center in Hanover.
