Taiwan has reportedly increased its target for generating power from renewable sources after the new feed-in tariff law significantly increased the demand for emissions-free electricity on the island. The new installed power capacity target is set to reach 16% by 2025 in comparison to the previous 15.1% milestone.
Singulus Technologies has received an order from an unnamed client in Singapore, for its Timaris vacuum deposition system for data storage technology. This order is therefore added to the other two received in July this year, bringing the total order intake for the three machines to over €8 million.
Sharp Electronics has confirmed its supply agreement for the 58MW (DC) (45MW AC) Avenal photovoltaic solar power facility, located in Central California. Once complete, the three plant project will be the largest in the state, supplying renewable energy to PG&E under 20-year power purchase agreements approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
centrotherm photovoltaics announced its newest supply order, which has been made by two unnamed Chinese customers, for 60MW of its turnkey lines used in the manufacturing of crystalline solar cells. Payment amounts were not published, but centrotherm advised that both customers were “investing a double-digit amount in millions of Euros.” Prepayment has already been accepted for one of the two orders and centrotherm advised that the two companies, one of which is a Chinese state operation, are new in the solar cell production division.
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.
