Having relied on its testing lab in Belgium for customers based in Asia for polyvinyl butyral (PVB) material testing and qualification until now, Solutia has opened a new testing lab in Suzhou, China, intended to significantly reduce lead times. The new facility will contain essential testing equipment, such as a bake oven, thermal bath, pummel testing equipment and an impact tower. Solutia said that the facility will also house a sample center, which will provide Saflex sheet samples on request to customers across the region.
The Bulgarian government has proposed a ban on the construction of all wind and solar projects built on farmland, alongside the suggested feed-in tariff cut. These applications are in response to a large uptake in renewables in the country since financial incentives were announced. The government is concerned that this will inflate energy prices for some of Europe's poorest consumers. Since the introduction of feed-in tariffs (FiT), Bulgaria has seen the installation of 11,000MW of solar, wind and biomass projects.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) has performed a recent 'Power Check' study, which has found that Solar-Fabrik generates high annual energy yields. Fraunhofer ISE tested the data of 115 of the company's solar power systems throughout Germany and assessed each one by location.
CNPV Solar Power has entered into a long-term strategic partnership sales agreement with AE Photonics, the east German rooftop and ground-based power PV plants project development, installation, and distribution company.
In a major step toward commercialization, CIGS thin-film photovoltaics developer Applied Quantum Technology has landed $10 million in funding and also signed a production equipment deal with Intevac. The funds, which come from the company’s original investors as well as some new backers, will be used to build out AQT’s initial 15MW solar-cell production line in Silicon Valley and expand its staff.
SolarEdge Technologies has appointed former SMA America president John Berdner as its general manager for North America, where he will direct operations in the region for the distributed solar power harvesting and PV monitoring solutions company.
Ledian Tianwei Silicon Technology has now opened its 3000MTY polysilicon production plant in Leshan, Sichuan Province, China. Ledian Tianwei Silicon Technology contracted with Poly Plant Project (PPP), purchasing its process technology and equipment package.
Peru's government has signed contracts with 26 companies that are expected to invest US$1 billion in renewable energy projects. The country's President Alan Garcia oversaw the agreements, which outline that four solar power plants are to be constructed in the country.
According to reports, Taiwan-based Mosel Vitelic has cancelled a five-year solar wafer contract with LDK Solar and is seeking US$46 million in refunds of its downpayment and compensation for noncompliance with the contract, which was signed in 2007. Mosel Vitelic also claimed that during peak demand cycles, LDK Solar was unable to meet contracted wafer quantities, resulting in business being turned down. Mosel Vitelic has a 60MW production capacity for crystalline solar cells.
1366 Technologies said it has completed its National Renewable Energy Laboratory PV Technology Preincubator program six months ahead of schedule. The crystalline-silicon photovoltaic equipment company signed the contract with NREL in October 2009 for the development of its "Direct Wafer" technology, a "kerfless" approach which produces compatible silicon wafers directly from the silicon melt without casting or sawing and has the potential to reduce wafer production costs by as much as 70%.
