Perpetual Energy Systems has finalized the 1.5MW solar project for the Jefferson Union High School District, south of San Francisco. The project included solar arrays being installed at four District high schools: Oceana High School, Terra Nova High School, Westmoor High School and Jefferson High School. In whole, the solar project used more than 8,500 solar panels and is anticipated to produce 2,300,000kWh of energy during its first full operational year.
Johan Enslin, a 29-year veteran for the solar industry and the U.S., Europe and South Africa higher education system, has been named chief technology officer for Petra Solar. He has spent time in executive and consultant positions for private businesses and has been a professor in electrical and electronic engineering as well as conducting work at over 80 U.S., European, Asian and African power utilities, governments and industry projects. Enslin is credited with managing several renewable energy groups and projects for U.S. and international clients through system planning, power electronics and renewable energy integration.
Avantor Performance Materials is to change the name of Mallinckrodt Chemicals to Macron Chemicals in a bid to move further away from the former Mallinckrodt Baker identity. The rebranding, which will take effect from March 7, 2011, will not involve any product or manufacturing alterations.
FHR Anlagenbau, the wholly-owned subsidiary of centrotherm photovoltaics, is to supply several CIGS roll-to-roll coating systems to Leipzig-based Solarion. The systems, which are to be shipped throughout 2011, will form the central component of a 20MW annual capacity CIGS thin-film solar cell production system. Solarion is further planning to expand production to 180MW at the Leipzig site together with strategic investor Walsin Lihwa Corporation of Taiwan.
SunPower has revealed that it’s new headquarters will remain based in San Jose, CA. The company is to relocate to an existing three-building site on Rio Robles next year in order to accommodate long-term growth plans. By renovating the buildings, with a rooftop solar system and solar carport alongside other renewable features, SunPower aims to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification.
North Star Solar, the wholly owned affiliate of NorthLight Power - the joint-venture between REC and the Summit Power Group - has signed a 60MW solar power purchase agreement with Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E). NorthLight Power will act as project developer of the project, which will be located in Mendota, Fresno County, California.
Solar inverter market leader SMA Solar almost reached its production capacity limit as semiconductor component supply constraints eased. Third-quarter sales reached a record €626.7 million and totalled €1.44 billion for the first nine months of the year. SMA reiterated that it still expects newly installed PV power of up to 17GW in 2010, with German solar installations running at about 5.3GW through the end of September.
Despite an ongoing ramp of its Malaysia-based Fab 3 cell production plant that will increase its megawatt production by 65% in 2011, Tom Werner, CEO of SunPower, noted in its third-quarter financial conference call that demand for its products exceeded supply both in the second-half of this year but also going into 2011.
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) agreed to a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with CSolar Development, a subsidiary of Tenaska Solar ventures, for the development of up to 130MW of solar PV power. A proposed 900-acre site in Imperial County, called “Imperial Solar Energy Center South,” will hold the solar project, which is expected to reach completion in 2014. The 130MW project will use the 120-mile Sunrise Powerlink, presumed to reach completion in 2012, to deliver the energy produced at the facility to customers in the SDG&E service territory.
REC Solar and SunEdison came together with Mayor Gary Svanda and Madera city council members to officially turn on the city’s newest solar project: a 1.1MW solar installation at Madera’s wastewater treatment plant. The new solar project will produce over 2.4 million kWh of energy per year and around 45 million kWh over 20 years.
