As part of its plans to boost multi-crystalline solar wafer production capacity to as much as 2GW in 2010, Jiangsu GCL Silicon Material Technology Development Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of GCL-Poly Energy has placed an order with Meyer Burger for wafer slicing equipment worth CHF35 million. Wafer inspection systems from Hennecke Systems, a subsidiary of Meyer Berger, have also been purchased. Delivery is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2010.
Advanced Energy has partnered with AMEC to provide SiteGuard services for Colorado State University's 2MW PV solar power plant located in Fort Collins, Colorado under a multi-year agreement. The new solar facility started producing power in December 2009 and will be fully commissioned in early 2010.
General Plasma (GPI) has appointed Dr. Troy Shangguan as its chief technology officer (CTO). Shangguan comes to GPI from Applied Materials, where he worked at the director of advanced technology.
Single crystal substrate start-up, Confluence Solar is to build a solar silicon ingot plant on a 25 acre site in Clinton, Tennessee at a cost of US$200 million. The company claims that its ‘HiCz’ single crystal ingot growing technology offers 15% better cell conversion efficiencies but at a cost comparable or better than using multi-crystal silicon ingots. Tennessee is fast becoming a hub for polysilicon producers with new plants being built by Hemlock Semiconductor and Wacker Chemie, in the state.
Xslent Energy Technologies has received UL 1741 approval for the XPX A1000 smart grid micro PV inverter. The XPX A1000 is targeted to the residential and commercial markets and will be licensed and distributed under the Powered by XETTM label.
AmpleSun and partner Broosha Solar Italia have reached an agreement with the Research and Technological Innovation Agency (R&TIA) for the supply of 500KWp of amorphous-silicon thin-film modules ASF Series.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will invest up to US$12 million in total funding in four companies to support the development of early stage solar energy technologies and help them advance to full commercial scale. The money will go towards expanding the U.S. clean energy economy and the development of solar energy as a more cost-competitive source of electricity.
Concentrated solar power (CSP) firm SHEC Energy has entered into a global agreement with Emerson Process Management to help bring to fruition its novel solar thermal facilities to commercial applications. SHEC claims its CSP technology can be applied to power generation in the range of 25KW to gigawatt scale. SHEC is to employ Emerson’s advanced automation services to maximize the efficiency and reliability of its planned renewable energy projects.
Suniva has completed a 240kW solar installation on a retail center in Cary, NC. The PV module array is on the rooftop of the Mayfair Plaza Shopping Center and is one of the state's largest rooftop arrays. This project is the second to be built by FLS Energy and powered by Suniva.
