China based monocrystalline silicon solar ingots and wafers manufacturer, Solargiga Energy Holdings' 300kW pilot BIPV project has commenced power generation successfully.
Energy Conversion Devices is struggling to sell its flexible thin-film laminates via its established distribution channels, particularly in North America as the housing and construction markets remain depressed due to the fall-out from the financial crisis. To counter weakening demand, ECD is cutting production again as inventory builds and moving its business model downstream to generate demand and move closer to a project development function that would include engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) solutions.
An 18-acre solar garden has been dedicated adjacent to Mars Chocolate's North America headquarters in Hackettstown, NJ. The 2.15MW (DC) power plant--which is comprised of more than 28,000 ground-mounted First Solar thin-film PV modules--is said to be the largest solar energy facility installed in New Jersey by a food manufacturing plant and the first project completed by Public Service Enterprise Group's PSEG Solar Source subsidiary.
Having experienced a significant decline in equipment sales this year, Manz Automation is expecting a new wave of capital equipment spending as PV manufacturers will need to boost cell conversion efficiencies to remain competitive. Although the company expects to be profitable in the fourth quarter due to a pick-up in sales and an order backlog of €78 million. Manz expects a loss for the year due to weak market conditions for the majority of the year. The company guided full year revenue of between €80 and €85 million.
MiaSolé has appointed Kevin Eassa as the new vice president for manufacturing and operations. Eassa brings over 26 years of manufacturing experience, specifically in the disc drive industry with Seagate Technology. While at Seagate he oversaw the rapid global expansion of the company’s manufacturing and operations in five countries and three continents.
According to German news stories and confirmed by Q-Cells to PV-Tech, the PV project arm of the company is planning to construct the world's largest solar plant at a former military airfield in Brandenburg-Briest at an estimated cost of €400 million. The project could use approximately 730,000 solar modules and occupy a 400-acre area. A decision by the Brandenburg-Briest city council is expected this month.
Enfinity and Titan Energy have announced their plans to work in partnership to finance and construct 1GWp photovoltaic installations on 3000 acres of land in Andhra Pradesh, India, over the next five years. The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) will distribute, in long lease, the 3000 acres in the villages of Thumalla, Dademavaripalli, Pulikuntapalli, Karimireddypalli and Lokogipalli and at the industrial park of Amadugur near Kadiri.
Sales in GT Solar’s second quarter FY2010 declined to US$104.2 million, compared to sales in the first quarter of US$140.2, highlighting the lumpiness in revenue generation of its furnace business as its order backlog stood at US$1.03 billion, down from US$1.115 billion in the previous quarter. New orders received in the quarter were US$20.1 million. De-booking was US$10.6million. Deferred revenue on equipment already shipped stood at US$472 million. Total new booking for the year stood at US$66.5 million.
Touted as the largest urban solar power plant in the U.S. a 10MW facility on the south-side of Chicago, the new plant will use Satcon’s 1MW Prism inverters. The site, owned and operated by Exelon Generation, was designed and is being constructed by SunPower Corp, using approximately 32,300 of its solar modules as well as SunPower’s trackers.
Continuing its trend for this year to expand its European administration, Suntech Power has added to its management board with the appointment of four new senior executives. David Hogg is head of Suntech Europe, Vedat Gurgeli is VP of Sales Europe, Frank Weber is Marketing Director of Europe and Carl von Braun is Director of Project Finance Europe.
