CSA Group and the VDE Testing and Certification Institute have signed a reciprocal testing services agreement for PV modules, which includes working with Fraunhofer USA and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems for a new solar technology facility in the US Southwest. The agreement is immediately effective and hopes to enable the organizations to test products to current applicable standards.
(Updated) Victor Valley College and SolFocus have officially opened the college's CPV solar power plant, a 1MW (AC) system located in the high desert northeast of Los Angeles that is said to be the largest of its kind in North America. The system will produce approximately 2.6 million kilowatt-hours annually, contributing 30% toward the college's electricity demand. The six-acre site, located on the college's main campus in Victorville, consists of 122 SolFocus SF-1100S dual-axis-tracking 8.4KW CPV arrays, featuring 3416 panels incorporating tens of thousands of III-V concentrator-cell assemblies supplied by Boeing Spectrolab.
Meyer Burger has successfully won a contract worth more than CHF30 million for the supply of high-tech wire saws with a customer in Asia. The equipment will work towards ensuring a best in class wafering process.
Intersolar has announced its nominees for the title of “most innovative solar companies of 2010”. The awards will be handed out at the company’s June exhibition in categories such as: photovoltaics, solar thermal technology and, the newest category, PV production technology.
With chronic shortages of residential solar inverters limiting PV system installations in the UK, Euro-Line Solar is to offer string inverters from Dorfmueller Solaranlagen to distributors and installers, guaranteeing a certain level of supply, despite global shortages in semiconductor-based components. PV-Tech’s sister website, solarpowerportal.co.uk, which is devoted to the UK market, noted that delayed or cancelled projects in the UK could be back on track with the new inverter supply deal.
Khosla Ventures has formed a partnership with Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's company, Tony Blair Associates. The partnership is aimed at helping Khosla's clean technology companies maximize effectiveness in achieving environmental goals. As part of the relationship, Blair joined Vinod Khosla on May 23 to tour the Calera green cement demonstration plant in Moss Landing, Calif.
Shurjo Energy, a subsidiary of PAE Limited, was awarded the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) certification. The India-based company’s complete line of solar modules, which use Global Solar CIGS technology, were issued the certification by EuroTest Laboratori S.r.1.
In an effort to create a more level playing field for the cost of PV electricity, Abound Solar has partnered with market leaders to create the Abound Alliance. The goal for the program is to allow each company to coordinate their product development, marketing and sales efforts, while creating making their products improve in performance, cost reductions, and/or increased system reliability.
Thin-film PV developer AQT has entered into partnerships with module manufacturer Solar Enertech and systems installer/developer HelioPower to drive the delivery and deployment of AQT’s CIGS solar cells into commercial projects later this year.
A key attraction of organic and dye-sensitized photovoltaics (OPV and DSC) is the flexibility and transparency of the technology; however, a new report from NanoMarkets sees the need for more flexibility should these technologies survive and prosper in niche markets. According to the market research firm, these technologies may offer low-cost high volume roll-to-roll production but the markets they could serve are little more than low-volume niche sectors.
