Up to $11.8 million will be invested by the U.S. Department of Energy in five projects designed to advance the next stage of development of solar energy grid integration systems (SEGIS), as part of a partnership program begun by DOE in 2008. The selected projects focus on the most promising technology advances and include development of intelligent system controls.
XeroCoat has chosen Air Liquide Electronics U.S. to supply the precision chemical delivery systems for XeroCoat’s turnkey antireflective coating platform for glassmakers and end-users in the solar manufacturing industry.
Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd., vertically integrated manufacturer of silicon ingots, PV cells and modules in China, has announced that Nobility Solar Projects a.s., distributor of solar products in Eastern Europe, has agreed to purchase 14.2MW of high efficiency PV modules from Solarfun during the second half of 2009.
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has signed a contract with El Dorado Energy, a subsidiary of Sempra Generation, to purchase 48MW of solar photovoltaic power produced at the Copper Mountain Solar facility in Nevada. The deal, which is subject to approval by the California Public Utilities Commission, is the utility’s second contract for renewable energy from Sempra Generation, following the late 2008 agreement to supply 10MW of PV power from the El Dorado Energy solar plant.
Johns Manville, global manufacturer of energy-efficient building products and Energy Conversion Devices, manufacturer of thin-film amorphous silicon-based PV laminates, have announced a multiyear agreement for ECD to supply Uni-Solar laminates to JM, which will market its capability through a new business entity, the JM E3 Company, or E3 Co.
Veeco Instruments announced its financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30. The company's orders rose 86% sequentially, driven mainly by results from its LED and solar equipment unit.
Silicon Border, the science and technology park located in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, announces the formation of its advisory board comprised of seasoned political and industry leaders with experience in dealing with issues impacting the Mexico/California border.
While the state of Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is gearing up for what may be the world's largest highway-related solar power project, residents are criticising the measure as too expensive—in dollars and in history. Oregon transportation officials propose installing 14,000 to 17,000 solar panels on 15 acres to produce 3.2 million kW/hrs of power each year, or about one-sixth of ODOT's needs.
Siemens AG is currently working on an agreement to acquire 20% of Arava Power Company, one of the tope three solar integrators in Israel. Currently, Kibbutz Ketura owns 40% of the company and a group US investors led by Arava Power president Yosef Abramowitz own the other 60%.
TÜV Rheinland PTL has won a photovoltaic module testing and analysis contract with the U.S. Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories. The agreement makes TÜV Rheinland an industry partner of Sandia, allowing the company to learn and share the labs' PV testing and analysis expertise.
