Sanyo North America has received approval from the Salem, OR, city council to build a new solar silicon ingot and wafer factory in the community's Renewable Energy and Technology Park. The company says it plans to begin operations at the plant in October 2009 and be at full operation by April 2010, with a production capacity of approximately 70 MW and an employee headcount of 200.
In a new twist to the long running saga of renewable energy tax breaks in the U.S. the House of Representatives has passed a modified bill rather than rubber stamping the bill already passed in the Senate. The Senate had urged the House not to make changes or additions as this would raise the likelihood of the White House vetoing the bill altogether.
SolFocus has announced its completion of the installation of its CPV system at the Institute of Concentration Photovoltaic Systems’ (ISFOC) 3MW municipal power production facility. Of the three companies involved in contracts with ISFOC in this phase of the project, SolFocus is the first to complete installation and have its CPV panels tested for quality of performance. The two SolFocus-installed power plants are 200kW at Puertollano and 300kW at Almoguera, Spain.
Nanjing, China-based ET Solar Group Corp. has entered into a 1MW dual-axis tracking system contract with Premier Power Renewable Energy, Inc. The tracking systems, which were jointly developed by ET Solar Group and Meca Solar, each boast a peak power of more than 11kW and will be installed at a location close to San Francisco.
The proposed 280MW Solana solar power plant in Arizona has been approved by the state utility regulators, giving the go-ahead for the facility’s construction. The new venture will be located at Gila Bend, Arizona, and is being commissioned by Arizona Public Service Co. It is expected to come into operation in 2011 and provide power for close to 70,000 homes in Arizona at its peak output.
Ascent Solarand Texsa have signed a definitive cooperation agreement focusing onthe development of new flexible copper-indium-gallium(di)selenide thin-film photovoltaic roofing products for the Europeanmarketplace.
In the wake of Hurricane Ike, MEMC Electronic Materials has experienced some production slowdowns largely caused by delays in raw materials deliveries from suppliers to the company's Pasadena, TX, polysilicon plant. As a result, the company has updated its financial outlook and lowered its third-quarter revenue targets from a previous guidance range of $560 million-$620 million to $520 million-$540 million.
Confluence Solar has raised $12.7 million in a Series A financing roundled by Convexa Capital. The high-quality photovoltaic siliconmanufacturer will use the money to help finance the opening of its newfacility in Hazelwood, MO, where the company will develop its HiCzsingle-crystal product, which it says produces greater wattoutput than that found in traditional multicrystalline siliconplatforms.
After repeated failures to pass similar legislation, the U.S. Senatevoted Tuesday to extend the investment tax credits for solar and otherrenewable energy sources as well as renew the R&D tax credit foranother year, the Associated Press reports.The $17 billion renewable credits package (known as the "EnergyImprovement and Extension Act of 2008," an amendment to HR 6049) ispart of a major tax relief bill approved in a 93-2 vote. TheHouse of Representative still has to vote on the renewable energycredits' portion of the bill. Reuters reports that the White House saidTuesday morning that it will now sign the legislation. The energy legislation extends for eight years, through 2016,investment tax credits for the solar power industry and for homeownerswho install solar and wind equipment.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg has surpassed its own European multijunction III-V solar cell efficiency record, recently reaching 37.6 percent. The new record of 39.7 percent was achieved using a front-side network of thin metal wires that transport large currents but with low resistance.
