Troubled solar materials supplier Timminco has ratified and approved the terms of a new collective bargaining deal with its hourly workforce at the company's Becancour, Quebec, facilities. More than 93% of the unionized employees, who are represented by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 184, voted in favor of the new terms, which will apply for five years ending in April 2013.
S.A.G. Solarstrom will build a 13-MWp photovoltaic power plant at a former military site in St?íbro, Czech Republic--the company's first in the country and its largest project to date. The installation, said to be the biggest PV system planned in the republic, is scheduled to begin construction in July and be completed by the fall.
Solarwatt has ordered a new automated turnkey production system for manufacturing crystalline-silicon solar modules from Kuka Systems. The line, which will occupy a production area of 3,800 m² in Solarwatt's factory near Dresden, will increase the company's production capacity by 150 MW when it comes online in the first half of 2010.
Signet Solar has signed a deal with Moncada Energy Group to supply at least 7.7 MW of large-area Gen-8.5 amorphous-silicon thin-film photovoltaic modules this year for deployment in the Italian renewable energy company's wind farms.
Silex Systems has conditionally acquired the manufacturing assets and equipment of the Sydney Olympic Park (SOP) solar photovoltaic production facility from BP Solar, which operated the Australian fab until March. Silex has also signed a conditional lease for the building which houses the SOP plant, so once the transactions are completed, the manufacturing facility--including infrastructure and services--will be secured relatively intact, according to the company. Both transactions are expected to be completed before the end of June.
SPG Solar has named Thomas S. Rooney Jr. as its new CEO, succeeding company founder Dan Thompson, who will become chairman of the board. Rooney brings more than 25 years of experience managing large-scale and publicly traded companies to the solar development firm.
Air Liquide has signed several new contracts since January to supply gases and onsite services to solar wafer and cell manufacturers in five countries. The company says it plans to invest €13 million to meet the needs of those customers.
Two up-and-coming solar balance-of-system companies have achieved significant milestones in their business plans. Enphase Energy has signed up electronics manufacturing services firm Flextronics to produce its microinverters, while Tigo Energy closed a $10 million Series B round to help fund its PV system maximization offering.
According to EuPD Research's estimations made in the new study: ‘The German PV Market Understand the Demand - Explore the Potential,’ two gigawatts of modules will be installed in Germany in 2009, restoring the country as the largest solar market in the world. Due to the strong private rooftop market in Germany, the market research firm believes that a total of 99GWp could be installed before saturation. The report has been issued to coincide with the largest solar event in the world, Intersolar 2009, being held this week in Munich, Germany.
Underwriters Laboratories said that it is expanding its existing photovoltaics testing lab in San Jose and will open new facilities in Germany and Japan in 2010. UL is also exploring new partnerships in Asia beyond its existing lab in Suzhou, China.
