First Solar, Inc. have appointed Dennis Fitzgibbons to Vice President, Federal Affairs, where he will report directly to the company’s CEO Mike Ahearn and be in charge of First Solar’s federal government affairs activities in the US.
According to IMS Research, a contraction in PV module shipments is anticipated for 2009 due to the significant void left by Spain, due to its new 500MW cap on installations. Without the cap and favourable FIT (feed-in-tariffs) in 2008, Spain became the largest market for PV for the first time, surpassing Germany for the highest MW of installations. IMS Research expects a shortfall of some 1.5-2GW in 2009, which will not be absorbed by growth in other regions such as Italy and France.
In an effort to overcome obstacles being met with in the PV industry, representatives from both mainland China and Taiwan have signed a letter of intent to further technology cooperation. The move, reported in the Taiwan News, will see the establishment of uniform product standards and an across-the-board system for cell testing and certification.
The Chinese Treasury department has reviewed its solar program with the introduction of a new solar PV subsidy program. The move, which is a temporary measure, according to Barclays Capital Solar Energy, will offer 20RMB per Watt (~$2.90/W) incentives for systems of output greater than 50kW. The uncapped plan could prove to be a huge boon for Chinese solar companies such as Suntech, Yingli, Trina Solar and JA Solar.
The rapidly changing supply and price dynamics of polysilicon has led to PV module manufacturer Sunways AG making a string of changes to previously announced polysilicon and UMG-silicon production partnerships. In early February 2009, Sunways cancelled a wafer supply deal with Swiss Wafers that had only been signed in October 2008. This cancellation is a result of what appears to be better prices on offer from LDK Solar.
SMA America, Inc.’s Sunny Central 250U solar inverters have been used for the second-largest solar farm in Hawaii. The design/build alternative energy company and Hawaii’s largest locally owned solar integrator, Sunetric, installed a 500kW system at Wilcox Memorial Hospital on the island of Kauai.
HelioSphera’s expansion has received a boost with the news that the Greek Parliament has approved its subsidy application for €29,879,500. The subsidy will fund HelioSphera’s €180,000,000, 60MW production facility in Tripolis, Greece, which is expected to begin mass production in 3Q09.
SunPower teamed up with the Rancho California Water District (RCWD) for the development and construction of a 1.1-MW solar power system at the district's water treatment facility in Murrieta, which has now reached completion.
Atlas Material Testing Technology’s Solar/PV Center of Excellence in Phoenix, Arizona has added two further services to its portfolio. Services for solar simulator classification and I-V Curve tracing will aid solar companies to substantiate product warranty and efficiency claims.
SolarWorld will begin construction soon on a new building adjacent to its Hillsboro, OR, production plant. The 210,000 sq. ft. facility, scheduled for completion in November, will house a combination of logistics and manufacturing activities. The company said that the new structure will allow it to realign production operations to make more efficient space of the main building's full capacity.
