Diversification in both business segments and on a regional basis proved successful for Portugal-based Martifer Solar which said its revenue increased 33% to €293.2 million in 2011. Unlike some of its rivals, the company also posted positive EBITDA of €20.1 million and a net profit of €9.5 million. The company noted that was the fourth consecutive year of positive financial results.
ESA Renewables is taking solar guarantees one step further with the launch of their Solar Power Production Guarantee program, which promises specific monthly energy production for solar energy systems under an ESA O&M agreement. If the system fails to meet ESA’s annual guaranteed power production levels, the company will compensate the solar project’s owners for the difference between guaranteed and actual energy generated.
According to a report by Arabian Business, the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) will issue the initial bids for the first 10MW of a US$3.3 billion solar park this September. The 1,000MW solar park has a target date for completion in 2030.
Nautilus Solar Energy commenced the construction of a new 1.9MW, roof-mounted PV project located on Antonio Avenue in Chino, California. The project is scheduled to begin commercial operation in May 2012 and the power generated will be sold to Southern California Edison under a 20-year purchase agreement.
Q-Cells’ EPC capabilities will be called upon for the construction of four new PV power plants totalling 2.4MW in the central Greek region of Thessaly. Of the four plants, two will be roof-mounted on industrial building rooftops in the towns of Larisa (530kWp) and Farsala (830kWp), while the remaining two ground-mounted projects will each be 500kW will both be situated on an open-field site near the town of Larisa.
French solar panel manufacturer Senersun has signed a deal with the French project developer AEG Aquitaine to furnish residential homes in the South West of France with 1MW of PV modules. Altogether, Senersun will supply more than 5,400 of its crystalline solar panels for the residential applications, which will be installed on rooftops.
Leading PV module tracking systems supplier DEGERenergie has come to the conclusion that CPV-based technologies, dependent on tracking the sun for correct yields, will remain an unprofitable business for the foreseeable future and as a result has discontinued the sale of its tracking products for the technology.
Calisolar is morphing into a polysilicon producer with a name change that better reflects its future ambitions. Renamed, Silicor Materials Inc, the company has bagged a major supply deal for its purified silicon metal material with the PV industries largest module producer, Suntech Power Holdings.
According electricity grid operator Terna, 2.8% of 86.3% of Italy’s production of electricity for 2011 came from PV solar energy. The remaining 13.7% came from foreign imports. The net national production (289.2 billion kWh) dropped by 0.5% compared to 2010, geothermal production increased (+5.2%), as did wind power (+5.7%) and PV solar power grew by 394% compared to 2010.
Pythagoras Solar announced today that it will be participating in the first Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) Building Technology Showcase. Said showcase, the first of its kind and designed to demonstrate sustainable building technologies, is located in a research and demonstration site located in a building in Boston’s Innovation District. Pythagoras is among the partners contributing a total of US$2.7 million to building energy technologies and services to the new “living laboratory.”
