In August it was reported that project executive Activ Solar had completed the first two stages of its solar project in Okhotnykovo, Ukraine. Now with the final phase of construction realized, this Austrian PV company has accomplished its goal to have the largest solar plant in central and eastern Europe.
Sequel Power, a division of Tegal, has opened offices in South America for the development of large-scale solar utility projects in the region. The offices in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Santiago, Chile will serve the company’s customers and partners in South America and are overseen by Price Alexander von Sachsen, Sequel’s chairman of South America, the Middle East and Africa. The company currently has large-scale PV solar utilities projects underway in Argentina, Chile and Ecuador.
Martifer Solar has installed a 4.5kWp off-grid system in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, with enhanced Martifer PV modules, SMA inverters and Sonnenschein batteries
Responding to capacity expansion push-outs and cancellations at solar wafer manufacturing customers, Meyer Burger Technology has set in motion temporary adjustments to equipment production at its subsidiary, MB Wafertec. However, Meyer Burger reiterated that its 2011 net sales and earnings remained on target.
Strong quarterly shipments failed to offer respite from a rapid decline in revenue and profit margins within OCI Chemicals, polysilicon production division in the third quarter of 2011. Revenue in its polysilicon segment fell from KRW572 billion in Q2 to KRW495 billion in Q3. Margins fell from 50% in Q2 to 36% in Q3, according to the company.
SunPower and California’s San Ramon Valley Unified School District celebrated the 3.3MW of solar projects installed across five school sites for the San Ramon school district. It is estimated that the five projects will produce over two-thirds of school’s energy needs over the system’s lifetime. California High School, Dougherty Valley High School, Monte Vista High School, San Ramon Valley High School and Diablo Vista Middle School all saw the solar installations completed earlier this month.
Campbell Soup Company is leasing 14 acres of its facility in Sacramento, US, to American Capital Energy (ACE). A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and Land Lease Agreement (LLA) will allow ACE to construct a 2.3MW capacity PV solar power generation ground mount tracker system on the grounds. ACE will own the system and be responsible for its construction, operation and maintenance.
Citing some customer cutbacks in solar module manufacturing production levels and continued pressure on wafer prices that have declined more than 50% since April this year, PV Crystalox Solar is taking drastic measures to reduce cash burn in difficult times for the global PV industry. The company guided a significant reduction in wafer shipments, compared to previous forecasts, job losses and short time working.
Contractor Würth Solar commissioned the Farsala solar power plant on December 2010. Since January 4, 2011, this open space system, built as a turn-key facility, has been supplying electricity to the Greek grid. It has now achieved its full load capacity of 5MW. The electricity output of the Farsala plant covers the annual energy requirements of more than 1,600 Greek households. Whilst, at the same time, about 3,700 tons of CO2 emissions are saved per year.
