Following its 2010 acquisition of Singapore-based Novomatrix, Solutia’s performance films unit will be expanding its manufacturing capacity with the purchase of selected assets of Taiwan-based conductive film manufacturer Aimcore Technology. The US$7 million deal will allow Solutia to increase its manufacturing capacity in Asia while also multiplying its Flexvue film component production. The escalation in Solutia’s production capacity is anticipated to be on-line during the second half of 2011.
Abound Solar is making its entrance into the Indian market under a long-term sales agreement with Solarsis. The companies aim to promote Abound’s thin-film modules to project developers in the country’s burgeoning solar market. Additionally, Solarsis will create a test facility catering to the enhancement of balance of system (BoS) designs that center on Abound Solar’s thin-film modules. The collaboration's first project will be a 1MW ground-mount solar array in Ananthapur, Andhra Pradesh, India. Specifics about the financial terms of the agreement or the amount and timing of module shipments were not revealed.
In 2008, Hawaiian Electric sent out renewable energy project proposal requests for Oahu, Hawaii under the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) competitive bidding framework. As a result of that request, SunPower and Hawaiian Electric have agreed to a 20-year PPA with energy being produced from a 5MW solar farm at Kalaeloa in West Oahu. SunPower will design, build and operate the plant using its solar panels and SunPower Tracker system.
Siemens Industry has debuted a new program that allows customers to take advantage of solar power benefits without making a large initial capital investment. The Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) platform from Siemens building technologies division presents all different customers the chance to take part in the PPA, but is especially aimed to entice the public sector who is unable to take advantage of solar federal tax incentives.
Water is not a surface that immediately springs to mind when contemplating where to install a solar array, however, this may not be the case for much longer thanks to Sunengy’s ground-breaking Liquid Solar Array (LSA) technology. Sunengy hopes to build a pilot LSA plant in India before the end of the year and has enlisted the help of India’s largest integrated private power utility, Tata Power, to help realise this goal.
David Goldman and Jay Meridew have joined Solon as executives in the company’s finance division. Goldman has been appointed the new vice president of project finance and strategic planning and will manage all financing for Solon’s commercial and utility-scale solar projects. Meridew will oversee accounting and information technology practices in his role as vice president of finance.
Sempra Generation has officially opened its 48MW Copper Mountain Solar project in Boulder City, Nevada. The company also announced its recently-approved plans to expand the plant by 200MW.
After last week closing seven nuclear plants for at least three months the German Government is now said to be discussing plans to raise the size of its renewable energy fund from €300 million to €1 billion. Amid fears of radiation leaks following Japan's nuclear crisis Chancellor Angela Merkel has ordered safety checks on the country’s plants constructed before 1980.
Malaysian conglomerate Scientex and Japanese materials supplier Mitsui Chemicals Tohcello (MCTI) have signed a joint-venture agreement to manufacture and distribute ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulating materials for PV modules and other applications. A new company will be formed, MCTI Scientex Solar, in which each party holds a 50% equity interest.
SunPower and Xcel Energy have completed and commissioned the 19MW Greater Sandhill solar power plant in Colorado’s Alamosa County. Utilizing SunPower’s Tracker system, the PV power plant began to produce electricity at the end of December 2010.
