The US Export-Import Bank will provide First Solar with $455.7 million of loan guarantees to construct a pair of solar PV power projects in Ontario, Canada. The bank will guarantee a $236.7 million loan for a 50MW plant to be built near Amherstburg, Belmont, and Walpole townships, and another $219 million loan for a 40MW farm slated for construction in St. Clair. The debt will be repaid over 18 years.
Inventux Technologies has extended its product warranties for its micromorph-silicon thin-film PV systems from five to 10 years. The offer includes system components such as modules, inverters, and mounting systems and is being provided at no additional cost.
GE Capital Real Estate and SunEdison flipped the switch on the first two of fifteen solar rooftop systems, which fall under the Ontario FiT program. The solar projects are part of GE Capital Real Estate’s environmental sustainability initiative with SunEdison agreeing to build and operate all fifteen of the PV systems.
Alex Solar, a R&D, manufacture, sales and technical service provider for crystalline silicon solar modules and PV application systems, announced its latest investment in an 8MW solar power plant located in Potsdam, Berlin. The company noted that this is one of several investments it is making in solar projects throughout Berlin and Munich.
Avancis PowerMax copper indium selenide (CIS) thin-film PV modules have been certified for higher reimbursement entitlements in Italy. Because the panels are made in Germany, Italian system operators who purchase the products can be eligible for a 10% higher feed-in rate that will apply for 20 years.
Akuo Solar, a subsidiary of French independent power producer Akuo Energy, will use 75,000 SunPower E19 modules for two PV power plants in the Provence-Alps-Cotes d'Azur region in the south of France. Construction of the PV power plant has already started and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
According to The Hindu Business Line, the role of chairman for India’s National Solar Energy Company is to be filled by Dr Anil Kakodkar, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.
SunPeak Solar advised that it had selected Suntech Power Holdings to supply 28.7MW (DC) of its solar panels for its 23MW (AC) solar project in Niland, California. Suntech will supply 100,000 of its 285/290W Vd-Series modules, which feature its SuperPoly silicon processing technology. SunPeak Solar’s subsidiary, Imperial Valley Solar Company (IVSC) 1, will manage the project’s construction and installation of the modules.
Mitsui and Toshiba are joining forces to build Japan’s largest PV system, according to financial newspaper Nikkei. With a capacity of 50MW, the plant will be considerably bigger than any other in Japan and cover 800,000m2 of Mitsui-owned land in the Aichi Prefecture.
The lower house of Japan's parliament has passed a new green bill aimed at promoting investment in solar and other renewable energy sources and weaning the country off nuclear power. The bill requires utilities to buy any electricity from solar and other renewable sources for up to 20 years and should it be approved by the upper house it will come into force next July.
