Projects

After a close inspection of its previous forecast made in the third quarter of 2010 for the PV industry, IMS Research has reiterated that that new PV installations grew by a massive 130% to reach 17.5GW in 2010. Installations in 2011 are expected to increase by a double-digit amount to reach 20.5GW, culminating in a total installed capacity of 58GW by the end of this year.

Masdar PV and Beck Energy have finished work on a ground-mounted solar system in the east German town of Luckenwalde. Around 6.1 million kWh of electricity will be generated by the site – enough to power over 2,000 homes in the region. The 30-hectare facility is fitted with 65,000 Masdar modules and was connected to the German grid in just two months.

Jiangsu Guoxin New Energy and Jiangsu Sainty Solar System have joined forces to build a 4MW rooftop array in Siyang, China. The system, which cost US$14.5 million and covers an area of 52,000 square metres, has the potential to generate in excess of 4.64 million kWh of electricity per annum during its 25-year lifespan.

In an attempt to consolidate its position as one of the world’s leading integrated solar companies, BP Solar has decided to enlist the help of a specialist partner to help manage some of its portfolio of off-grid projects. Control of French BP Solar’s off-grid operations has been handed over to Phaesun.

Just before the end of 2010, IBC Solar completed its 13.8MW installation at its solar park located in Breitenguessbach, Germany. Construction took place on over 74 acres near Breitenguessbach, Bavaria, with the power plant using more than 60,100 polycrystalline modules and 14 central inverters to harvest and convert the solar energy. IBC Solar oversaw the technical planning, development and construction of the solar park and will continue to manage its maintenance, monitoring and operational management for 20-years.

Southwest Solar Technologies (SST) has completed the first stage of its solar park in Phoenix, Arizona. The focal point of the 18-acre facility is a 75-foot wide solar dish, which plays a key role in SST’s solar dish turbine technology.

Sulfurcell Solartechnik’s CIS thin-film modules have been used on the rooftop array at the Adlershof business park in Berlin, Germany. The newly-installed Am Oktogon system has a peak output of 1,010kWp and an annual energy yield of around 820MWh.

The Italian arm of the integrated PV firm Conergy will build five new solar projects, with a total capacity of 4.1MW, in 2011. The three field systems in Nanto and two industrial rooftop projects in Veneto and Apulia will be fully equipped with Conergy’s in-house system technology.

Building work on Boralex and Q-Cells’ 4.5MW solar park in southern France is set to commence after the firms finalised financing and planning for the €14.6-million venture.