Tenaska Solar Ventures has chosen Soitec’s Concentrix concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology to power its new 150MW Imperial Solar Energy Center (ISEC) West plant in Southern California, with local utility SDG&E agreeing to buy the power generated from the site under a 25-year PPA. The company also announced plans to build a 200MW capacity CPV module manufacturing facility in the San Diego area. The ISEC West project has applied for a DOE loan guarantee as well.
Energy Smart is raising the profile of solar energy in the Baltics by building a 100kWp pilot plant in Kurenurme, Estonia. Foundations for the system’s 11 tracker towers were laid last week and, when completed, they will each hold 42 solar panels.
Shams Power has closed financing on its 100MW Shams 1 concentrated solar power (CSP) project in Madinat Zayed, United Arab Emirates. When completed, Shams 1 will be one of the largest CSP systems in the world, with investment coming from 10 major financial institutions and totalling US$600 million.
BlueChip Energy has bought a large plot of land in Lake County, Florida for the development of a 40MW solar farm. When completed, the ground-mounted system will be the largest in the state and generate around 64-million kWh of electricity per annum.
Expanding Greece’s PV project portfolio, plans have been announced for the construction of 12.5MW of projects in Greece. Solaria will supply the modules for the various projects, the amount of which has not been specified, while Greek installer company Positive Energy will look after all procurement, engineering and maintenance of the plants.
Western Wind Energy has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) for a 30MW project. The company also agreed a 40-year land lease with the Puerto Rico Land Authority for a 401-acre plot in the municipality of Yabucoa.
Spanish installer Grupo OPDE has signed a cooperative agreement with ArcelorMittal Construcción España, the Spanish branch of the multinational iron and steel company, which will see the companies collaborate on the development of the PV rooftop installation market. Targeting industrial buildings and car parks, the companies will incorporate ArcelorMittal’s solutions for rooftop installations in industrial buildings, canopies and fixed structures.
Solon Corporation has won a contract to build a 15MW solar power plant for Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) in Fresno, California. Construction on the 160-acre site will begin this April and is expected to be completed by October.
Solar Rainbow Services and Carlisle Energy Services have joined forces to install a 2.3MW rooftop PV system on Jordache Enterprises’ New Jersey distribution center and warehouse.
In January 2010, the Morris County Improvement Authority (MCIA) of New Jersey distributed US$22.3 million in low-interest government bonds to finance the development of solar installations throughout the county. Partnering with Tioga Energy and SunDurance Energy on the Morris Model pilot program, MCIA has completed the installation of 19 solar projects on 16 school and government facilities in its county. These are the first to be financed through the public-private collaboration and collectively generate 3.1MW of energy for the New Jersey County.
