(UPDATED) First Solar has reported second-quarter 2011 net sales of US$533 million in the quarter, a decrease of US$34.5 million from the first quarter, which were a decrease of US$42.5 million from the fourth quarter of 2010. The CdTe thin-film leader noted that the sales decline was primarily due to lower average selling prices, which in turn were due to policy uncertainties in Italy, Germany and France, leading to weaker-than-expected demand.
One of the largest solar PV power plants in North America will be expanded, nearly quadrupling its generating capacity in a few years. Pacific Gas and Electric and Sempra Generation have signed a 25-year contract for a 150MW (AC) expansion of Sempra Generation’s Copper Mountain Solar complex in Boulder City, NV. First Solar will provide millions of ground-mounted thin-film CdTe panels and serve as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the 1100-acre project.
Despite reports that Solar Frontier’s 900MW, CIS thin film production plant in Miyazaki, Japan has reached full capacity the company has said nothing of the sort. What Solar Frontier has said is that all production lines are now commercially operational having started its production ramp earlier this year. The Kunitomi Plant was said to be ‘on track to reach its targeted annual capacity of 900MW as average module output continues to increase, without giving a timeline. The Kunitomi Plant is said to be Japan’s largest solar module production facility, as well as the largest CIS factory in the world.
Phoenix Solar has secured two new contracts of one MWp each in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat states, India. The projects were signed with Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd in Singapore, its Asia Pacific subsidiary. Both PV projects will use thin film technologies. Both projects are scheduled to be connected to the grid by 31 December, 2011.
OPEL Solar International has signed a contract to supply modules for Limen’s two 1MW high-concentration PV (HCPV) power plants in Sicily, Italy. The order is valued at US$5 million and OPEL will begin delivery of the Mk-I modules in late 2011.
First Solar’s Series 3 CdTe thin-film solar modules have received the International Electrotechnical Commission’s (IEC) 61701 certification for salt mist corrosion, confirming the use of the Series 3 modules in coastal environments. The certification involves testing and studying the module’s performance in coastal environments, which are prone to corrosive salt mist.
Plextronics has scored US$15 million during its financing round from Solvay, its largest minority shareholder, which will go towards stepping up the company’s technology development and delivery of its products to customers located worldwide. Plextronics is focused on developing polymer-based materials and technologies for key applications of printed electronics such as organic light emitting diodes (OLED) and organic PV cells (OPV).
Sustainable Energy Technology and Würth Solar will be working on a 90kW demonstration project, which will be installed at the Lycée Technique Louis Couffignal in Strasbourg, France. Using Sustainable Energy’s Paralex system design and Würth Solar’s CIS modules, the project is part of a cooperation agreement the two companies hold that aims to provide commercial and institution customers with “parallel” solutions for rooftops in France.
Not wanting to be left in the shade in this record-breaking year for solar cells, First Solar has reported that its test cadmium-telluride (CdTe) cells have reached 17.3% conversion efficiencies. The figure – confirmed by NREL – trumps the previous record of 16.7%, which was achieved back in 2001.
In an effort to help India meet its Solar Mission goal of 1000MW of grid-connected solar power projects by 2013, Thermax Limited and Amonix signed a new deal to bring CPV technology to India. Under the partnership, Amonix will provide its solar power generation systems while Thermax will act as the engineering, procurement and construction partner for the customer’s turnkey solutions.
