Americas

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.

Thomas Koerner has joined Astronergy (Chint Solar) as general manager North America. Koerner will be responsible for all related business activities including sales and market strategy, and will support the company in worldwide product strategy and marketing.

Auctioneer and appraisal company CIACPCC has publicized the upcoming one-day equipment auction for the assets and equipment contained within Sixtron’s Dorval (Montreal), Quebec facility in Canada. Running in conjunction with Asset Reliance International and Upstream Value Group, the webcast equipment auction will feature more than US$1.5 million worth of original equipment for solar manufacturers.

PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) has two new PV performance and reliability laboratories in Northern California located in Berkeley and Davis, California. Lab services at the Berkeley site and outdoor field testing at the Davis facility were initiated in February.

Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley is the new home for Helios USA’s new manufacturing facility, which officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today. Helios, who states that they are the state’s first manufacturer of high-performance solar modules that can be used in residential, commercial, industrial and utility-based solar projects, is already manufacturing panels and shipping them across the U.S. from its new Wisconsin facility.

Production capacity at DEGERenergie’s tracking system facility in Ontario, Canada is set to double in the first half of 2011. Last year’s output level has already been increased by 50% and the German firm expects to see production rise by a further 50% in the second quarter as it attempts to take advantage of a spate of recently-announced Canadian projects.

Ultrasonic Systems has recently installed and commissioned its PV-480 coating system for an unspecified U.S. CdTe solar panel manufacturer. Ultrasonic advised that the solar panel manufacturer intends to use the system for the application of cadmium chloride solution in its absorber layer activation process.

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.