Americas

SunEdison and Arizona Public Service (APS) will join forces to build a utility-scale PV solar power plant close to the Prescott Regional Airport in Arizona. The 10MW facility is scheduled for grid connection in autumn 2011 and will generate in excess of 25 million kWh of electricity in its first year.

With solar power projects increasing in size, Bentek Solar has begun sales of its 1000VDC 400 Amp series integrated disconnect combiners.

According to the latest U.S. Solar Market Insight report from GTM Research and the SEIA. PV installations in the third quarter reached 530MW

Solarfun Power has officially opened its North American office, located in Cheshire, Connecticut. The new office, which is Solarfun's second location in North America, is aimed at strengthening the company's service to customers and partners in the region. Solarfun also maintains a facility in Costa Mesa, California.

MEMC has extended its chief financial officer position to Mark Murphy, who will take over for current CFO Tim Oliver. Oliver will remain with MEMC through the end of 2011’s first quarter in a non-executive role, but plans to leave the company for the pursuit of other interests. In addition to his role as CFO at MEMC, Murphy will also take on the role of senior vice president. The transition will be effective on January 10, 2011.

A new report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and GTM Research entitled, U.S. Solar Energy Trade Assessment 2010, found that the U.S. not only has a strong solar industry, but is a leader in the net exportation of solar energy products. In 2009, US$723 million worth of net exports came from the U.S. alone.

Canadian Solar Solutions and SkyPower have signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement, which will see the latter commission two solar parks in Ontario, with a nameplate capacity of 18.5MW. The 10.5MW Napanee and 8.5MW Thunder Bay facilities, which are scheduled to be completed by the middle of next year, will generate around 19 million KWh in their first year of operation and a further 400 million kWh over the following 20.

Wacker Chemie says the 15,000MT facility will be completed by the end of 2013.

The Tucson Airport Authority (TAA) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) will be coming together for a second time since 2007 for the installation of a solar energy project. TAA’s board of directors approved a 20-year land lease with TEP, where TEP will pay a fixed rental rate of US$46,716.50 per year to lease 50 acres of land south of the Tucson International Airport.

IB Vogt and Sonthalia have renewed their partnership wherein IB Vogt will embark on a concept study and provide engineering services for a PV factory in Falta Solar Hub area of India. The PV factory is expected to be completed between 2011 and 2012 and is part of the Solar Mission that the Indian government approved for the generation of 20MW of solar power in India by 2022. The size of the contract has not been disclosed by either party.