Steve Iyer will be joining the executive team of 8minutenergy Renewables as its new vice president of development. With 23 years of experience in developing large-scale power generation projects throughout North America, Europe and Asia, Iyer will focus on end-to-end project development for originated projects. Additionally, he will oversee that 8minutenergy’s developed projects undergo a seamless transition to the company’s partners. Iyer will also be tasked to assist with sourcing from Asia and risk identification and management.
IHS iSuppli Photovoltaic Service has released a new report projecting California to remain the top solar market in the US through 2015. Currently the state has the potential to add 7.5GW of installed PV power between 2010 and 2015 with installed PV capacity projected to reach 967MW in 2011 alone. IHS foresees California generating nearly 1.2GW of solar power in2012, which would be more than the PV capacity of the next six-highest states combined.
Three years after solar mounting manufacturer Quick Mount PV moved into its present Concord, California facility, the company revealed plans to move all company operations into a larger, 133,000 square foot home base in Walnut Creek, California. The relocation will take place during the middle of the first quarter in 2012, which, the company states, will allow it to meet the ever-increasing demands for its products.
Commercial operation has begun at California’s largest solar power project after NRG Solar and Eurus Energy America activated their 45MW Avenal Solar Generating Facility in Kings County. The facility was developed by Eurus and the electricity produced will be sold to Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) under separate 20-year power purchase agreements.
The continued construction and eventual interconnection of what will be the world’s largest solar PV power plant now seems assured. The US Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office has finalized a $967 million loan guarantee for the 290MW (AC) Agua Caliente solar project in Arizona, thus triggering the purchase close of the project by NRG Energy from First Solar. The plant could start generating electricity for PG&E as early as the end of this year.
Just across the border with California is Mexicali, Mexico, which has long been promoting its lower cost-base and unique location to the biggest market in the world. Citing the need to meet demand for the rapidly expanding North American solar market, SunPower said it will lease an existing building in Mexicali to build its E18 series, E19 series and world-record setting E20 series solar panels as well as its T5 solar roof tiles.
A US$50 million fund is up for grabs by the US Department of Energy to domestic PV manufacturers wanting to take solar technology from the lab to the fab to help restore the United States as being at the forefront of solar manufacturing. The funding program is the second solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing Initiative (PVMI) initiative, dubbed SUNPATH, which stands for Scaling Up Nascent PV At Home.
Independent power developer K Road Power Holdings and Barclays Natural Resource Investments have established a partnership aimed at the development, construction, and operations of K Road’s utility-scale solar power portfolio. The developer has 11 solar projects totaling nearly 2.3GW in various stages of development in the southwestern US.
LDK Solar has signed a contract to supply 58,803 modules for Advanced Solar Products’ new 14.1MW project in East Windsor, New Jersey. When completed, the system, which is located on the McGraw-Hill Companies’ campus, will be the largest privately-owned, net-metered PV project in the Western Hemisphere.
