SunPower and California’s San Ramon Valley Unified School District celebrated the 3.3MW of solar projects installed across five school sites for the San Ramon school district. It is estimated that the five projects will produce over two-thirds of school’s energy needs over the system’s lifetime. California High School, Dougherty Valley High School, Monte Vista High School, San Ramon Valley High School and Diablo Vista Middle School all saw the solar installations completed earlier this month.
Trina Solar has also denied any wrongdoing over a spat with other PV manufacturers, headed by SolarWorld that have claimed a number of China-based producers over unfair practices, including pricing. Trina noted that the subsequent proceedings would reveal the allegations “unfounded.” Suntech Power and Yingli Green have already denied any unfair practices in official statements.
Abound Solar is planning to triple the capacity of its thin-film module manufacturing plant in Colorado by the end of 2012. The site expansion will see annual production capacity reach 200MW and help the company meet growing global demand for cadmium telluride modules.
After SolarWorld filed a petition with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) to stop what it considered unfair trade practices by China, Suntech Power Holdings has issued a response.
It was recently revealed that Solyndra’s surplus assets will be auctioned off through a global webcast and in person auction by Heritage Global Partners beginning Wednesday, November 2 through Thursday November 3.
Oregon-based SolarWorld announced that along with seven other US manufacturers, it had petitioned the US federal government to stop what it calls, “an ever-increasing tide of heavily subsidized solar cells and panels that China’s state-supported solar industry is illegally dumping into the American market.” Spearheaded under the name, The Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing, the group filed complaints with both the US Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission.
A 25-year veteran in the business and financial business sectors, Bob Kelly has joined SolarCity as the company’s new chief financial officer. In his new role, Kelly will oversee the company’s financial affairs as well as its corporate, project financing and accounting units.
SunCap Financial has selected Suniva to supply its high-efficiency panels for the SunCap Solar Lease Program, which aims to allow US homeowners a more economically sound option when it comes to the design, installation and financing of a custom solar array for their home. The companies noted that Suniva’s Optimus modules, powered by ARTisun solar cells, would be offered through the lease program and come with a 25-year linear power performance warranty.
Enphase hasn’t cornered all of the new wave of solar modules integrated with a microinverter for the US market. PV module manufacturer, SunPower has launched its E18 & E19 AC Solar Panel series using SolarBridge’s ‘Pantheon’ microinverter. The all-black, E18/225 watt AC solar panel and the maximum-efficiency E19/240 watt AC solar panel will be available in the U.S. in early 2012. The AC panels feature SunPower's 22.4% efficient ‘Maxeon’ cell technology.
Cupertino Electric has been chosen by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to design and build the 20MW Huron, California PV project. Engineering for the utility’s solar PV project has begun and construction is dually underway with the project expected to be completed and inter-connected by mid-2012.
