Major restructuring efforts at First Solar took a backseat during the company’s second quarter conference call as management focused on a significant increase in its PV project pipeline. First Solar said it had added almost 1GW of new projects to a pipeline that previously stood at 2.9GW. Net sales were US$957 million, up from US$497 million last quarter while revenue guidance was raised for 2012 to US$3.6-US$3.9 billion, up from a range of US$3.5 billion to US$3.8 billion.
CAMECA has recently introduced the IMS 7f-Auto Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer, the latest version of its IMS 7f system. The new instrument is designed to deliver precision elemental and isotopic analyses with increased ease of use and productivity of advanced materials research applications.
Responding to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Energy Highway Initiative, Renewables Biz has reported that Entecco has submitted a project proposal for a PV or CPV project with a size up to 2,000MW that will be built in Seneca County, New York. Entecco’s Central Solar City (CSC) project would potentially be the largest single solar hub of its kind in the US.
Chinese company Sky Solar will be a conduit to help form a strategic partnership for bilateral free trade between China and Chile. CEO Amy Zhang recently attended a banquet hosted by Chilean President Sebastian Pinera in the capital, Santiago, an event also attended by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his entourage.
Chimes International was joined by state and local officials, as well as representatives from Gas Energy Services (WGES) and Bithenergy as it commemorated its new rooftop PV system at the Terry Allen Perl Centre. The 259kW system uses 1,079 panels and was made possible through a combined effort between Chimes, WGES and Bithenergy.
Fiera Axium Infrastructure has purchased a Canadian portfolio of 47.1MW, the company has announced. The portfolio consists of four operational PV plants, developed by EDF EN Canada, located in Ontario. EDF En subsidiary enXco Service Canada will provide operation and maintenance of the projects after the acquisition. All four plants sell energy to the Ontario Power Authority under a 20-year PPA.
Hawaiian electrical contractor Helix Electric has been supplied with 7.2MW of solar modules from ET Solar, the company has announced. The modules will be used to equip the Port Allen solar farm on the island of Kaua’i, Hawaii. The generated energy will be sold under a 20-year PPA to Kaua’i Island Utility.
Canadian solar power producer Etrion has opened an office in Santiago, Chile, the company has announced. The company is trying to break into the Chilean market and is currently in negotiations for a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the construction of a 5MW PV project in Chile. Etrion is expecting to sign more PPAs for possible PV projects throughout the year.
The dust is yet to settle on tariff determinations against Chinese manufacturers, but the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM) has released a statement warning of a “conspiracy to commit offence or to defraud the United States”. According to CASM, Chinese solar cell and panel exporters are reportedly planning to evade antidumping/countervailing orders. It asserts that this will not be effective, could be illegal and may expose US importers, in addition to Chinese exporters, to liability under US law, including significant financial penalties and criminal prosecution.
Solon Corporation has agreed to build a 1.15MW PV system for the Tanque Verde Unified School District (TVUSD) in Tucson, Arizona, the company has announced. The system will be installed across the four campuses of Tanque Verde High School and Elementary School, the Emily Gray Junior High School and the Agua Caliente Elementary School. Solon Corporation will design and construct the system and maintain its operation once completed; the energy generated will we sold to TVUSD under a 25-year PPA. The project is expected to commence operation in early 2013.
