Schneider Electric is to purchase Xantrex Technology, Inc. in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $412 million. Xantrex is a top 3 global player in the solar and wind inverter market and number 1 in the U.S. As a condition to the sale, Xantrex will divest its programmable power business to AMETEK, Inc. for $120 million in cash.
Polysilicon shortages are not only limiting the potential growth of the PV industry but are continuing to impact manufacturing costs, according to Dr. Henning Wicht, Senior Director and Principal Analyst, MEMS and PV for iSuppli. Costs are rising rather than falling, forcing PV manufacturers to establish their own polysilicon production as well as seek cost saving elsewhere.
SunPower Corporation has signed a five-year agreement with Jiawei SolarChina Co., Ltd. (Jiawei) to secure a supply of monocrystalline silicon ingots and silicon wafers, beginning in 2008. The deal is expected to enable SunPower to produce the equivalent of 900MW during the agreement period.
China Sunergy is to supply Canadian Solar with a total volume of 25MWof solar cells for 2008. Under the Agreements, China Sunergy willsupply approximately 12MW and 13MW of solar cells to Canadian Solar inthe first and second half of the year respectively.
A group of industrial partners have said that they have developed apulling process resulting in silicon crystals with a diameter of 300mm.The process, specifically for applications within the solar cell andmodule market, can reduce energy consumption in the pulling processcompared to smaller sizes and allow the energy recoup time per W (peak)to be faster.
Sangam Solar One, a subsidiary of Indian solar PV manufacturer Waaree Energies, has commissioned a 3GW PV module manufacturing facility in Samakhiali, Kutch, Gujarat.
Aggreko has finalised a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with international mining company Harmony Gold for the Eva Copper Mine Project in Northwest Queensland.
