Moving a step further in the extension of its solar production facilities, Bosch Solar Energy has formally opened its new Arnstadt, Thuringia-based crystalline solar cell production plant. The 12,000m2 facility provides the company with extra capacity of 10,000 cells an hour, or 90 million solar cells a year.
Canadian Solar has finally completed its internal investigation and questioning by the Securities and Exchange Commission and reported profitable first-quarter results. The company reported a profit of US$1.5 million, or 3 cents a share, compared with a loss of US$4.8 million, or 13 cents a share in the same period of 2009. However, the latest quarter included a less-than-anticipated US$15.9 million foreign-exchange loss.
DRI Energy has completed a 1MW ground-mounted solar photovoltaic installation at the Mercer Foods facility in Modesto, CA. The project was accomplished in 33 days, meeting the deadline required in order to preserve Mercer Foods' solar rebate from Modesto Irrigation District (MID).
SolarWorld is to present the 2010 SolarWorld Einstein Award to Nobel Peace Prize laureate and micro-finance pioneer Muhammad Yunus in September. The award is being presented in recognition of Yunus' micro-loans for the poor, created through Grameen Bank, of which he is founder, which have made possible the installation of more than 400,000 small solar power systems, securing energy supplies for people in rural regions of Bangladesh who live far from the national utility grid.
Spire has completed the installation of its equipment line at the photovoltaic module manufacturing plant established by Wanxiang Solar, a division of Wanxiang America, located in Rockford, Illinois. The 40,000 square foot plant will employ over 60 local workers.
Solarfun is to expand its U.S.-based marketing and customer support team in order to boost its North American presence and supplement current staff. Matt Miller has been appointed as regional manager covering the southwestern U.S. and Graham Landry has been appointed as regional manager in the west.
DakkS has issued the Japan-based testing facilities of TÜV Rheinland with ANSI/UL 1703 testing accreditation. This compliments the existing JNLA, ASNITE and the CBTL recognition already held by the facility, as well as allowing combined testing sequences with IEC and ANSI.
Through centrotherm photovoltaics' research and development strategy, three turnkey crystalline-silicon solar cell production lines owned by an unnamed Taiwanese customer are being retrofitted with a selective-emitter technology upgrade package.
Schott Solar has appointed Richard Gruber as executive vice president of sales and business development at Schott Solar CSP. Gruber will be responsible for leading sales and business development in the U.S.
SunPower has completed a 505kW solar power installation for Horizon Power, the government-owned utility providing power to remote and regional communities and resource operations in Western Australia. The project, which marks the largest solar tracking system installation in the country, will power the world's first high penetration, hybrid solar-diesel power station.
