High-purity materials supplier 5N Plus has signed a long-term supply agreement with cadmium-telluride thin-film module producer Abound Solar. Under the terms of the deal, 5N Plus will provide CdTe compounds to be used in the manufacturing of Abound's PV panels.
World Cup sponsor Yingli Green Energy posted strong revenue, gross margin, and net income numbers in the second quarter, with sequential increases shown across the board. The vertically integrated Chinese solar manufacturer said it experienced a substantial increase in PV module shipments during the period ended June 30 and still expects to hit between 950MW and 1GW in total panel shipments for 2010.
Suntech saw revenues and shipments grow to record levels during the second quarter, but the Chinese solar manufacturer experienced a net loss for the period because of impairment charges related to the shutdown of its thin-film PV efforts and prepayment provisions as part of its stake in the Shunda solar-wafer venture. Because of continuing strong demand, the company has raised its PV module shipment guidance for 2010 by 200MW and has increased its targeted production capacity to meet the larger shipment number.
Trina Solar's U.S. unit has signed a sales agreement with MEMC subsidiary SunEdison to supply 35MW of crystalline-silicon solar modules for the remainder of 2010. SunEdison expects to use the panels for projects in North America and Europe. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Taiwan PolySilicon, a turnkey customer of centrotherm SiTec, has successfully passed its initial production phase and started up its 5000tn manufacturing facility. The factory, which can be upgraded to 8000tn, is said to be the largest single poly production site in Taiwan. TPSI plans to increase its manufacturing capacity to as much as 12,000tn in the coming years.
Dennis Flood, a 30-year NASA veteran who developed photovoltaic power systems for space and planetary missions, has been named CTO at Natcore Technology. The company said that he will help bring its portfolio of PV intellectual property through proof of concept and into commercialization.
Solaire Generation has been tapped to supply a system of its photovoltaic parking structures for a large commercial solar power plant at an unnamed Fortune 100 corporate office campus in central New Jersey. The 3MW-plus canopy installation, made up of 25 rows of more than 11,350 crystalline-silicon panels covering over 1350 parking spaces, was begun in July and will be completed by early 2011, according to the company.
Another up-and-coming Chinese photovoltaics manufacturer hit record revenues, net income, and product shipment numbers during the second quarter, as JinkoSolar saw its sales jump 64% and its shipments rise more than 20% during the period. The vertically integrated company, which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in mid-May, also increased production capacities across the enterprise.
Calisolar has appointed Sandra Beach Lin as its new CEO, replacing the outgoing Roy Johnson. The company, which says it is shipping a megawatt a week, made the move as the latest step in building the executive team to lead it through its rapid scale-up into a high-volume, low-cost manufacturer of UMG silicon PV cells.
What's being called the largest solar power system in Tennessee and the Tennessee Valley Authority region has been inaugurated. The 1MW site, featuring thousands of Sharp crystalline-silicon modules, is located in Knoxville and was developed, designed, and constructed by Natural Energy Group and its integrator unit, Efficient Energy of Tennessee, which will also maintain the facility.
