SPI Solar has announced that it will enter a engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement with a subsidiary of KDC Solar. As part of the partnership SPI Solar will develop and build three PV projects for KDC Solar at the Grand Cascades Golf Resort and Mountain Creek Resort in New Jersey. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2012.
Socialist François Hollande has been elected as President of France, bringing further concerns and hopes to the country’s already flagging solar industry. Dubbed “Mr Normal”, he has promised a 25% reduction in nuclear facilities by 2020, an investment in alternative energy generation and improving energy efficiency.
Providing around 90% of the school’s energy requirements, SolarWorld has installed 6.1MW of its PV panels on a 30-acre site adjacent to the Lawrenceville School. The boarding school’s ground-mounted system was initially developed by TurtleEnergy and was purchased in 2011 by KDC Solar, which completed the development and constructed the project.
Calyxo has revealed that its CdTe cell technology has reached 16.2% efficiency, a figure that has been verified by Germany’s SGS testing body. The company uses its proprietary low-cost “hot and fast” atmospheric deposition process in the manufacture of its CdTe cells. Calyxo’s CTO Michael Bauer also expressed confidence in the technology’s potential to reach 17–18% cell efficiency and 14–15% top module efficiency by the end of the year.
Renewable energy solutions provider Satcon Technology has entered into a strategic manufacturing agreement with Sanmina-SCI, the company has announced. Under the agreement, Sanmina will begin producing Satcon’s PowerGate Plus 50, 100, 250 and 500kW inverters well as the company’s Prism Platform solutions at it’s Canadian factory. The production of the utility-scale inverters in Ontario, Canada, is necessary to comply with Ontario’s FiT program.
Yingli Green Energy has furthered its reach across Asia with its establishment of a regional headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. In conjunction with this new location, the company has also set up a new wholly owned subsidiary in the form of Yingli Japan, or more formally, Yingli Green Energy Japan Corporation, Ltd. The news is a move on the part of the vertically integrated manufacturer to further its business development in Japan.
MidAmerican and First Solar have announced the beginning of major construction work on the site of the 550MW Topaz Solar Farm in San Luis Obispo County, California. Both companies congregated about the construction schedule as well as environmental issues and future plans to involve communities and private landowners in the project.
K Road Power has bought the 25MW McHenry solar project in California from SunPower, it has been announced. The project has been designed and is currently being constructed by SunPower in Modesto, California, and it is expected to commence commercial production in September 2012. Modesto Irrigation District (MID) will buy the generated energy under a 25-year PPA.
ESA Renewables, US project developer, has been contracted by Jamaica-based Caribbean Energies Group (CEG) to construct a 24MW PV plant in Jamaica. ESA is responsible for the design and the maintenance of the plant as well as the legal permits and other requirements.
REC has announced that it will supply 20MW PV modules for installations across Bulgaria. The company signed a number of agreements to supply its modules to PV plants.
