Suniva has completed a 240kW solar installation on a retail center in Cary, NC. The PV module array is on the rooftop of the Mayfair Plaza Shopping Center and is one of the state's largest rooftop arrays. This project is the second to be built by FLS Energy and powered by Suniva.
EDF Energies Nouvelles has released the report on its solar activities ending December 31, 2009. Capacity in service almost quadrupled from 20.8MWp at December 31, 2008 to 80.9MWp at December 31, 2009. Overall, capacity in service or under construction at year-end 2009 came to 219.7MWp, compared to 49.9MWp at the end of 2008. The group has exceeded the target it announced at the beginning of 2009 of 100MWp to 150MWp in service or under construction.
Solar-Fabrik has now completed the largest solar power plant in Schleswig-Holstein. The project was set up through community involvement and inaugurated during January 2010 in Nindorf, Germany.
Ferro Electronic Materials has been awarded US$1 million by the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) to develop advanced durability sealing systems for solar cells. The project will involve collaboration with Edison Welding Institute, StrateNexus Technologies, and The Ohio State University in developing, testing and commercializing this new technology.
The possibility of heavy cuts to the German solar feed-in tariffs could not only reduce demand for solar installations in what should become the largest market in the world in 2009, it could also see reduced investments and job losses in the sector, according to Masdar PV CEO, Dr. Rainer Gegewart. Speaking at the World Future Energy Summit currently being held in Abu Dhabi, Gegewart warned that should muted FiT cuts be made, the a-Si thin-film manufacturer would revise its investment plans in Germany and look for new opportunities abroad as those markets would grow, compared to a possible contraction in Germany.
In a presentation to be made at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, Jürg Henz, CEO of Oerlikon Solar, will claim that its ‘Micromorph’ turnkey thin- film production lines are on track to produce a further 30% reduction in production costs in 2010. The company says that it has already driven down module cost 25%, via improved cell efficiencies and greater line throughput, which means that a line capable of producing 60MW in 2008 can now produce 100MW, without additional equipment.
After a fair amount of digging and the much needed help of our German correspondent we can now confirm that the reports of a 16-17% cut in feed-in tariff rate for Germany were true, and the cuts are to go ahead from April 1, 2010. Click here to see the analyst's thoughts on these cuts.
As companies look to compete against market and CdTe thin-film module leader First Solar, the promise of higher conversion efficiencies and equally low production costs is luring a growing number of wannabe companies to copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) technology and in doing so to turnkey provider centrotherm photovoltaics. Having announced the successful start of production of CIGS (1.5 m2) modules for a Taiwanese customer, module efficiency levels are expected to reach 10% by the end of 2010 and have the capability of production costs of below €1 per watt.
A new R&D centre now provides Schmid with the ability to work with customers on processes and new technologies from the wafer through to the module, making it the only system provider worldwide to offer complete vertical integration for R&D projects, according to the company.
Day4 Energy has completed the delivery of a turnkey 2.4MW photovoltaic power plant for Gunther Heiss Solar in Germany. A local Volksbank, backed by Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank, Frankfurt am Main, financed the project.
