Last week, the US Department of Commerce imposed tariffs of between 31 and 250% on solar imports from China. Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) has issued a statement calling for all parties to work together on measures to eliminate trade and investment barriers to solar energy.
The proposed 3MW, US$20 million Ponterril solar project has received its final approval from the zoning board of appeals. The project will be developed across 22 acres of what used to be the Pittsfield Family YMCA’s recreation camp overlooking Pontoosuc Lake. The Berkshire Eagle advised that electricity produced by the project would be sold and transported to Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO) as part of the power gird on North Street. The report confirmed that project officials want to begin work on the project this year, but actual construction timelines will depend on WMECO since it needs to advise what it would cost CTC Electric to make upgrades to the WMECO system in order for it to accept electricity from the new solar project.
Earlier this month, Chinese vice premier Wang Qishan and state councillor Dai Bingguo met with US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and treasury secretary Timothy Geithner, in Beijing to discuss Sino-American strategic and economic relations. On May 17, the US Department of Commerce announced in a preliminary hearing that China had been exporting to the US at less than fair value.
Satcon will supply 30MW of its Equinox Prism Platform to Western Wind and Lord Electric. The inverters will be installed at a solar power park in Puerto Rico, the company has announced.
Emcore has been awarded another contract by NASA, this time to provide its technology for the space program’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, which has a target launch in late 2014. Emcore’s ZTJ triple-junction solar cells will power the SMAP spacecraft and instrument suite in near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit for the duration of the mission.
Last week Cogentrix Energy officially began commercial operation of its 30MW Alamosa CPV project in Colorado. Today, Solectria advised that it had provided over 500 large CPV pedestals, smart inverters and dual axis trackers for the project, which has been dubbed the largest high CPV generating facility in the world.
The Alamosa Solar Generating plant is being called the world’s largest concentrating PV electric power generating facility and Cogentrix Energy advised that it has finally begun commercial operation. Located in San Luis Valley in Colorado, the 30MW site produces energy for customers of Xcel Energy’s subsidiary, Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo).
Westinghouse Solar and CBD Energy are hoping that the definitive merger agreement both companies signed this week will be completed by Q3 2012. Approvals from both companies’ board of directors have been received. Limited closing conditions and approval by both companies’ shareholders need to be finalized in order to complete the deal.
MySolar, the new residential solar lease facility created by Clean Power Finance, MS Solar Solutions and Main Street Power Company, is being called the largest in the US. The program will provide funding for up to US$300 million in projects with Zions Energy Link being the first member of a syndicate of debt providers for the MySolar residential solar lease facility.
Motech Americas, the US-based solar module business of Motech Industries, has selected Eric Kuo as its president. Kuo has over 15 years of global experience in branding, growing markets and driving revenue, with a background in international business and marketing. He comes to Motech from MSI Computer India where he served as managing director.
