First Solar secures 300MW power purchase agreement with PG&E

( Source: PV Tech )

[09/03/2010] The 550MW Desert Sunlight project planned by First Solar in eastern Riverside County, California, looks to be set to go ahead now that a power purchase agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has been signed for the remaining 300MW plant. First Solar had previously signed a 250MW supply deal with Southern California Edison for the Desert Sunlight power plant. Approval is still required from the California Public Utilities Commission, and the project is expected to start by the end of 2010 for completion in 2013. First Solar secures 300MW power purchase agreement with PG&E - read more

Hoku gets second tranche of Tianwei loan, now plans to demo polysilicon reactor in April

( Source: PV Tech )

[09/03/2010] Polysilicon producer Hoku Materials has received the second tranche of $30 million for a total loan amount of $50 million from Tianwei New Energy Holdings, a vertically integrated solar manufacturer based in China. Hoku also confirmed that it had received $4 million in polysilicon prepayments on March 1 from Solarfun Power, pursuant to the PV company's sales agreement with Hoku. Hoku gets second tranche of Tianwei loan, now plans to demo polysilicon reactor in April - read more

Moser Baer achieves 7.3% module efficiency through its proprietary process

( Source: PV Tech )

[09/03/2010] PV Technologies India Limited (PVTIL), a subsidiary of Moser Baer India Limited (MBIL), has successfully completed the testing and validation of a process that will enhance the stable efficiency of its single-junction amorphous-silicon thin-film module from 6% to 7.3%. Moser Baer achieves 7.3% module efficiency through its proprietary process - read more

Phoenix Solar posts record quarterly sales: Orders of 296 million booked for 1H10

( Source: PV Tech )

[09/03/2010] Major systems integrator Phoenix Solar has reported fourth-quarter and full-year preliminary results, showing module sales increasing by almost 70% to more than 202MW in 2009. The company reported fourth-quarter revenue of €230.8 million, which was almost 50% of its full-year revenue of €473 million. Revenue in 2008 was €402.5 million. Phoenix Solar also noted that orders for the first half of 2010 already stood at €296 million, which is accounted for as €183 million to the components and systems segment and €51 million in the power pPlants segment. Phoenix Solar posts record quarterly sales: Orders of 296 million booked for 1H10 - read more

Prime Sun Power to sell 25MW plant in Italy

( Source: PV Tech )

[09/03/2010] Prime Sun Power has signed a definitive agreement for the sale of a 25MW PV power plant in Italy. PSP receives interest for €12 million of strategic investments in the company from module suppliers; it is expected to generate gross revenues of over €100 million in 2010. This contract is the first to be signed under the terms of a signed frame agreement to sell 100MW projects on a turnkey grid-connected basis to an institutional investor. Prime Sun Power to sell 25MW plant in Italy - read more

Project Focus: SunPower, K6 sign for 2MW of installations in Italy

( Source: PV Tech )

[09/03/2010] SunPower and K6 have signed an agreement under which the companies will build two 1MW photovoltaic solar power plants in the Puglia region, Italy. The two plants are located in Casamassima and Conversano; their power will be fed back into the grid, providing power for the local area. Project Focus: SunPower, K6 sign for 2MW of installations in Italy - read more

Yingli Green to add 300MW of capacity; tops $1B in annual revenues, achieves record module shipments

( Source: PV Tech )

[09/03/2010] In a move to bring its production capacity up to 1GW by the end of 2010, Yingli Green Energy will add 300MW of monocrystalline-silicon-related solar manufacturing capabilities at its Baoding headquarters campus in China. The expansion news came as the company announced record PV module shipments for its recently completed fourth quarter and fiscal-year 2009. The vertically integrated company will build ingot, wafer, cell and module lines, and the solar cells will be based on the high-efficiency mono-c-Si technology developed through the Project Panda collaboration (which also includes the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands [ECN] and equipment supplier Amtech Systems). To help finance the new construction and buildout, the company has received a five-year project loan of RMB 1.5 billion ($219 million) and a working capital credit facility of RMB 250 million ($36 million), both granted by the Bank of Communications, Hebei Branch (BOCOM). Yingli Green to add 300MW of capacity; tops $1B in annual revenues, achieves record module shipments - read more

BioSolar extends BioBacksheet line

( Source: PV Tech )

[08/03/2010] BioSolar has announced plans for an extended line of BioBacksheets used to protect PV modules compatible with conventional c-Si PV modules. BioSolar bio-based backsheet materials are made from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of solar modules and eliminate the need for dangerous toxins found in petroleum based backsheets. BioSolar extends BioBacksheet line - read more

Canadian Solar Faces Some Fears

[08/03/2010] Looking back, the rebound in the global economy through the course of 2009 was impressive, and perhaps nowhere more pronounced than in the solar space. One of the striking things about... Canadian Solar Faces Some Fears - read more

Czech Republic to receive FiT reduction

( Source: PV Tech )

[08/03/2010] The Czech Republic's Prime Minister, Jan Fischer, has called for a cut in the amount of incentives available for renewable energy in the country. These possible cuts follow similar news from France, Germany and Italy this year. The Minister says that a cut to feed-in tariff prices is a 'priority' in the country, as without it the current boom of solar projects could lead to a 'significant' increase in electricity prices for consumers. Czech Republic to receive FiT reduction - read more