Solon sees 57% sales drop in 2009
February 25, 2010 | Comments Off
The lack of project finance for large-scale utility projects significantly impacted sales for Solon in 2009. The PV module manufacturer announced that sales reached €354 million, a drop of 57% compared to 2008, when sales reached €815 million. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) dropped to a loss of €195 million. However, the net loss amounted to €276 million, compared to a net income of €33 million in 2008. Solar module unit sales remained at the same level as 2008.
Iberdrola records net profit of €2,824 million in 2009
February 25, 2010 | Comments Off
Iberdrola recorded a net profit of €2,824 million in 2009, sustained by the group’s success with regulated business and renewables throughout the year, which together counted for two thirds of the company’s total operating profit.
Ascent Solar penetrates the defense application market with military certification
February 25, 2010 | Comments Off
Ascent Solar has received certification for its premier and two meter flexible CIGS modules from an independent laboratory using a variety of U.S. department of defense military ruggedization standards known as MIL-STD-810G.
Hitachi High-Technologies to resell XeroCoat’s antireflective coating solution in Japan, China
February 25, 2010 | Comments Off
Hitachi High-Technologies and XeroCoat have entered into a strategic partnership for the distribution of XeroCoat’s antireflective coating solutions for solar photovoltaic modules in Japan and China. The agreement gives HHT, through its energy and environmental solutions unit, the right to resell XeroCoat’s equipment systems and materials into the two key Asian markets. XeroCoat also told PV Tech that it has established a demonstration pilot line at an Asian glass manufacturer.
Italy’s FiT cuts will be less than expected
February 25, 2010 | Comments Off
Reuters has reported that the Italian government plans to reduce the cuts it previously announced to solar incentives, according to the latest draft of a decree obtained on February 22. The decree states that for large solar plants of over 1MW, the proposed tariff as of January 1, 2011, is €0.313/kWh compared with the €0.298 /kWh in the previous version. The €0.313/kWh tariff is expected to decline to €0.2642/kWh at the end of 2011. The tariffs will then fall by 6% a year in 2012 and 2013.
SunPower: Largest solar power plant in Colorado to begin production in 2010
February 25, 2010 | Comments Off
Feb 24, 2010 – MetLife and John Hancock Financial Services will finance the construction and third-party ownership of a 19-mw (AC) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant that SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) is contracted to build for Xcel Energy in Colorado’s Alamosa County, the companies announced today. Construction on the plant, which will be the largest solar power plant in Colorado, will begin this spring, with operations expected to commence before the end of the year. Approximately 100 jobs will be created during construction.
“Solar PV is a fast, flexible way for us to meet the wishes of our Colorado customers for more renewable, clean energy sources,” said David Eves, president and CEO for Public Service Co. of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company. ”This agreement helps guarantee the future of this project and will help Xcel Energy in meeting the solar component of Colorado’s renewable energy standard.”
“MetLife recognizes the importance of investing in renewable energy ventures that will have a positive impact on the environment,” said Steve Kandarian, executive vice president and chief investment officer for MetLife. ”This project builds upon the more than $1 billion that MetLife has already invested in renewable energy projects. It also demonstrates our commitment to support growth in the solar energy market by making it easier and more affordable for businesses and public entities to benefit from solar electricity.”
“John Hancock is delighted to continue our work financing large scale solar power in the U.S. with this major project that brings together such first class partners,” said John Anderson, senior managing director and head of John Hancock’s Power and Infrastructure Group. “The project finance teams at John Hancock and our parent company, Manulife Financial, have a portfolio of renewable energy financings that includes more than $2 billion of projects in the U.S. and Canada. We look forward to the successful completion of the solar power plant in Alamosa later this year.”
The plant will use SunPower® T20 Tracker systems, which tilt toward the sun as it moves across the sky, increasing energy capture and providing more power on hot summer days when utilities need it most. SunPower Trackers generate up to 30 percent more energy per land area than conventional systems and, therefore, reduce land-use requirements.
“Today, high-efficiency solar PV technology is competitively priced for power plant applications. It’s fast to install, and delivers clean, renewable solar power during the times of day when demand is at its peak,” said SunPower CEO Tom Werner. ”As a result of their investment, MetLife and Hancock are part of the solution to ensure the health of our economy and our environment. We are thrilled to initiate this relationship with such sophisticated, long-term investors.”
Glacier Spring Water & Hydro/Wind PowerGlacier Opportunity for Sale; Go Green in the Green Mountain State
February 25, 2010 | Comments Off
Feb 22, 2010 - The market for renewable distributable energy is growing, as is the demand for a source of pure natural spring water from uncontaminated glacial aquifiers. This is an opportunity for the right company. Pure glacial water, wind turbine power and hydro power are a few of the opportunities this undivided track of land has to offer.
The sale of the distributable energy to the local power companies is a “wind” win opportunity. Together with the largest aquifier in Vermont producing water quality within industry standards, ready to be bottled or trucked can be partnered. Two thousand gallons of high quality spring water per minute are generated on this 1,544 acre estate that is for sale.
The site is located in Waitsfield, Vermont & consists of 1,544 acres and 3 miles of mountain range to support 15-25 wind turbines.
Contact John Magennis, Magennis Associates, 857-472-3281
Falling Price of Solar Panels May Have Silicon Industry Struggling to Compete While Thin-film Market is Poised for Expansion
February 25, 2010 | Comments Off
Feb 22, 2010 – XsunX, Inc. (OTCBB:XSNX), the developer of advanced, thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) solar cell technologies and manufacturing processes, updates its shareholders on the shrinking margins of silicon wafer manufactures and its varying repercussions on the entire photovoltaic (PV) industry.
The solar industry overall began to experience increased demand again in the fourth quarter 2009, and most analysts predict demand will continue to increase year over year as government-based adoption policies continue to take hold on a global basis. Greentech Media Research recently predicted anticipated annual growth rates for solar of about 48% through 2012. Meanwhile a report by New Energy Finance found average costs in the U.S. market fell 30% over the ten years preceding 2008, and final numbers for the 2009 period alone may show as much as another 50% (before subsidies) reduction to PV pricing.
Over the past year, this significant fall in the price per watt for solar panels may be the direction needed to bring down solar electricity production costs, but it does not appear to come without cost and risk to the silicon PV industry. This change may allow the thin-film market to continue to benefit from this new era in pricing and demand.
“While average selling prices (ASP) for silicon-based modules have fallen, improving how silicon competes with current thin-film offerings, a significant cause for these ASP reductions appears to have come from the reduction of operating margins to razor thin proportions,” said Tom Djokovich, CEO, XsunX, Inc.
For example, REC Group, one of the world’s largest silicon wafer manufacturers, indicated in their most recent public filing that ASP continues to fall quarter over quarter for their silicon PV wafer business leading some industry analysts to predict that margins may fall deeply this year to only 8% from 17% in 2009 for REC’s PV wafer business, raising a red flag for the silicon PV industry as it strives to continue to compete with emerging thin-film offerings.
Meanwhile, at XsunX we believe the young thin-film PV industry still has numerous opportunities for cost reductions from innovations all along the value chain, involving new materials, processes and installation technologies. A reduction to margins alone will not benefit the industry as a whole. That’s is why XsunX is working to develop new thin-film manufacturing techniques, such as our cross-industry hybrid technology for manufacturing high performance solar cells made from thin-film Copper Indium Gallium (di) Selenide (CIGS). Once the technology is commercially available, we believe these new processes will provide current silicon users a less costly PV technology for solar modules.
Djokovich adds, “We anticipate that our new manufacturing processes for CIGS solar cells will be able to maintain healthy margins that would incentivize manufacturers to invest in this new manufacturing approach. An important part to our business objectives, and what gives the thin-film market the position to better compete with silicon, is the ability to offer a product in a form factor that allows its rapid adoption by an existing solar module assembly industry. With over 80% of this industry using silicon-based solar cells this provides an opportunity to further reduce costs for PV while allowing manufacturers to enjoy respectable margins.”
A “Little” Power From A Little Sunlight
February 25, 2010 | Comments Off
By Chuck Ring (GadaboutBlogalot ©2009 – 2010)
Quote Freely From The Article – Leave The Pseudonym Alone
The Governor’s office, along with a couple of state agencies, announced yesterday that Chevron Mining and Chevron Technology will construct a one megawatt concentrating photovoltaic solar facility on property that was formerly used in the mining of molybdenum in Questa, New Mexico.
Everyone involved seems to be ecstatic about the project with state and federal agencies touting the use of the former mine property as a great way to use space formerly occupied by potentially hazardous material.
The press release is posted below, just click on the link:
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Solaria to provide 13.3 MW of PV modules for two solar farms in Spain
February 25, 2010 | Comments Off
Spanish module manufacturer Solaria Energía Medio Ambiente, S.A. and Swiss group ABB in consortium have been contracted by GA Solar to build two solar PV plants in La Robla (León, Spain) with a capacity of 13.3 MW for approximately € 40 million ($54 million). Solaria is the exclusive supplier of PV modules for the two plants. The contract will be completed in 2010.