First Solar (FSLR) Supplying 15 MW in Solar Modules to ACME of India

First Solar (FSLR) announced earlier today that ACME of India will purchase 15MW in thin film solar modules for a solar plant in the state of Gujarat.  First Solar sees India as a potentially large solar market.  Delivery is expected in March 2011.

First Solar VP TK Kallenbach commented: “We see India as a land of immense opportunity and potential. We are pleased to collaborate with a leader like ACME to contribute to the country through the development of clean, affordable, sustainable solar electricity utilising our advanced, thin film technology and unparalleled experience in large-scale solar PV systems.”

Source:  First Solar

Sudan to Focus on Solar Energy

The Sudanese government plans to devote more attention and resources to developing solar energy in the country, according to its vice president Ali Osman Muhamed Taha.

Taha said the government was committed to the recommendations and directives set out in the country’s five-year research strategy by investing more time and resources to the solar sector, during an inspection visit to a new photovoltaic energy unit in Soba, according to Sundan News Agency (SUNA).

He addressed Ministry of Science and Technology workers regarding the Ministry’s plan to provide lighting power to more than one hundred villages through using solar energy.

The Sudanese Ministry is also playing an increased role in the building and reconstruction plan for the region, providing science research facilities through the National Council of Strategic Planning.

Installing solar power in southern Sudan is part of the Ministry’s efforts to realise unity in the region through development projects, according to Taha.

The Sudanese government has already provided 30 villages in the Sudanese-Chadian area with solar energy, in preparation for which Chadian engineers have received training on how to operate and maintain the plant.

Taha’s inspection of the solar cell unit in Soba alongside Minister of Science and Technology Dr Issa Bashari, indicated the start of the programme. The projects will initially be developed in the Wau tow area.

Source:  New Energy World Network.com

Some US Solar Financing Programs May Not Be Renewed in 2011

As we approach the close of 2010, the status of several Federal renewable energy funding programs hang in the balance. Many of these programs - including the department of Energy’s Loan Guarantee Program and the 1603 Treasury Grant Program - which contributed to the growth of the distributed solar market this year, are set to expire and their renewal is unclear. Without these programs, the deployment of solar across the United States may stall.


n 2005, the Department of Energy’s Secretary of Energy became authorized to make loan guarantees to qualified renewable energy projects with the belief that accelerated commercial use of new or improved clean technologies would help sustain economic growth, yield environmental benefits, and produce a more stable and secure energy supply. The Recovery Act of 2009 provided $2.5 billion in appropriations to support up to approximately $21 billion in loan guarantees. Those credit subsidies complement more than $50 billion in additional loan guarantee authority the Department of Energy has to advance nuclear, clean coal, advanced renewables and energy efficiency technologies.

n early November, it was reported that several of President Obama's top advisers, including the National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers and energy policy czar Carol Browner, recommended termination of funding for the federal loan-guarantee program. Despite pulling money from these programs, antagonizing powerful Congressional allies, it is believed that many of the projects that rely on these loan guarantees will have to move forward without them. As of the writing of this article, the administration hasn't made a decision.

Treasury Grant Program

Another federal program, the 1603 Cash Grant program, is set to expire 31 December, 2010. The cash grant program was implemented during the financial crisis when tax credit investors became scarce and renewable energy projects requiring tax credit investors stalled. The program became an important factor in continuing the expansion of renewable energy as it gave solar developers the option to take a cash grant in lieu of a 30% investment tax credit (ITC), which proved to be much more attractive to renewable energy investors. The program was so successful that several proposals have been made to extend the program. However, at this time, it isn't clear whether or not there’s adequate support in Congress.

The "lame duck" session of Congress must necessarily face a number of key issues that cannot wait.

Not directly tied to renewable energy but never-the-less significant to many distributed energy projects have been the Bond Funding options that enabled schools and municipal governments to affordably install wind and solar projects. Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, Recovery Zone Facility Bonds and Build America Bonds have all been popular financing vehicles used nationwide to develop renewable energy plants and all had sunset provisions in 2010. These programs were very successful and legislation to extend them has already been crafted for consideration by Congress. Like the 1603 Cash Grant program, it isn't clear if there’s sufficient Congressional support to pass the proposed legislation.

The "lame duck" session of Congress, the time between the November midterm election and the seating of the new Congress must necessarily face a number of key issues that cannot wait. Tax legislation, for example, must be addressed prior to major negative changes currently set to occur. It is possible that as part of the legislative give and take to get key issues addressed, extensions to the programs favorable to renewable energy will pass. Conversely, Congress may be so focused on other issues that the renewable energy bills languish until a later time. The renewable energy industries and organizations eager to implement renewable energy technologies anxiously await Congressional decisions expected after the first of the year.

Source:  Solar Novus Today

Views:  Without these programs - the deployment of Solar Projects in the US may stall.

Westinghouse Solar secures patent for integrated solar panels

Westinghouse Solar, a manufacturer and distributor of solar power systems, has been granted another patent for its solar panel technology by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The new patent provides additional protection for the Westinghouse Solar panel's design, and expands the company's intellectual property portfolio in the solar panel mounting area.

An important feature of this latest patent include side electrical connections that eliminate the need to wire solar panels manually.

The company's original patent covering a solar module with integrated racking, wiring and grounding was filed in 2004 and granted in 2008.

In addition to patents already granted, the company has more than 25 patents in various stages of evaluation at the USPTO and foreign patent offices.

Source:  Energy Business Review

View:    Currently solar patents are the second biggest category of patent applications in the USA.   For more information - click here

NREL Verifies MiaSole's 15.7% CIGS Thin-Film Module Conversion Efficiencies

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has independently confirmed the 15.7% efficiency rating of MiaSolé-produced (1 square meter in size) copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) thin-film modules. A year ago, MiaSolé touted a module efficiency of 14.3%. The company also reiterated that it would shipping 22MW in 2010.

“This is a very exciting result, especially when it comes so soon after the previous 14.3% achievement from last September,” noted Rommel Noufi, an NREL solar researcher. “An almost 1.5% absolute increase in efficiency in such a short time on a continuous roll-to-roll manufacturing line is impressive and demonstrates good process control and a validation of the MiaSolé approach.” 

"This is a significant accomplishment as it represents the ability to manufacture full-scale CIGS modules with efficiencies equal to or better than that of polycrystalline silicon modules available in the world today but manufactured at a thin-film cost structure. We are pleased that we are executing ahead of our roadmap for efficiency improvements and feel confident in our ability to bring high efficiency CIGS technology to the market place,” commented Joseph Laia, CEO of MiaSolé. 

According to Noufi, CIGS technology is now on its way to achieving DOE’s target of $1 per Wp photovoltaic systems and narrows the gap between laboratory reported efficiencies of 20.3%.

MiaSolé says it is the only thin-film solar company that uses sputtering processes at each step of the coating process, which is also claimed to be a low-cost production method.


source:  PV-tech.org


Views:    At 15.7% - this is getting very close to the efficiency of Polycrystalline Solar Panels.   At this rate we should see more CIGS companies bringing their products to the market next year.

Yingli Green Energy Awarded Significant Orders from the Golden Sun Program

BAODING, China, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE)  today announced it has been selected as a major PV module supplier to the Gold Sun Program, which is sponsored by the Ministry of Finance of China (the "Program"). 


In November 2010, a total amount of 272 MW PV projects were announced under the Program, to which the Company is expected to supply approximately 70% of the PV modules. 


Under the terms of the Company's secured sales agreements with system owners, the majority of the module shipments are scheduled in the second half of 2011. In addition, according to the guidelines of the Program, the Ministry of Finance will grant 70% of subsidy to the Company once the sales agreements are concluded and the relevant application procedures are fulfilled, which is expected to occur before product delivery.



"We are honored to become a major PV module supplier for the Golden Sun Program, which is a significant business milestone for our expansion in the Chinese solar market," Mr. Liansheng Miao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yingli Green Energy commented. "I am happy to witness that the Chinese government has demonstrated its strong commitment to boost renewable energy utilization in its recently announced Five-Year Plan. 


Meanwhile, the renewable energy industry, including solar energy, has been identified as one of China's strategic emerging industries by the central government of China. 


Earlier today, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the National Energy Administration jointly hosted a meeting to further boost the utilization of renewable energy in China. In the meeting, the Chinese government declared its expectations to further expand its PV project portfolio in the next two years to reach a scale of at least 1,000 MW per year after 2012."


"As a solar pioneer based in China, Yingli Green Energy has demonstrated a firm commitment to the Golden Sun Program. The Company is responding to its mission and responsibility to meet the demand for affordable renewable energy in China by supplying high quality PV products from cutting-edge technologies. In addition, we expect this strategic move in emerging markets will further reduce the dependence on the German market, thus strengthening our long-term development dynamics," Mr. Miao concluded.

XsunX achieves 15.1% CIGS cell conversion efficiency

Hybrid thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) solar cell developer and manufacturer XsunX has increased the conversion efficiency levels of its cell devices to 15.1% based on the company's CIGSolar technology. Deposition of the CIGS cell layers was conducted on full-size 125mm square substrates. 

"The rate at which we're experiencing percentage point gains is truly incredible considering only weeks ago we announced surpassing 14% conversion efficiency," said Tom Djokovich, XsunX CEO. "Our confidence that small-area coevaporation processes is the key to delivering the best performance CIGS thin-film cells continues to be strengthened."

"It's important to remember that we are developing our technology on the same size substrates we intend to use in our commercial systems, about the same size as a silicon solar cell, so the efficiency levels we achieve in the laboratory we believe will be transferable to what we can offer the market," he continued.

Test configurations used to measure efficiency are identical to that used by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and XsunX test equipment is calibrated to the standards of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, according to the company.

Source:  PV-tech.org