Solar Cells Info

Sales Offices Strengthen Suntech’s European Network and Broaden Ability to Serve Local Customer Base
San Francisco, CA, Feb. 19, 2008
Source: Suntech Power Holdings Co., press release
http://www.suntech-power.com/News/tabid/99/Default.aspx?id=312&Module=597

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP) one of the world’s leading manufacturers of photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, today announced the opening of sales offices in Germany and Spain to strengthen Suntech’s European sales network and broaden local customer service capabilities.  “We are very pleased to expand our sales and customer service capabilities in Europe with the opening of these two offices in Germany and Spain.  Our on the ground presence will help us to manage the exceptional demand for Suntech solar products that we are seeing in both Germany and Spain in 2008,” said Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech’s Chairman and CEO.  “Establishing regional sales centers and localizing our sales staff is central to our commitment to deliver exceptional customer service and we are confident it will enable us to forge stronger customer relationships and improve our ability to respond to customer needs.”
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Source: English.eastday.com / Feb. 20, 2008
http://english.eastday.com/eastday/englishedition/business/userobject1ai3416119.html

German solar cell producer Q- Cells AG has announced plans to invest in a production plant in Malaysia next year, local media reported today.  The company plans to build a major manufacturing complex for photovoltaic products in Malaysia, its first in Asia, Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz said at a media briefing in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

“The setting up of such a solar cell and modules plant will contribute towards the government’s initiatives in the creation of a solar industry cluster in the country,” the New Straits Times quoted Rafidah as saying.   Q-Cells was expected to invest more than 1 billion ringgit (310. US$56 million) between 2009 and 2010 in the first phase of the manufacturing complex, Malaysian Industrial Development Authority director-general R. Karunakaran said. However, the exact location has not been confirmed.

“Negotiations have been held over the past six months and we have been competing with others in the region. We are extremely pleased they chose us. We hope this will spur other companies and service providers to look to Malaysia, too,” the New Straits Times quoted Karunakaran as saying.  Q-Cells’ facility will be the second major photovoltaic-related investment in Malaysia, the first being that of the US-based thin-film module manufacturer, First Solar, at the Kulim High-Tech Park in northern Kedah state.

by Deepshikha Monga, TNN /New Delhi, 11 Feb, 2008,
Source: Economic Times
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Energy/
Moser_Baer_to_invest_15_bn_in_solar_power/articleshow/2771966.cms

Betting big on power generation through solar energy, Moser Baer India is investing about $1.5 billion in increasing its thin-film photovoltaic capacity to 600 mega watt (MW) over the next two years from the existing project capacity of 40 MW.  As part of the expansion plans, a Moser Baer wholly-owned subsidiary, PV Technologies India, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a leading US-based equipment supplier to secure supply of critical equipment.
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Sam’s Club on Keeaumoku Street is first of four Wal-Mart locations in Hawaii
to receive solar power system
Honolulu, Hawaii, Jan 28, 2008
Source: SunEdison / press release
http://www.sunedison.com/images/press/012808-walmartHI.pdf

Representatives from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) and SunEdison today announced the completion of the first of four solar power systems in Hawaii as part  of a previously announced pilot program on the islands. The 283 kW DC solar power system at the  Sam’s Club on Keeaumoku Street was financed, constructed and will be maintained for Wal-Mart by  SunEdison under a solar power services agreement (SPSA). (more…)

Under Separate Joint Venture Agreements with Blue-Green Capital and Sunergy,  SunEdison Has Seven Megawatts Currently Under Construction
Beltsville, MD & Barcelona, Spain, January 30, 2008
Source: SunEdison/ press release
http://www.sunedison.com/images/press/013008-spain.pdf

SunEdison, a  leading global solar energy services provider, has started construction on seven  megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) solar power plants in Spain with joint venture  partners Sunergy and Blue-Green Capital. The four ground-mount solar power systems  will be completed by the third quarter of 2008.
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Beltsville, MD, Jan. 31, 2008
Source: SunEdison.com press release
http://www.sunedison.com/images/press/013108-Constellation.pdf

SunEdison, North America’s largest solar energy services provider, today announced a 15-year agreement to sell Constellation Energy Commodities Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG), an estimated four megawatts (MW) of solar renewable energy credits in Maryland. When completed, the installations covered under this agreement will provide 30 percent  of Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard solar energy requirements in 2008, and almost 60 percent in 2009.
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Vacaville, CA, Calif., Jan 31, 2008
Source: OCR Solar & Roofing/press release/PRNewswire
http://www.ocrsolarandroofing.com./

OCR Solar & Roofing and BP Solar, a global leader in solar energy, today announced an expanded agreement to provide turn-key solar installations to production homebuilders throughout Northern and Central California. Within the framework of the expanded agreement, valued at over $10 million, OCR Solar & Roofing will receive the exclusive right to offer BP Solar’s market-leading EnergyTile roof-integrated solar modules to production homebuilders in Northern and Central California. In addition, OCR Solar & Roofing will also offer BP Solar’s low profile Integra(R: 58.44, +0.03, +0.05%) framing system for asphalt shingle roofs.
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Changzhou, China, Jan. 29, 2008
Source: Trina Solar Ltd press release/PRNewswire
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/
CNTU02129012008-1.htm

Trina Solar Limited (“Trina Solar” or the “Company”) and SolarAccess announce the inauguration of 2007’s largest PV system installation in the Netherlands, a roof integrated system at the new Amsterdam Library (Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam).   The project was carried out by SolarAccess, an international provider of PV installations with business in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France. Trina Solar, a leading integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic products from the production of ingots, wafers, and cells to the assembly of PV modules, supplied over 450 units of their 180W solar modules needed for this key project to SolarAccess as part of the long-term relationship between both companies.
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Costco Goes Green with Mitsubishi Electric Solar Array
San Luis Obispo, CA, Jan 30, 2008lif.
Source; REC Solar /press release /Businesswire
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view
&newsId=20080130005329&newsLang=en

REC Solar, a rapidly growing provider of residential and commercial solar electric systems, and Mitsubishi Electric have announced the completion of Hawaii’s two largest solar installations for the Costco Wholesale locations in Kauai and Kona. The two systems, which are 680 kilowatts (DC) each, hold the distinction of being the biggest solar arrays in the state of Hawaii to date. Collectively, these systems will generate enough electricity to power 250 homes.
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Solar firms to share research in bid to speed development of new super-efficient thin-film solar cell technology
Sarah Griffiths, BusinessGreen, 08 Feb 2008
Source: BusinessGreen.com
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2209279/german-solar-giants-ink-thin

German solar firms Schott Solar and ersol Thin Film GmbH have announced they are joining forces to accelerate the development of thin-film solar cells, which they claim could increase module efficiency by 50 per cent.  The firms will combine research and development resources as part of an initiative to develop a micromorphous thin-film module with a double-layer structure consisting of an amorphous and a microcrystalline film. The firms claim the double-layer structure should result in improved cell efficiency as it results in two layers of silicon converting the entire light spectrum into power.
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