Solar Cells Info

287 kilowatt solar carports can generate enough electricity to power 80 San Francisco homes
San Francisco, CA, July 24, 2008
Source: SolarCity press release/PRNewswire
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/solarcity-completes-largest-commercial-solar/
story.aspx?guid=%7B10CF0771-A535-492D-886A-972FEBFB57CA%7D&dist=hppr

SolarCity, a leading provider of solar power financing, design, installation and service, announced it has completed the largest commercial solar installation in San Francisco for British Motor Car Distributors, Inc. The dramatic, 287 kilowatt installation includes two rooftop carports comprised of 1,606 solar panels.
“I commend SolarCity and British Motors for building the largest commercial solar installation in San Francisco,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom. “Private sector efforts such as this, in combination with our GoSolarSF incentives, will make San Francisco an international leader in solar installations.”  SolarCity designed and installed carports atop two British Motors’ buildings on the 900 block of Van Ness Avenue. British Motors’ historic showroom building at 901 Van Ness Avenue — a designated San Francisco Landmark — originally opened in 1927 and was designed by Bernard Maybeck, the nationally-renowned architect who also designed San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts. (more…)

Middlebury Animal Hospital, Tyrone Farm, Westport Wash & Wax and 2001 Company All Benefiting from Solar Energy
Rocky Hill, Conn., July 28, 2008
Source: Connecticut Clean Energy Fund CCEF press release
http://www.ctcleanenergy.com/NewsEvents/PressRoom/tabid/118/ctl/ViewItem/mid/1364/
ItemId/120/Default.aspx?SkinSrc=/Portals/_default/Skins/subpages/subpage_level0

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) today announced that four of the solar photovoltaic (PV) projects that it funded through its On-Site Renewable Distributed Generation Program are now completed and successfully operating.  These installations include:
* An 11.5-kilowatt rooftop solar PV system at Middlebury Animal Hospital in Middlebury, Conn.;
* A 23.2-kilowatt ground-mounted solar PV system at Tyrone Farm in Pomfret, Conn.;
* A 3.7-kilowatt rooftop solar PV system at Westport Wash & Wax in Westport, Conn.; and
* A 16.3-kilowatt building-integrated solar PV system at 2001 Company of Waterbury, Conn.
(more…)

by Jonathan Watts /July 25 2008
Source: Guardian.CO.UK
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2008/jul/25/solarpower.alternativeenergy

If China is ever to produce a challenger for the title of the world’s richest and most respected businessman, a leading contender is likely to be Shi Zhengrong. The world’s first solar billionaire sits at the intersection of two of the most important vectors of the 21st century – China’s economic rise and the global imperative to cut carbon emissions.  Since founding Suntech Power – China’s largest photovoltaic manufacturer – in 2001, Shi has capitalised on a surge of environmentally driven demand in Germany, the US and elsewhere that has turned his company into a global powerhouse and made him, by some estimates, the richest man on the mainland. (more…)

Zuerich, July 9, 2008
Source: Reuters UK /Reporting by Eva Kuehnen; Editing by Quentin Bryar
http://uk.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUKL0926484920080709

Intel Corp (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research), the world’s biggest maker of semiconductors, has strengthened its renewable energy activities by investing in a German solar module maker, the company said on Wednesday. Intel Capital, Intel’s venture capital arm, said it would invest 24 million euros ($37.7 million) in Sulfurcell, which makes thin-film solar modules using copper indium gallium selenide, or CIGS, technology to turn sunlight into electricity. Thin film is generally less expensive than versions relying on polysilicon. (more…)

by Praveen Bose & Mahesh Kulkarni / Bangalore July 28, 2008
Source: Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=329781

Bangalore City-based public sector undertaking (PSU), Bharat Electronics (BEL), said it is planning a major investment in the solar energy space in a tie-up with another PSU, Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel).  BEL is in the process of setting up a greenfield facility to produce 2,500 tonnes of polycrystalline silicon (also known as polysilicon), the main raw material for making solar panels, at an investment of Rs 1,500 crore. This translates into 250 mw of power. This will be the first major facility for manufacturing a raw material for solar panels by BEL, which is a leading manufacturer of solar panels in the country. (more…)

Tempe, Ariz., Jul 16, 2008
Source: First Solar Inc, press release
http://investor.firstsolar.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=322481

First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) announced today that Southern California Edison (SCE) has selected First Solar to engineer and supply the PV power plant system for a 2 megawatt project to be installed on the roof of a commercial building in Fontana, CA. This is the first installation in SCE’s plan to install 250 megawatts of solar generating capacity on large commercial rooftops throughout Southern California over the next five years. SCE began installation of this initial project on July 14, 2008, and expects to connect the PV power plant to the grid in September 2008. In March, SCE, with California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, announced the five-year solar PV installation project, which is the largest rooftop solar program ever proposed by a U.S. utility. (more…)

Tempe, Ariz., Jul 24, 2008
Source: First Solar Inc, press release
http://investor.firstsolar.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=324202

First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq:FSLR) announced today that it will build a 10 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) power plant for Sempra Generation near Boulder City, Nevada. First Solar will design, engineer and construct the turnkey PV power plant and will provide monitoring and maintenance services for the plant over its lifetime. Sempra Generation will be the developer for the project, and will own and operate the PV power plant once completed. Construction began in July, and the 10 MW PV power plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. The solar modules to be deployed in this ground-mount project will be produced at First Solar’s manufacturing facility in Perrysburg, Ohio. (more…)

Malaysian government granted First Solar a multi-year income tax holiday
Kedah, Malaysia, July 28, 2008
Source: www.ciol.com
http://www.ciol.com/Semicon/SemiPipes/News-Reports/
First-Solars-first-of-four-solar-plants-in-Kedah/28708108360/0/

First Solar Inc. announced that the first of its four solar module manufacturing plants being constructed at the Kulim Hi Tech Park in Kedah, Malaysia was formally inaugurated by YAB Dato’ Seri Ustaz Azizan Bin Abdul Razak, Chief Minister of Kedah Darul Aman and Bruce Sohn, President of First Solar. Also participating in the event from First  Solar were Heiner Eichermueller, Vice President of Global Manufacturing, and Tan Poh Beng, Plant Manager of First Solar Malaysia. (more…)

by Ken Liu, Taipei, July 24, 2008
Source. CENS News
http://news.cens.com/cens/html/en/news/news_inner_24119.html

Arima Electronics Inc. recently won a contract to supply a Spanish power plant an undisclosed amount of solar cells. Industry watchers estimate the volume at 0.3 megawatts valued at around US$2.1 million.  Arima, which has left personal-computer manufacturing for photovoltaic business, will begin to deliver the contracted products some time in August. Industry watchers point out that the Spanish power plant plans to buy a total of 1.3-megawatt solar cells in four contracts. For Arima`s part, the company will supply, install and maintain the cells. (more…)

by Martin LaMonica, July 16, 2008
Source: CNet News
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9991975-54.html

Wakonda Technologies said Wednesday that it has raised $9.5 million to pursue development of the ideal solar cell, one that is highly efficient and low cost. In spite of the claim–or perhaps because of it–the company is releasing few technical details. Wakonda, which recently moved to Medford, Mass., had its series A round funded by Advanced Technology Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, Polaris Venture Partners, the Massachusetts Green Energy Fund, and Applied Ventures, which is the venture capital arm of Applied Materials. (more…)