Solar Cells Info

Univ. Toronto, ARISE Technologies and Portlands Energy Centre partner to
make Toronto a leader in solar power research
Toronto, ON, January11, 2007
source: AriseTech MEDIA RELEASE /Jan 11, 2007
http://www.arisetech.com/images/stories/documents/press/solarpr-final2.pdf

The University of Toronto (U of T), ARISE Technologies and The Portlands Energy Centre (PEC) have joined forces to create Canada’s largest solar research facility, which will be located on the PEC site on Toronto’s waterfront. “This project will establish Toronto and Ontario as a world leader in solar energy research and development and education,” said Energy Minister Dwight Duncan. “Solar and other forms of renewable energy are an important part of Ontario’s energy future. When completed, the facility will harvest enough solar energy to power up to 1,000 homes. The community will be able to participate through a community based share offering.
Under the agreement announced today, PEC will provide land worth about $2.4 million. ARISE will design and install a photo power system utilizing high efficiency photovoltaic (PV) cell technology developed by ARISE and U of T. The solar park will create between 500 kilowatts and 1 megawatt, representing an investment between $5 to $8 million.

U of T students and staff at ARISE will use the facility to conduct research on renewable energy systems and technologies. This will help develop the utilization of PV systems for commercial and utility scale systems. The PEC site is an ideal location for this project as it’s an urban setting close to the university, has access to transmission lines and offers a large tract of land with an unobstructed southern exposure.
Later this year, ARISE will issue a community based share offering that will allow residents to participate in the project. Standard Offer Contract details with the Ontario Power Authority and government officials regarding permits have not been finalized. Details on the community share offering and exact size of the facility will be announced at a later date. The project is expected to be installed in late 2008 or early 2009.
“We’re thrilled to be part of this project and help create the path to a more sustainable future. We’re looking forward to working with ARISE and the students,” said Jim Burpee, PEC Chairman. “This is an excellent opportunity for our students to get first hand exposure to commercial scale solar electric systems,” said Nazir Kherani, a Photovoltaics Professor at U of T. “In addition, the facility will provide a research venue for large scale, grid connected photovoltaic systems,” said Reza Iravani, an Energy Systems Professor at the University.

“We are very pleased to be involved with this and will use this project as a large scale deployment of our high efficiency PV cells. We expect that the cells used in modules for this project will be produced by one of our partner companies. This project will provide an opportunity for our systems group to study and optimize implementation of large scale systems for deployment in Ontario,” commented Ian MacLellan, President and CEO of ARISE.
About PEC
The Portlands Energy Centre is a high-efficiency, combined cycle, natural gas generation plant designed to meet downtown Toronto’s urgent need for electricity. The facility is expected be operational in simple cycle mode and delivering electricity to the city in the summer of 2008. When completed in 2009, the plant will provide up to 550 megawatts of power under the ACES
contract – which is about 25 per cent of central Toronto’s needs. PEC is a limited partnership of Ontario Power Generation Inc. and TransCanada Energy Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of TransCanada Corporation.

About ARISE
ARISE Technologies is dedicated to accelerating the use of solar energy in mainstream North American markets. The Company’s shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol APV and on the Frankfurt Open Market Exchange under the symbol A3T. Additional information is available at www.arisetech.com and www.sedar.com.

Three-Year Solar Cell Supply Agreement Begins in 2007

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan 16, 2007
Source: SunPower Corp. press release
http://investors.sunpowercorp.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=225814

SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR) subsidiary PowerLight Corporation, today announced a 120 megawatt, three-year supply agreement with JingAo Solar Co., Ltd. (“JingAo”), a privately-owned solar cell manufacturer based in Hebei, China. The agreement calls for JingAo to deliver increasing volumes of silicon solar cells to PowerLight beginning in 2007. This contract is the third in a series of long-term PV cell contracts completed by PowerLight over the last year.
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Lennar’s 650 New Homes Expected to Save 40 to 60 Percent on Electric Bills

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan 15, 2007
Source: SunPower Corp, Press release
http://investors.sunpowercorp.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=225664

SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWR), a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of the world’s highest efficiency, commercially available solar cells and solar panels, and its subsidiary PowerLight Corporation, today announced the opening of the nation’s largest solar-powered neighborhood.

Built by Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN) in Roseville, Calif., the planned 650 homes will use SunPower’s roof-integrated SunTile(R) solar electric system, featuring the world’s most efficient solar cell. Lennar estimates that homeowners are expected to save an average of 40 to 60 percent on their monthly electric bills.
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Jan 9, 2007
source: Hoku Scientific Press release
http://www.shareholder.hokuscientific.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=224994

Pocatello, Idaho — Hoku Materials, a division of Hoku Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOKU), today announced it plans to build a $220 million polysilicon production plant in Pocatello with a payroll of 200 when the plant initiates operations. The City of Pocatello has reserved 450 acres of vacant land for Hoku’s facilities and future expansion. Subject to financing and other conditions, engineering and construction is planned to begin in the coming months and Hoku expects that the plant will be operational in late 2008.
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Source: Hoku Scientific Press release
http://www.shareholder.hokuscientific.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=226142

KAPOLEI, HI, Jan 18, 2007 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) — Hoku Materials, a division of Hoku Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOKU) established to manufacture polysilicon for the solar market, today announced the signing of a definitive contract with Sanyo Electric Company, Ltd., for the sale and delivery of polysilicon to SANYO over a seven-year period beginning in January 2009. Under the contract, up to approximately $370 million may be payable to Hoku during the seven-year period, subject to the achievement of milestones, the acceptance of product deliveries and other conditions. The contract provides for the delivery of predetermined volumes of polysilicon each year at set prices from January 2009 through December 2015. The contract also provides for an initial direct deposit of $2 million to Hoku upon signing and requires that SANYO place approximately 30% of the total purchase amount in an escrow account with Bank of Hawaii. Under the agreement, the escrowed funds are to be released to Hoku in installments, subject to Hoku’s successful achievement of certain polysilicon quality and production volume milestones and other conditions.
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Competitively priced solar modules deliver top-quality performance
Source: Press Release from SunWize Technologies
Kingston, New York, January 18, 2007

SunWize Technologies announces a new line of single crystalline modules with FM approval for Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C, and D, Hazardous (Classified) Locations. The new SunWize(R) SL series includes 6, 12 and 24-watt modules. Manufactured in accordance to ISO 9002 standards, SL modules carry a 10-year, 80% power output warranty. Bruce Gould, VP Sales, commented, “SL modules are very durable making them an excellent module for remote site locations. They are an integral part of our line of solar power solutions for industrial markets.”
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DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Program (SETP) will host a workshop on February 7, 2007
January 4, 2007
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
http://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOE/PAM/HQ/DOE%2DSNOTE%2D061227%2D001/Synopsis.html
http://www.irecusa.org/articles/static/1/1167933601_1018302029.html

The Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Program (SETP) will host a workshop on February 7, 2007 at the DoubleTree Hotel, 300 Army Navy Drive in Arlington, Virginia to identify and prioritize lists of potential PV research topics for inclusion in two proposed funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) directed primarily towards U.S. universities.  These opportunities are currently planned to be entitled “University Research & Development Support for SAI Technology Pathway Partnerships” and “Applied Research for Future Generation Solar Electric Technologies”. Both FOAs are currently planned for release by the DOE in the spring of 2007.
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The Solar 4R Schools (S4RS) program has a new online home:
http://www.solar4rschools.org/

The S4RS program, developed and managed by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, educates students and teachers on the functions and benefits of solar electric power, an increasingly popular renewable resource. In addition to producing clean, renewable energy, each school’s solar power system includes a curriculum package that uses the web-based, real-time data generated by each installation to provide students with a comprehensive, interactive learning experience.

To complement the existing curriculum and teacher-training program, Solar4RSchols.org now provides participating schools with online access to lesson plans, presentations, and other useful classroom materials. The site consists of a series of interactive Web pages dedicated to each individual S4RS project.

By Joshua Boak /Toledo Blade Staff Writer /Dec 16, 2006
Source: Toledoblade.com
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061216/NEWS21/612160431

A University of Toledo-led team received an $18.6 million state grant to create facilities to develop and test solar power cells, the governor’s office announced yesterday. “It would be nice to say this was a wonderful Christmas gift,” UT President Dr. Lloyd Jacobs said. “But this was not a gift. This was an earned recognition of some people’s very hard work.” During the next three years, UT will get a total of $9 million from the Third Frontier Project, a $1.6 billion state program for nurturing a technology-based economy.
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Source:  Cornell University, Ithaca, New York  /December 6, 2006
http://www.irecusa.org/articles/static/1/1168971545_987099548.html

When you look at the lighted face of the McGraw Tower clock at night, think of the sun, because the sun now supplies the university with enough energy to light the tower. In late December workers completed the installation on the roof of Day Hall of solar panels that will generate slightly more electricity than is used by the clock tower lights, so the tower has been chosen to symbolize the new energy source.

The system was turned on and began feeding power into the university power grid Dec. 20. With 54 26-square-foot solar panels generating a peak 15 kilowatts (kw), it is the third largest solar array in Tompkins County after the Tompkins County Library, whose system is rated at 145 kw, and a recent apartment building installation rated at 16.7 kw. Eight similar panels, rated at 2.2 kw, will be installed over the loading dock of the Cornell Store. Total annual output of the Day Hall solar system is expected to be 20,000 to 25,000 kilowatt hours, with a value of up to $2,500. The Cornell Store system is expected to produce 1,500 to 1,800 kilowatt hours, worth about $150 to $180.
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