NORTHBROOK, USA: Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a world leader in safety testing and certification, announced today that photovoltaic modules produced by an Applied Materials SunFab Thin Film Line are the first to qualify for UL’s Master Certification Program for the solar industry.
The program, introduced in 2009, is an enhanced service offering with streamlined testing and certification procedures intended to help photovoltaic (PV) module and production equipment manufacturers get products to market faster.
With this qualification under the Master Certification program, Applied Materials’ customers who produce modules on a SunFab production line are candidates for UL’s Fast Track Certification Program. The Fast Track program allows manufacturers to greatly reduce the time and cost to certify the modules produced on their SunFab lines.
The SunFab Thin Film Line, which produces one of the world’s largest and most powerful solar panels available today at 5.7 square meters, is an automated, glass-in/panel-out manufacturing line for amorphous and microcrystalline silicon-based thin film PV manufacturing.
“The Master and Fast Track Programs and UL certification are critical to SunFab line customers working in the U.S. solar market, which is expected to grow from generating 400 megawatts to nearly two gigawatts of solar energy during the next two years,” said Kirk Hasserjian, corporate vice president, Applied Materials.
“Having an established, independent third party like UL validate the safety and performance of the SunFab line-produced modules helps our customers more rapidly take advantage of key market development opportunities. Two of our customers have already successfully certified their SunFab production line modules using the UL Fast Track Certification Program.”
Customized test fixtures and equipment were designed to handle the large-sized SunFab modules. This was essential in order for the products to undergo the rigorous test sequence at UL’s PV Technology Center of Excellence in San Jose, Calif. that validates the products’ safety and performance is in compliance with published UL and IEC standards.
Due to the large size of some of the modules, UL’s PV Technology Center of Excellence is one of the few testing labs in the country that operates environmental testing chambers equipped to handle this technology. The laboratory also remains North America’s most comprehensive commercial solar testing facility of its kind since its 2009 expansion.
“UL is committed to supporting the PV industry and continues to expand our solar testing capabilities to help customers meet their individual needs – large and small – as well as the demands of the growing marketplace,” said Jeff Smidt, general manager and vice president of UL’s Global Energy business unit.
“Our recent work with Applied Materials is a perfect example of how the Master and Fast Track Certification Programs reduce project turnaround times and increase speed to market, which is vital for our customers.”
UL’s photovoltaic programs are able to test to both national and international standards, including UL1703, UL 61730, IEC 61215, IEC 61646 and IEC 61730. Services are available globally for markets in North America, Europe and Asia at UL’s PV Technology Centers in San Jose, Calif., Zeppelinheim, Germany, Suzhou, China and later this year in Japan and India.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Enecsys to reveal solar PV micro-inverter technology for highest reliability at Intersolar Europe 2010
CAMBRIDGE, UK: Enecsys Ltd is to reveal details of its ground-breaking solar PV grid connected micro-inverter technology at Intersolar Europe 2010 in Munich, Germany, June 9-11.
The company’s solar micro-inverter will be on show for the first time, complete with its wireless smart monitoring system. Enecsys will discuss the design innovations that have been used to enhance the reliability of its micro-inverters to the point at which their life expectancy matches that of PV solar modules. The company will also discuss the accelerated life tests that underpin the expected reliability of the product.
The Enecsys micro-inverter was developed in Cambridge, UK, and is manufactured in Europe. It is the first solar PV micro-inverter designed to meet the technical requirements of both European and US markets. There will be a demonstration of the Enecsys smart monitoring software at the booth.
Enecsys will launch its solar micro-inverter and monitoring system at a press conference at Intersolar Europe 2010 on Wednesday, June 9.
The company’s solar micro-inverter will be on show for the first time, complete with its wireless smart monitoring system. Enecsys will discuss the design innovations that have been used to enhance the reliability of its micro-inverters to the point at which their life expectancy matches that of PV solar modules. The company will also discuss the accelerated life tests that underpin the expected reliability of the product.
The Enecsys micro-inverter was developed in Cambridge, UK, and is manufactured in Europe. It is the first solar PV micro-inverter designed to meet the technical requirements of both European and US markets. There will be a demonstration of the Enecsys smart monitoring software at the booth.
Enecsys will launch its solar micro-inverter and monitoring system at a press conference at Intersolar Europe 2010 on Wednesday, June 9.
Solaredge launches solar power harvesting system in Italy, in partnership with Albatech
HOD HASHARON, ISRAEL & REGGiO EMILIA, ITALY: SolarEdge Technologies, a provider of Distributed Solar Power Harvesting and PV monitoring solutions, is expanding its activity to Italy announcing a partnership with Albatech S.r.l, a leading Italian distributor of quality solar products and supplier of solutions for turn-key photovoltaic plants.
The SolarEdge power harvesting solution includes PowerBoxes, which are module-integrated power optimizers, multi-string solar inverter and a monitoring portal. This unique end-to-end solution enables production of up to 25 percent more energy from PV installation, while reducing costs and complexities.
The Italian PV market is the second largest PV market in Europe, exhibiting a double-digit growth rate in the last few years. The market is diversified and includes roof-top, commercial and large-scale PV installations.
The SolarEdge solution allows installers and system owners of all system types to benefit from constraint-free design, real-time module-level monitoring, improved maintenance at reduced cost, optimal site-area utilization, theft prevention mechanisms, enhanced safety and extraordinary reliability, which all contribute to faster return on investment.
“As a MetaSystem Group company, a technology-oriented group with extensive experience in power electronics, we found SolarEdge to be a natural partner, providing a smart solution based on a unique technology that enables maximum energy throughput along with numerous other benefits.“, said Raffaele Salutari, Sales and Marketing Director of Albatech Srl. Albatech already placed orders and began taking deliveries for several mega-watts of SolarEdge systems.
“We see great potential in the Italian market” said Zvi Lando, VP Global Sales of SolarEdge “we believe that AlbaTech, with its vast experience and nation-wide network of sales and support, is the best partner for establishing our operations in this market.”
The SolarEdge power harvesting solution includes PowerBoxes, which are module-integrated power optimizers, multi-string solar inverter and a monitoring portal. This unique end-to-end solution enables production of up to 25 percent more energy from PV installation, while reducing costs and complexities.
The Italian PV market is the second largest PV market in Europe, exhibiting a double-digit growth rate in the last few years. The market is diversified and includes roof-top, commercial and large-scale PV installations.
The SolarEdge solution allows installers and system owners of all system types to benefit from constraint-free design, real-time module-level monitoring, improved maintenance at reduced cost, optimal site-area utilization, theft prevention mechanisms, enhanced safety and extraordinary reliability, which all contribute to faster return on investment.
“As a MetaSystem Group company, a technology-oriented group with extensive experience in power electronics, we found SolarEdge to be a natural partner, providing a smart solution based on a unique technology that enables maximum energy throughput along with numerous other benefits.“, said Raffaele Salutari, Sales and Marketing Director of Albatech Srl. Albatech already placed orders and began taking deliveries for several mega-watts of SolarEdge systems.
“We see great potential in the Italian market” said Zvi Lando, VP Global Sales of SolarEdge “we believe that AlbaTech, with its vast experience and nation-wide network of sales and support, is the best partner for establishing our operations in this market.”
Monday, May 3, 2010
AUO to showcase integrating position in solar supply chain at Italy's SolarExpo
HSINCHU, TAIWAN: AU Optronics Corp. will exhibit at SolarExpo 2010 in Verona, Italy from May 5-7 to showcase products including high-efficiency EcoDuo mono-crystalline solar modules, the popular EcoDuo PM220P00 multi-crystalline solar modules, and ground-mounted systems for the Italian open fields market.
The SolarExpo is one of the most noted professional PV trade shows in the world. This year it boasts an increase of 22.2% in the number of exhibitors over the previous session, surpassing SNEC in China and Intersolar in Germany to become one of the most well-known industry events.
AUO will exhibit ground-mounted systems designed specially for the Italian open fields market. Also, the Company will demonstrate its capability in providing quality "PV total solutions" with its extensive experiences in modules, power systems and PV projects during the exhibition.
In addition, the 230-250W EcoDuo mono-crystalline solar modules come in black or white to match conveniently with the design of buildings. Furthermore, each of them weighs 15 percent lighter than the same-sized modules on the market, making installation much easier.
To deliver the products in time, reduce carbon emission caused by transportation from Asia to Europe, and implement AUO's Green Solutions, AUO established a solar module plant in Brno, Czech Republic, right in the center of the European continent.
The plant will start mass production in the second quarter of this year and is expected to reach the capacity of 100MW in 2011. Leveraging the Company's strength in global deployment, AUO's solar module plant in Brno is the first automated module plant in Europe(*) among Taiwanese companies. The production line is built with highly-integrated automation system, which significantly increases product precision. The quality of the solar modules is therefore guaranteed, a safeguard choice for the European users.
Due to its profound experiences in employing high-precision TFT-LCD technologies to the mass production of solar modules, AUO has become a frequent participant in the large-scale solar power system projects in Europe. The Company has applied its experiences in TFT-LCD production and yield rate management to PV modules and vertically integrated all key technologies up and down the PV value chain, from polysilicon, solar module to PV system.
Unlike many others who still engage in manual mode or low-end production, AUO is capable of offering solar modules with longer lifetime and higher efficiency. Meanwhile in its clean energy business, AUO now collaborates with M. Setek to obtain quality polysilicon and solar wafers on the upstream side to produce silicon solar modules which could achieve 25 years of power performance.
In addition to endeavors in PV materials, modules and systems, AUO has also performed brilliantly in managing solar projects. In Hungen City, Germany, the Company delivered 12,672 solar modules and set up a solar park with its partners. The 2.9MWp solar-power plant is estimated to create Euro 16.79 million worth of electricity over its 20-year operation period, cutting 1,900 tons of CO2 emission each year.
AUO is currently in partnership with two major European industry players to develop open-field solar power system projects in Italy. It is estimated that the projects of PV systems will generate as much as 6.5 MWp of electricity. The Company will continue to devote itself to the production of solar modules and integration of power systems while joining many more large-scale projects and PV investments.
AUO will also closely co-operate with local dealers around the world to develop a complete wholesale network of solar modules. The distribution system is expected to be established by the end of 2010.
The SolarExpo is one of the most noted professional PV trade shows in the world. This year it boasts an increase of 22.2% in the number of exhibitors over the previous session, surpassing SNEC in China and Intersolar in Germany to become one of the most well-known industry events.
AUO will exhibit ground-mounted systems designed specially for the Italian open fields market. Also, the Company will demonstrate its capability in providing quality "PV total solutions" with its extensive experiences in modules, power systems and PV projects during the exhibition.
In addition, the 230-250W EcoDuo mono-crystalline solar modules come in black or white to match conveniently with the design of buildings. Furthermore, each of them weighs 15 percent lighter than the same-sized modules on the market, making installation much easier.
To deliver the products in time, reduce carbon emission caused by transportation from Asia to Europe, and implement AUO's Green Solutions, AUO established a solar module plant in Brno, Czech Republic, right in the center of the European continent.
The plant will start mass production in the second quarter of this year and is expected to reach the capacity of 100MW in 2011. Leveraging the Company's strength in global deployment, AUO's solar module plant in Brno is the first automated module plant in Europe(*) among Taiwanese companies. The production line is built with highly-integrated automation system, which significantly increases product precision. The quality of the solar modules is therefore guaranteed, a safeguard choice for the European users.
Due to its profound experiences in employing high-precision TFT-LCD technologies to the mass production of solar modules, AUO has become a frequent participant in the large-scale solar power system projects in Europe. The Company has applied its experiences in TFT-LCD production and yield rate management to PV modules and vertically integrated all key technologies up and down the PV value chain, from polysilicon, solar module to PV system.
Unlike many others who still engage in manual mode or low-end production, AUO is capable of offering solar modules with longer lifetime and higher efficiency. Meanwhile in its clean energy business, AUO now collaborates with M. Setek to obtain quality polysilicon and solar wafers on the upstream side to produce silicon solar modules which could achieve 25 years of power performance.
In addition to endeavors in PV materials, modules and systems, AUO has also performed brilliantly in managing solar projects. In Hungen City, Germany, the Company delivered 12,672 solar modules and set up a solar park with its partners. The 2.9MWp solar-power plant is estimated to create Euro 16.79 million worth of electricity over its 20-year operation period, cutting 1,900 tons of CO2 emission each year.
AUO is currently in partnership with two major European industry players to develop open-field solar power system projects in Italy. It is estimated that the projects of PV systems will generate as much as 6.5 MWp of electricity. The Company will continue to devote itself to the production of solar modules and integration of power systems while joining many more large-scale projects and PV investments.
AUO will also closely co-operate with local dealers around the world to develop a complete wholesale network of solar modules. The distribution system is expected to be established by the end of 2010.
New solar technology achieves major milestone
UK: The world’s first utility-scale solar thermal power plant based on Linear Fresnel technology has started construction in Murcia, Spain. The 30MW Puerto Errado 2 plant represents a breakthrough in solar power, as a large-scale low-cost plant, and also as the largest direct steam generator. The plant uses proprietary solar field technology developed by Novatec Biosol AG, a company majority owned by Transfield Holdings.
The Novatec solar technology has wide application, suitable in gas and coal fired power plants as a fuel saver and in industrial facilities requiring process heat. It uses less material than existing solar thermal technologies; fabrication of the solar field components is highly automated and installation is straightforward.
Moreover, the plant uses much less land and water than existing plants; all resulting in a more cost effective generation of solar thermal energy with less environmental impact.
Once operational, the 30MW plant will generate enough power to supply approximately 20,000 households and displace electricity generation that would have otherwise produced some 49,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases per annum.
Swiss energy utilities, Elektra Baselland and Industrielle Werke Basel have invested in the project together with Novatec and given the go ahead to commence construction. The official groundbreaking took place on 23 April 2010. This followed detailed evaluation of the existing 1.4 MW Puerto Errado 1 demonstration plant, which commenced selling power to the Spanish grid in March 2009. On completion in 2012, the PE2 will also benefit from a Spanish Government feed-in-tariff.
PE2 will use 300,000 square metres of flat mirrors to capture sufficient sun energy to run two 15MW GE turbines.
Novatec is pursuing a number of projects internationally, including fuel saving projects in conventional fossil fuel power plants.
The Novatec solar technology has wide application, suitable in gas and coal fired power plants as a fuel saver and in industrial facilities requiring process heat. It uses less material than existing solar thermal technologies; fabrication of the solar field components is highly automated and installation is straightforward.
Moreover, the plant uses much less land and water than existing plants; all resulting in a more cost effective generation of solar thermal energy with less environmental impact.
Once operational, the 30MW plant will generate enough power to supply approximately 20,000 households and displace electricity generation that would have otherwise produced some 49,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases per annum.
Swiss energy utilities, Elektra Baselland and Industrielle Werke Basel have invested in the project together with Novatec and given the go ahead to commence construction. The official groundbreaking took place on 23 April 2010. This followed detailed evaluation of the existing 1.4 MW Puerto Errado 1 demonstration plant, which commenced selling power to the Spanish grid in March 2009. On completion in 2012, the PE2 will also benefit from a Spanish Government feed-in-tariff.
PE2 will use 300,000 square metres of flat mirrors to capture sufficient sun energy to run two 15MW GE turbines.
Novatec is pursuing a number of projects internationally, including fuel saving projects in conventional fossil fuel power plants.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
SMA intros new generation of Windy Boy inverters
GERMANY: SMA Solar Technology AG presents a new generation of inverters for small wind energy systems.
The Windy Boy 3600TL and 5000TL inverters are equipped with a number of tried technologies and are perfectly suited for the rapidly growing market of small wind energy systems. The transformerless inverters have a wide input voltage range, a peak efficiency of 97 percent. Additionally, they are easy to configure due to an integrated Bluetooth interface.
Tried and tested technologies
The transformerless inverters Windy Boy 3600TL and 5000TL benefit from almost 30 years of SMA development work and many sophisticated technologies on the solar market.
"We wanted the devices to be suitable for as many applications as possible along with an easy installation and the well-known high efficiency," Volker Wachenfeld, Vice President in charge of Off-Grid systems, comments the target of this new product development. The wide input voltage range from 80 to 550 Volts makes the Windy Boy 3600TL and 5000TL suitable for nearly all turbine types. Additionally, with only 25 kilograms, the transformerless inverters have a considerably low weight and are thus easy to install.
Maximum energy yield
The peak efficiency of over 97 percent and the intelligent temperature management OptiCool are features with a very favorable impact on the yield. As a result, the inverter keeps feeding full nominal power to the grid even when the ambient temperatures are not ideal.
Additional advantage: every Windy Boy can be individually configured for optimal performance according to the power characteristics of the corresponding wind turbine. "This is basically comparable with the MPP tracking of the Sunny Boy inverters which keeps the solar generator at the power maximum," Wachenfeld explains.
"In the Windy Boy inverter, the maximum power characteristics have to be adapted to the specific turbine type." The system operator thus receives the optimum yields, the polynomial characteristic curve of the Windy Boy inverter can be modified for the operation with nearly any characteristic curve of the according generator.
The mechanical stress of the turbine is additionally reduced - the load shifts smoothly even when the speed changes drastically. This has positive impact on the system life of the turbine.
The Windy Boy 3600TL and 5000TL inverters are equipped with a number of tried technologies and are perfectly suited for the rapidly growing market of small wind energy systems. The transformerless inverters have a wide input voltage range, a peak efficiency of 97 percent. Additionally, they are easy to configure due to an integrated Bluetooth interface.
Tried and tested technologies
The transformerless inverters Windy Boy 3600TL and 5000TL benefit from almost 30 years of SMA development work and many sophisticated technologies on the solar market.
"We wanted the devices to be suitable for as many applications as possible along with an easy installation and the well-known high efficiency," Volker Wachenfeld, Vice President in charge of Off-Grid systems, comments the target of this new product development. The wide input voltage range from 80 to 550 Volts makes the Windy Boy 3600TL and 5000TL suitable for nearly all turbine types. Additionally, with only 25 kilograms, the transformerless inverters have a considerably low weight and are thus easy to install.
Maximum energy yield
The peak efficiency of over 97 percent and the intelligent temperature management OptiCool are features with a very favorable impact on the yield. As a result, the inverter keeps feeding full nominal power to the grid even when the ambient temperatures are not ideal.
Additional advantage: every Windy Boy can be individually configured for optimal performance according to the power characteristics of the corresponding wind turbine. "This is basically comparable with the MPP tracking of the Sunny Boy inverters which keeps the solar generator at the power maximum," Wachenfeld explains.
"In the Windy Boy inverter, the maximum power characteristics have to be adapted to the specific turbine type." The system operator thus receives the optimum yields, the polynomial characteristic curve of the Windy Boy inverter can be modified for the operation with nearly any characteristic curve of the according generator.
The mechanical stress of the turbine is additionally reduced - the load shifts smoothly even when the speed changes drastically. This has positive impact on the system life of the turbine.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
SunEdison expands in Italy with 12 new solar parks
MILAN, ITALY: SunEdison, a division of MEMC Electronic Materials Inc., announced plans to complete 12 one-megawatt (MW) solar energy plants in the province of Lecce, Apulia in Italy, and announced a 47-million-euro financing deal with Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentale in Germany.
“The announcement of these projects, which follows another major project announced recently by SunEdison in Italy – demonstrates our deep expertise as developers of a wide range of solar energy plants, from rooftop retail facilities to large, ground-mount utility-scale operations,” said Carlos Domenech, president, SunEdison. “Given our financing capabilities and project skills, SunEdison plans to continue to expand rapidly in Italy and in our other targeted growth areas in the United States, Canada and other European countries.”
SunEdison earlier announced a 72 MW photovoltaic solar plant to be built in northeastern Italy near the town of Rovigo as the largest solar energy plant in Europe.
To develop the Apulia projects, SunEdison signed a 47 million euro financing deal with NORD LB - Norddeutsche Landesbank – a leading bank in Germany. Vinod Mukani, Head of Americas Solar Origination for NORD/LB, said: "We are pleased to partner with SunEdison to provide financing for these projects and to support SunEdison in their development plans across the globe. This financing further highlights NORD LB’s client focused strategy, advisory capabilities and its commitment towards renewable energy sector."
Heiko Ludwig, Head of Energy Origination Europe for NORD/LB added: "Considering the intricate nature of the financing for the portfolio, NORD LB advised SunEdison on an efficient and financeable cross border structure for its Italian portfolio. The financing of renewable energies is one of the NORD LB Group’s key areas of business growth and the partnership with SunEdison allows us to demonstrate again our leading position in project financing in the solar sector across the world."
“Our goal is to continue to increase our presence and our solar electric power interconnections in Italy over the course of the year,” said Pancho Perez, General Manager of Europe and MENA Region for SunEdison. “We have very strong project finance and development capabilities and are continuing to expand our relationships with solar channel partners throughout Italy.”
The SunEdison Lecce solar parks will generate power for more than 3,300 homes during their first year of operation while reducing carbon dioxide emissions that are equivalent to taking 2,000 cars off the road. Besides the dramatic environmental advantages, the new solar plants will also create construction and plant operating jobs in the region.
Seven of the Lecce plants are already fully operational and were grid connected and sold in the first quarter of 2010. The other five plants are under construction and expected to be completed and operational by the third quarter. The 47-million-euro financing deal with Nord LB covers the majority of the one-megawatt plants.
“Solar energy has a very bright future in Italy, and we are glad that SunEdison can be a partner in providing clean-energy solar solutions for the region by financing and completing these important projects,” said Liborio Nanni, General Manager, SunEdison Italy.
“The announcement of these projects, which follows another major project announced recently by SunEdison in Italy – demonstrates our deep expertise as developers of a wide range of solar energy plants, from rooftop retail facilities to large, ground-mount utility-scale operations,” said Carlos Domenech, president, SunEdison. “Given our financing capabilities and project skills, SunEdison plans to continue to expand rapidly in Italy and in our other targeted growth areas in the United States, Canada and other European countries.”
SunEdison earlier announced a 72 MW photovoltaic solar plant to be built in northeastern Italy near the town of Rovigo as the largest solar energy plant in Europe.
To develop the Apulia projects, SunEdison signed a 47 million euro financing deal with NORD LB - Norddeutsche Landesbank – a leading bank in Germany. Vinod Mukani, Head of Americas Solar Origination for NORD/LB, said: "We are pleased to partner with SunEdison to provide financing for these projects and to support SunEdison in their development plans across the globe. This financing further highlights NORD LB’s client focused strategy, advisory capabilities and its commitment towards renewable energy sector."
Heiko Ludwig, Head of Energy Origination Europe for NORD/LB added: "Considering the intricate nature of the financing for the portfolio, NORD LB advised SunEdison on an efficient and financeable cross border structure for its Italian portfolio. The financing of renewable energies is one of the NORD LB Group’s key areas of business growth and the partnership with SunEdison allows us to demonstrate again our leading position in project financing in the solar sector across the world."
“Our goal is to continue to increase our presence and our solar electric power interconnections in Italy over the course of the year,” said Pancho Perez, General Manager of Europe and MENA Region for SunEdison. “We have very strong project finance and development capabilities and are continuing to expand our relationships with solar channel partners throughout Italy.”
The SunEdison Lecce solar parks will generate power for more than 3,300 homes during their first year of operation while reducing carbon dioxide emissions that are equivalent to taking 2,000 cars off the road. Besides the dramatic environmental advantages, the new solar plants will also create construction and plant operating jobs in the region.
Seven of the Lecce plants are already fully operational and were grid connected and sold in the first quarter of 2010. The other five plants are under construction and expected to be completed and operational by the third quarter. The 47-million-euro financing deal with Nord LB covers the majority of the one-megawatt plants.
“Solar energy has a very bright future in Italy, and we are glad that SunEdison can be a partner in providing clean-energy solar solutions for the region by financing and completing these important projects,” said Liborio Nanni, General Manager, SunEdison Italy.
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