FRANKFURT, GERMANY: Via:Sys Intelligent Video Analytics and Surveillance Grid Co. have announced a partnership to protect North America's commercial solar power industry with a comprehensive video surveillance system armed with state-of-the-art video analytic technology developed by Via:Sys.
Surveillance Grid will deploy the same proven Perimeter Security system that is installed throughout Europe's emerging solar industry and is accepted by leading insurance companies as commercial grade security protection. Via:Sys and Surveillance Grid will be exhibiting at Intersolar North America 2010 in San Francisco's Moscone Center West Hall from July 13-15, level 1 booth 7523.
As the worldwide demand for solar energy has skyrocketed, so has the solar power industry. The industry is expected to grow from 20 billion dollars to 90 billion dollars in 2010. These new solar power facilities require comprehensive security solutions.
Via:Sys products are currently used to protect solar power facilities, producing approximately 180 megawatts of solar generated energy. Via:Sys Senior Account Manager Anson Moran says, "With all the meticulous planning that goes into the design of a solar plant it's vital to deploy a plan to avoid disruption of service."
The partnership with California's Surveillance Grid will make full system integration of Via:Sys products available to the solar power industry in the United States and Canada. "We are excited to work with such a proven company as Via:Sys," says Surveillance Grid managing partner Warren Hackbarth.
"Their product integrates analytics and video to deal with real world conditions – in low to no light visibility – with the least amount of human interaction and to provide actionable intelligence to the right person to make quality intervention decisions."
Friday, July 2, 2010
Schneider Electric intros solar solutions
Intersolar North America 2010, BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA: Schneider Electric's Renewable Energies Business, leaders in developing, manufacturing and marketing advanced power electronic products and systems for renewable markets, is pleased to announce they will be exhibiting at Intersolar North America, in San Francisco, California, from July 13-15.
Intersolar North America focuses on photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal technology and has quickly established itself among manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and service providers as a vital North American industry meeting point.
Schneider Electric has a number of global solutions for a wide array of PV markets including solar farms, large commercial, residential, off-grid and backup power.
These solutions range from inverters, switch gear, monitoring to security products from Schneider Electric's vast offering of electrical and energy management solutions. One of the products that will be featured is the Schneider Electric Xantrex GT500 which has a competitive price and performance ratio and features Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm to maximize the energy harvested from the PV array.
Also featured is the 30 kW high-performance, transformerless Schneider Electric Xantrex GT30 grid-tie solar inverter that makes utility-interactive installations easier and more cost effective. This unit offers superior PV energy harvest, easy installation, and a compact, ultra-lightweight design.
Among its residential solutions, Schneider Electric will exhibit its Xantrex XW Hybrid inverter/charger and Xantrex GT grid-tie single-phase inverter. The Schneider Electric Xantrex XW features sine-wave power and advanced battery charging technology.
This product can be used in either a grid-tied with battery backup or off-grid application to suit a wide variety of installations. The single-phase GT offers a high efficiency, clean aesthetics, reliability, and a low installed cost, through ease of installations and integrated features.
Intersolar North America focuses on photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal technology and has quickly established itself among manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and service providers as a vital North American industry meeting point.
Schneider Electric has a number of global solutions for a wide array of PV markets including solar farms, large commercial, residential, off-grid and backup power.
These solutions range from inverters, switch gear, monitoring to security products from Schneider Electric's vast offering of electrical and energy management solutions. One of the products that will be featured is the Schneider Electric Xantrex GT500 which has a competitive price and performance ratio and features Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm to maximize the energy harvested from the PV array.
Also featured is the 30 kW high-performance, transformerless Schneider Electric Xantrex GT30 grid-tie solar inverter that makes utility-interactive installations easier and more cost effective. This unit offers superior PV energy harvest, easy installation, and a compact, ultra-lightweight design.
Among its residential solutions, Schneider Electric will exhibit its Xantrex XW Hybrid inverter/charger and Xantrex GT grid-tie single-phase inverter. The Schneider Electric Xantrex XW features sine-wave power and advanced battery charging technology.
This product can be used in either a grid-tied with battery backup or off-grid application to suit a wide variety of installations. The single-phase GT offers a high efficiency, clean aesthetics, reliability, and a low installed cost, through ease of installations and integrated features.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Amtech announces $20 million in new solar orders
TEMPE, USA: Amtech Systems Inc., a global supplier of production and automation systems and related supplies for the manufacture of solar cells, semiconductors, and silicon wafers, announced that its solar subsidiary, Tempress Systems Inc., has received approximately $20 million in new solar orders for its diffusion processing systems from two new customers and several existing customers in Asia.
Including these most recent orders, Amtech’s solar orders in its fiscal 2010 third quarter total $35 million, and total solar orders to-date in fiscal 2010 have reached approximately $118 million. Amtech’s fiscal 2010 began October 1, 2009.
J.S. Whang, CEO of Amtech, commented: “Achieving a record $118 million in solar orders in only nine months is truly a significant milestone in Amtech’s history. These latest orders further demonstrate our expanding solar market share. We believe the intense effort by our customers and the solar industry to increase cell efficiency will continue to drive demand for our superior diffusion technology and related products. We continue to see excellent quotation activity and remain focused on continued successful execution of our solar growth strategy.”
Including these most recent orders, Amtech’s solar orders in its fiscal 2010 third quarter total $35 million, and total solar orders to-date in fiscal 2010 have reached approximately $118 million. Amtech’s fiscal 2010 began October 1, 2009.
J.S. Whang, CEO of Amtech, commented: “Achieving a record $118 million in solar orders in only nine months is truly a significant milestone in Amtech’s history. These latest orders further demonstrate our expanding solar market share. We believe the intense effort by our customers and the solar industry to increase cell efficiency will continue to drive demand for our superior diffusion technology and related products. We continue to see excellent quotation activity and remain focused on continued successful execution of our solar growth strategy.”
First Solar creates utility systems business
TEMPE, USA: First Solar Inc. announced it has formed a utility systems business group to address the large-scale photovoltaic (PV) system solutions market. Jens Meyerhoff, 45, has been named president of the group. Mr. Meyerhoff has served as First Solar’s chief financial officer since 2006.
“With the pending completion of First Solar’s acquisition of NextLight, this part of our global business represents the next leg of growth for our industry and First Solar,” said Rob Gillette, First Solar CEO.
“Jens brings significant financial, operations and market expertise to the utility systems business in order to provide our customers with a full PV system solution to their renewable energy needs. He will ensure an integrated, portfolio-based approach to project economics—from site selection and project development through to transmission access, power purchase agreement and project asset sale.”
First Solar will have power purchase agreements for 2.2 gigawatts of utility-scale solar projects in North America when the NextLight acquisition closes, which is expected in the current quarter.
In the near term, the systems business supports utility customers’ achievement of renewable generation requirements at the lowest cost and shortest lead time to generation, while continuing to drive solar PV economics to levels comparable with fossil-fuel generation, enabling broader adoption of solar PV technology. To date, First Solar has built or has under construction 189 megawatts of utility systems projects in North America.
First Solar continues to provide a range of offerings that includes module sales and turnkey solar projects as well as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and operations and maintenance services to its various customer segments.
The company will immediately begin a search for a new CFO. Mr. Meyerhoff will remain CFO until a new CFO is appointed.
“With the pending completion of First Solar’s acquisition of NextLight, this part of our global business represents the next leg of growth for our industry and First Solar,” said Rob Gillette, First Solar CEO.
“Jens brings significant financial, operations and market expertise to the utility systems business in order to provide our customers with a full PV system solution to their renewable energy needs. He will ensure an integrated, portfolio-based approach to project economics—from site selection and project development through to transmission access, power purchase agreement and project asset sale.”
First Solar will have power purchase agreements for 2.2 gigawatts of utility-scale solar projects in North America when the NextLight acquisition closes, which is expected in the current quarter.
In the near term, the systems business supports utility customers’ achievement of renewable generation requirements at the lowest cost and shortest lead time to generation, while continuing to drive solar PV economics to levels comparable with fossil-fuel generation, enabling broader adoption of solar PV technology. To date, First Solar has built or has under construction 189 megawatts of utility systems projects in North America.
First Solar continues to provide a range of offerings that includes module sales and turnkey solar projects as well as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and operations and maintenance services to its various customer segments.
The company will immediately begin a search for a new CFO. Mr. Meyerhoff will remain CFO until a new CFO is appointed.
Cornell researchers create much cheaper recipe for making solar cells
THE WOODLANDS, USA: The Dichtel group in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University has developed a method to organize organic dyes into stacked sheets that are porous for incorporation into flexible solar cells.
The process could revolutionize the way solar cells are made by lowering costs dramatically, while creating highly-efficient and easy-to-manufacture solar cells.
The process employs organic dye molecules assembled into a structure known as a covalent organic framework (COF). The strategy uses a simple acid catalyst and relatively stable molecules called protected catechols to assemble key molecules into a neatly ordered 2D sheet.
These sheets can be stacked on top of one another to form a lattice that provides pathways for charge to move through the material. At the core of the framework are molecules called phthalocyanines, a class of common industrial dyes used in products from blue jeans to ink pens. Phthalocyanines are also closely related in structure to chlorophyll, which absorbs almost the entire solar spectrum.
This structure is a model that can significantly broaden the scope of materials that can be used in COFs. Once the framework is assembled, the pores between the molecular latticework could potentially be filled with another organic material to form light and flexible solar cells.
"This framework developed by Cornell researchers could possibly be one of the most significant advances in making solar energy more competitive with fossil fuels,” stated Robert Hines, president of Evolution Solar. “Also, advances like this could significantly lower up-front costs for solar power systems, which has been a deterrent for the industry that we would like to see disappear.”
The process could revolutionize the way solar cells are made by lowering costs dramatically, while creating highly-efficient and easy-to-manufacture solar cells.
The process employs organic dye molecules assembled into a structure known as a covalent organic framework (COF). The strategy uses a simple acid catalyst and relatively stable molecules called protected catechols to assemble key molecules into a neatly ordered 2D sheet.
These sheets can be stacked on top of one another to form a lattice that provides pathways for charge to move through the material. At the core of the framework are molecules called phthalocyanines, a class of common industrial dyes used in products from blue jeans to ink pens. Phthalocyanines are also closely related in structure to chlorophyll, which absorbs almost the entire solar spectrum.
This structure is a model that can significantly broaden the scope of materials that can be used in COFs. Once the framework is assembled, the pores between the molecular latticework could potentially be filled with another organic material to form light and flexible solar cells.
"This framework developed by Cornell researchers could possibly be one of the most significant advances in making solar energy more competitive with fossil fuels,” stated Robert Hines, president of Evolution Solar. “Also, advances like this could significantly lower up-front costs for solar power systems, which has been a deterrent for the industry that we would like to see disappear.”
Solutia's Performance Films segment receives grant to invest in energy-efficient building technologies
ST. LOUIS, USA: Solutia Inc. has announced that its Performance Films segment was recently awarded a $356,000 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant, entitled "Recovery Act: Advanced Energy Efficient Building Technologies," from the US Department of Energy. The awarded funds have been earmarked for the continued research, development and commercialization of high-performance, energy-efficient retrofit window film technology for residential and commercial buildings.
This technology involves new film coatings and techniques designed to improve energy efficiency in every climate zone, specifically films with low emissivity (low-e) properties, a measurement indicating a window's ability to minimize far-infrared heat transmissions, which produces significant improvement in a window's insulating properties, potentially resulting in both winter and summer energy savings. Solutia is the market leader in the development of these films under the EnerLogic trademark.
"The Department of Energy has recognized the value of window films as a retrofit solution to improving energy efficiency," said Ray Kollar, President and General Manager of Solutia's Performance Films segment. "Today's consumers have also learned that, just like changing their lighting, window films are an affordable, easy-to-make choice that can add significant energy savings and real value. As a global leader in film technology, we'll use this grant to keep pushing the technology forward."
The grant proposal requested funds to expand research of new high-performance window films for residential and commercial buildings. Solutia's current technology is utilized in new films that add up to 92%(1) more insulating power to existing commercial and residential windows – improving energy efficiency throughout the year.
"A building's energy efficiency starts at its windows," explains Dave Kaliser, Director of Product Marketing – Architectural for Solutia's Performance Films segment. The proposed work will allow technologies similar to those utilized in high-performance low-e glass coatings to be incorporated into retrofit window films, while keeping costs in line with current high performance window films.
"The technologies we're working on include improved coating flexibility and low infrared-transmission coatings," Kaliser continued. "These easy-to-install window films can increase energy efficiency year round, with much faster paybacks than traditional window replacement and substantially better energy savings per dollar spent."
Using the ARRA, the Department of Energy is making unprecedented investments to build America's clean energy future, including more than $76 million to support advanced energy-efficient building technology projects and the development of training programs for commercial building equipment technicians, building operators, and energy auditors.
This technology involves new film coatings and techniques designed to improve energy efficiency in every climate zone, specifically films with low emissivity (low-e) properties, a measurement indicating a window's ability to minimize far-infrared heat transmissions, which produces significant improvement in a window's insulating properties, potentially resulting in both winter and summer energy savings. Solutia is the market leader in the development of these films under the EnerLogic trademark.
"The Department of Energy has recognized the value of window films as a retrofit solution to improving energy efficiency," said Ray Kollar, President and General Manager of Solutia's Performance Films segment. "Today's consumers have also learned that, just like changing their lighting, window films are an affordable, easy-to-make choice that can add significant energy savings and real value. As a global leader in film technology, we'll use this grant to keep pushing the technology forward."
The grant proposal requested funds to expand research of new high-performance window films for residential and commercial buildings. Solutia's current technology is utilized in new films that add up to 92%(1) more insulating power to existing commercial and residential windows – improving energy efficiency throughout the year.
"A building's energy efficiency starts at its windows," explains Dave Kaliser, Director of Product Marketing – Architectural for Solutia's Performance Films segment. The proposed work will allow technologies similar to those utilized in high-performance low-e glass coatings to be incorporated into retrofit window films, while keeping costs in line with current high performance window films.
"The technologies we're working on include improved coating flexibility and low infrared-transmission coatings," Kaliser continued. "These easy-to-install window films can increase energy efficiency year round, with much faster paybacks than traditional window replacement and substantially better energy savings per dollar spent."
Using the ARRA, the Department of Energy is making unprecedented investments to build America's clean energy future, including more than $76 million to support advanced energy-efficient building technology projects and the development of training programs for commercial building equipment technicians, building operators, and energy auditors.
KYOCERA supplies solar modules for Toyota marine recreational boats
KYOTO, JAPAN: Kyocera Corp. announced that the company has started supplying solar modules for "Toyota Solar Panels," which are to be installed in recreational boats manufactured and sold by Toyota Motor Corp.. Toyota Solar Panels can also be installed as an optional unit on recreational boats manufactured by other companies.
This solar module will be exhibited in the Kyocera booth at PV Japan 2010, the solar energy trade exhibition, held at Pacifico Yokohama, Japan from June 30 through July 2, 2010.
Electricity generated by the solar modules can be used to charge a battery to provide a supplemental, durable power source for the various electronics and appliances installed on recreational boats. In addition to reducing CO2 emissions, the solar charging system prevents a battery from deteriorating during extended periods of non-use while docked.
This new marine application follows the introduction of Kyocera solar modules as an optional feature on the Toyota Prius beginning in May 2009.
For this product, Kyocera has implemented strict quality control measures, with rigorous testing to confirm heat resistance, vibration resistance, shock resistance and other evaluations to ensure reliability. Furthermore, Kyocera has established a dedicated production line with specialized engineers to ensure thorough control of the manufacturing process.
As a leader in solar energy since 1975, Kyocera will apply its extensive R&D resources to further enhance the quality of its solar cells and modules while exploring new applications for clean, renewable solar energy technology.
This solar module will be exhibited in the Kyocera booth at PV Japan 2010, the solar energy trade exhibition, held at Pacifico Yokohama, Japan from June 30 through July 2, 2010.
Electricity generated by the solar modules can be used to charge a battery to provide a supplemental, durable power source for the various electronics and appliances installed on recreational boats. In addition to reducing CO2 emissions, the solar charging system prevents a battery from deteriorating during extended periods of non-use while docked.
This new marine application follows the introduction of Kyocera solar modules as an optional feature on the Toyota Prius beginning in May 2009.
For this product, Kyocera has implemented strict quality control measures, with rigorous testing to confirm heat resistance, vibration resistance, shock resistance and other evaluations to ensure reliability. Furthermore, Kyocera has established a dedicated production line with specialized engineers to ensure thorough control of the manufacturing process.
As a leader in solar energy since 1975, Kyocera will apply its extensive R&D resources to further enhance the quality of its solar cells and modules while exploring new applications for clean, renewable solar energy technology.
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