WASHINGTON, USA: NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth.
Researchers conducting tests in the harsh environment of Mono Lake in California have discovered the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using the toxic chemical arsenic. The microorganism substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components.
"The definition of life has just expanded," said Ed Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. "As we pursue our efforts to seek signs of life in the solar system, we have to think more broadly, more diversely and consider life as we do not know it."
This finding of an alternative biochemistry makeup will alter biology textbooks and expand the scope of the search for life beyond Earth. The research is published in this week's edition of Science Express.
Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur are the six basic building blocks of all known forms of life on Earth. Phosphorus is part of the chemical backbone of DNA and RNA, the structures that carry genetic instructions for life, and is considered an essential element for all living cells.
Phosphorus is a central component of the energy-carrying molecule in all cells (adenosine triphosphate) and also the phospholipids that form all cell membranes. Arsenic, which is chemically similar to phosphorus, is poisonous for most life on Earth. Arsenic disrupts metabolic pathways because chemically it behaves similarly to phosphate.
"We know that some microbes can breathe arsenic, but what we've found is a microbe doing something new -- building parts of itself out of arsenic," said Felisa Wolfe-Simon, a NASA astrobiology research fellow in residence at the US Geological Survey in Menlo Park, Calif., and the research team's lead scientist. "If something here on Earth can do something so unexpected, what else can life do that we haven't seen yet?"
The newly discovered microbe, strain GFAJ-1, is a member of a common group of bacteria, the Gammaproteobacteria. In the laboratory, the researchers successfully grew microbes from the lake on a diet that was very lean on phosphorus, but included generous helpings of arsenic. When researchers removed the phosphorus and replaced it with arsenic the microbes continued to grow. Subsequent analyses indicated that the arsenic was being used to produce the building blocks of new GFAJ-1 cells.
The key issue the researchers investigated was when the microbe was grown on arsenic did the arsenic actually became incorporated into the organisms' vital biochemical machinery, such as DNA, proteins and the cell membranes. A variety of sophisticated laboratory techniques were used to determine where the arsenic was incorporated.
The team chose to explore Mono Lake because of its unusual chemistry, especially its high salinity, high alkalinity, and high levels of arsenic. This chemistry is in part a result of Mono Lake's isolation from its sources of fresh water for 50 years.
The results of this study will inform ongoing research in many areas, including the study of Earth's evolution, organic chemistry, biogeochemical cycles, disease mitigation and Earth system research. These findings also will open up new frontiers in microbiology and other areas of research.
"The idea of alternative biochemistries for life is common in science fiction," said Carl Pilcher, director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute at the agency's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. "Until now a life form using arsenic as a building block was only theoretical, but now we know such life exists in Mono Lake."
The research team included scientists from the US Geological Survey, Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif., Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource in Menlo Park.
NASA's Astrobiology Program in Washington contributed funding for the research through its Exobiology and Evolutionary Biology program and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. NASA's Astrobiology Program supports research into the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life on Earth.
Friday, December 3, 2010
SunPower signs loan agreements to finance 44-MW solar power plants in Italy
SAN JOSE, USA: SunPower Corp. has signed loan agreements associated with its previously announced solar bonds with BNP Paribas and Societe Generale, both located in Milan, Italy.
As part of this financing, a SunPower subsidiary has borrowed euro 195.2 million to finance the final two phases of the Montalto di Castro solar park, which will total 44 megawatts (MW). The solar bonds are expected to be funded in December of this year. SunPower has completed construction and will provide operations and maintenance of these power plants, and intends to complete its equity sale before the end of this year.
The Montalto di Castro solar park, developed by SunPower, is located in the Lazio region of Italy near Rome, where the 20-MW first phase was connected to the grid in November 2009, several weeks ahead of schedule. The 8-MW second phase was commissioned earlier this fall, and the third and fourth phases, totaling the 44 MW, brings the total scale of the project to 72 MW.
"This financing agreement puts us one step closer toward accomplishing the industry's first-of-its-kind solar bond," said Dennis Arriola, SunPower CFO. "We are on track to close the debt financing and sell the equity in these parks, all before the end of this year, consistent with our fourth-quarter revenue and earnings guidance."
As part of this financing, a SunPower subsidiary has borrowed euro 195.2 million to finance the final two phases of the Montalto di Castro solar park, which will total 44 megawatts (MW). The solar bonds are expected to be funded in December of this year. SunPower has completed construction and will provide operations and maintenance of these power plants, and intends to complete its equity sale before the end of this year.
The Montalto di Castro solar park, developed by SunPower, is located in the Lazio region of Italy near Rome, where the 20-MW first phase was connected to the grid in November 2009, several weeks ahead of schedule. The 8-MW second phase was commissioned earlier this fall, and the third and fourth phases, totaling the 44 MW, brings the total scale of the project to 72 MW.
"This financing agreement puts us one step closer toward accomplishing the industry's first-of-its-kind solar bond," said Dennis Arriola, SunPower CFO. "We are on track to close the debt financing and sell the equity in these parks, all before the end of this year, consistent with our fourth-quarter revenue and earnings guidance."
JA Solar announces supplemental multi-year wafer and polysilicon supply agreement with GCL-Poly
SHANGHAI, CHINA: JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd has entered into a long-term supplemental wafer and polysilicon supply agreement with GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd and its subsidiaries.
Under the adjusted terms of this supplemental agreement, GCL-Poly will supply JA Solar with an aggregate of approximately 10GW of high quality polycrystalline wafers and polysilicon products for a five year period, from January 2011 to December 2015, at pre-determined shipment volume. The agreement also contains a clause for a price adjustment mechanism.
"We are very pleased to strengthen our long-term strategic partnership with GCL-Poly, China's largest polysilicon manufacturer and a global leader in solar wafer manufacturing," said Jian Xie, COO of JA Solar.
"This multi-year supplemental supply agreement fundamentally improves our supply chain positioning with an expanded strategic supply of attractively priced poly-crystalline solar wafers. It also provides a solid foundation to support JA Solar's rapid growth and will significantly improve our cost competitiveness in the dynamic solar industry," he said.
Shu Hua, executive director and president of GCL-Poly, stated: "We are glad to establish a long-term strategic partnership with JA Solar, a leading solar company in the world. We will provide quality services to honor our commitment of wafer and polysilicon product supply for JA Solar to support its rapid development. We look forward to achieving a win-win situation with JA Solar in the global solar industry."
Under the adjusted terms of this supplemental agreement, GCL-Poly will supply JA Solar with an aggregate of approximately 10GW of high quality polycrystalline wafers and polysilicon products for a five year period, from January 2011 to December 2015, at pre-determined shipment volume. The agreement also contains a clause for a price adjustment mechanism.
"We are very pleased to strengthen our long-term strategic partnership with GCL-Poly, China's largest polysilicon manufacturer and a global leader in solar wafer manufacturing," said Jian Xie, COO of JA Solar.
"This multi-year supplemental supply agreement fundamentally improves our supply chain positioning with an expanded strategic supply of attractively priced poly-crystalline solar wafers. It also provides a solid foundation to support JA Solar's rapid growth and will significantly improve our cost competitiveness in the dynamic solar industry," he said.
Shu Hua, executive director and president of GCL-Poly, stated: "We are glad to establish a long-term strategic partnership with JA Solar, a leading solar company in the world. We will provide quality services to honor our commitment of wafer and polysilicon product supply for JA Solar to support its rapid development. We look forward to achieving a win-win situation with JA Solar in the global solar industry."
Thursday, December 2, 2010
MiaSole deploys Camstar to scale solar operations and drive product quality
CHARLOTTE, USA: Camstar Systems Inc. announced that MiaSole, the leading manufacturer of Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic solar panels, has deployed Camstar’s SolarSuite enterprise software platform throughout its entire solar manufacturing value chain.
As an industry innovator, MiaSole is growing rapidly, and the scalable manufacturing platform enables the company to shorten time-to-volume, improve product quality and reliability, and rapidly develop, roll out and enforce best known methods across new lines and plants.
“MiaSole is committed to providing innovative, top quality solar products that cost-effectively meet the needs of our customers,” said Kevin Eassa, VP of Operations for MiaSole. “Camstar’s SolarSuite provides visibility and consistent control over our manufacturing processes and resources. Access to a rich set of process intelligence accelerates our ability to continuously innovate and improve while we expand operations.”
“MiaSole’s rapid volume growth mandated a fast implementation that would immediately sustain high-volume transactions. We were impressed with the inherent configurability and high performance of Camstar’s platform that made it possible,” said Amiya Ranjan, senior director of IT for MiaSole.
“We applied a proven, phased, rapid deployment methodology and brought the solution into production in just 60 days, starting with resource and WIP tracking. We then added integration with process equipment controllers that allows automatic collection of very-high volume data and transactions. Instant visibility into equipment states, work-in-process and genealogy helps us meet or exceed target product quality, productivity and cost goals.”
“Camstar is seeing rapid adoption of our solutions across the Solar industry,” said Rob Rudder, senior VP of Global Sales and Marketing for Camstar.
“As these companies race to bring innovative products to market, they realize that product quality will distinguish the winners in the cost per watt battle. MiaSole is the top innovator among their peers, and they recognize the absolute necessity of a comprehensive platform for manufacturing execution and quality that integrates with the rest of the systems landscape, including shop floor automation, ERP and PLM systems.”
As an industry innovator, MiaSole is growing rapidly, and the scalable manufacturing platform enables the company to shorten time-to-volume, improve product quality and reliability, and rapidly develop, roll out and enforce best known methods across new lines and plants.
“MiaSole is committed to providing innovative, top quality solar products that cost-effectively meet the needs of our customers,” said Kevin Eassa, VP of Operations for MiaSole. “Camstar’s SolarSuite provides visibility and consistent control over our manufacturing processes and resources. Access to a rich set of process intelligence accelerates our ability to continuously innovate and improve while we expand operations.”
“MiaSole’s rapid volume growth mandated a fast implementation that would immediately sustain high-volume transactions. We were impressed with the inherent configurability and high performance of Camstar’s platform that made it possible,” said Amiya Ranjan, senior director of IT for MiaSole.
“We applied a proven, phased, rapid deployment methodology and brought the solution into production in just 60 days, starting with resource and WIP tracking. We then added integration with process equipment controllers that allows automatic collection of very-high volume data and transactions. Instant visibility into equipment states, work-in-process and genealogy helps us meet or exceed target product quality, productivity and cost goals.”
“Camstar is seeing rapid adoption of our solutions across the Solar industry,” said Rob Rudder, senior VP of Global Sales and Marketing for Camstar.
“As these companies race to bring innovative products to market, they realize that product quality will distinguish the winners in the cost per watt battle. MiaSole is the top innovator among their peers, and they recognize the absolute necessity of a comprehensive platform for manufacturing execution and quality that integrates with the rest of the systems landscape, including shop floor automation, ERP and PLM systems.”
New Energy bolsters patent portfolio, expands exclusive global licensing agreement for SolarWindow technology
COLUMBIA, USA: New Energy Technologies Inc. announced that the Company has entered into an expanded License Agreement with the University of South Florida Research Foundation Inc. (USFRF) to include several additional technologies which enable development of SolarWindow, the world’s first-of-its-kind product capable of generating electricity on see-thru glass windows.
Under terms of the agreement, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, New Energy Solar Corporation, obtained an exclusive worldwide commercial license to numerous discoveries important to achieving transparency and ease of manufacturing of SolarWindow. Included are new patent filings and inventions, which:
* Allow electricity-generating coatings to be sprayed onto surfaces while remaining see-thru; and
* Enable fabrication of novel ‘contacts’ which conduct electricity on SolarWindow, yet remain see-thru. Conventional contacts for conducting electricity make use of metals which can block visibility and inhibit transparency.
“Through our licensing arrangement, each new scientific and technical discovery in the research facility brings SolarWindow one step closer to commercialization,” stated John A. Conklin, president and CEO of New Energy Technologies.
“This expanded License Agreement strengthens New Energy’s intellectual property portfolio and reinforces our confidence in knowing that important technologies are secured exclusively for our worldwide use as we move SolarWindow™ towards pre-production scale-up and eventual commercial launch.”
Under terms of the agreement, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, New Energy Solar Corporation, obtained an exclusive worldwide commercial license to numerous discoveries important to achieving transparency and ease of manufacturing of SolarWindow. Included are new patent filings and inventions, which:
* Allow electricity-generating coatings to be sprayed onto surfaces while remaining see-thru; and
* Enable fabrication of novel ‘contacts’ which conduct electricity on SolarWindow, yet remain see-thru. Conventional contacts for conducting electricity make use of metals which can block visibility and inhibit transparency.
“Through our licensing arrangement, each new scientific and technical discovery in the research facility brings SolarWindow one step closer to commercialization,” stated John A. Conklin, president and CEO of New Energy Technologies.
“This expanded License Agreement strengthens New Energy’s intellectual property portfolio and reinforces our confidence in knowing that important technologies are secured exclusively for our worldwide use as we move SolarWindow™ towards pre-production scale-up and eventual commercial launch.”
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
GT Solar receives first orders for sapphire crystallization furnaces
MERRIMACK, USA: GT Solar International Inc., a global provider of polysilicon production technology, and sapphire and silicon crystalline growth systems and materials for the solar, LED and other specialty markets, has received its first two orders totaling more than $84 million for sapphire crystallization systems.
The orders come from Jiangsu Jixing New Material Co. Ltd and Jiujiang Sapphire Tech Co. Ltd. Total annual production capacity of the two orders is approximately eight million two-inch equivalents (TIE) of sapphire substrates.
“GT Solar is pleased that both Jiangsu Jixing New Material Co. Ltd and Jiujiang Sapphire Tech Co. Ltd, affiliates of two highly valued long term PV customers, have selected our sapphire crystallization equipment for their new production facilities,” said Tom Gutierrez, president and CEO of GT Solar.
“The response to our sapphire equipment strategy from customers has been very positive and we are pleased to be able to announce our first orders. We continue to talk with other potential customers in the Asia region for our sapphire crystallization systems and believe we are on track to meet our projected $100 million in revenue in our FY12 from sapphire crystallization equipment sales.”
The two orders represent GT Solar’s entry into the LED equipment market, which GT Solar stated it would pursue when it announced its acquisition of Crystal Systems in July of 2010.
Jiangsu Jixing New Material Co. Ltd and Jiujiang Sapphire Tech Co. Ltd are positioning themselves to capitalize on the expected growth of the LED market over the coming years by building the capacity to produce high quality, large area sapphire substrates. These initial customers will be targeting the high brightness LED market segment.
“Our advanced sapphire crystallization systems are built on a highly scalable and reliable architecture that lets customers quickly ramp to volume production with a lower capital investment compared with other competing crystallization technologies,” continued Gutierrez. “The combination of our technology and the depth of our regional service and installation expertise deliver compelling value to our customers by reducing the risks of equipping and commissioning a new manufacturing facility.”
The two orders in combination with other DSS and polysilicon orders bring GT Solar’s Q3 quarter-to-date bookings to more than $245 million and strengthen the company’s view for a strong FY 2012 based on the pipeline of orders still under discussion with customers.
The orders come from Jiangsu Jixing New Material Co. Ltd and Jiujiang Sapphire Tech Co. Ltd. Total annual production capacity of the two orders is approximately eight million two-inch equivalents (TIE) of sapphire substrates.
“GT Solar is pleased that both Jiangsu Jixing New Material Co. Ltd and Jiujiang Sapphire Tech Co. Ltd, affiliates of two highly valued long term PV customers, have selected our sapphire crystallization equipment for their new production facilities,” said Tom Gutierrez, president and CEO of GT Solar.
“The response to our sapphire equipment strategy from customers has been very positive and we are pleased to be able to announce our first orders. We continue to talk with other potential customers in the Asia region for our sapphire crystallization systems and believe we are on track to meet our projected $100 million in revenue in our FY12 from sapphire crystallization equipment sales.”
The two orders represent GT Solar’s entry into the LED equipment market, which GT Solar stated it would pursue when it announced its acquisition of Crystal Systems in July of 2010.
Jiangsu Jixing New Material Co. Ltd and Jiujiang Sapphire Tech Co. Ltd are positioning themselves to capitalize on the expected growth of the LED market over the coming years by building the capacity to produce high quality, large area sapphire substrates. These initial customers will be targeting the high brightness LED market segment.
“Our advanced sapphire crystallization systems are built on a highly scalable and reliable architecture that lets customers quickly ramp to volume production with a lower capital investment compared with other competing crystallization technologies,” continued Gutierrez. “The combination of our technology and the depth of our regional service and installation expertise deliver compelling value to our customers by reducing the risks of equipping and commissioning a new manufacturing facility.”
The two orders in combination with other DSS and polysilicon orders bring GT Solar’s Q3 quarter-to-date bookings to more than $245 million and strengthen the company’s view for a strong FY 2012 based on the pipeline of orders still under discussion with customers.
Nazca finalizes record Solyndra project in France
TOULOUSE, FRANCE: Solyndra Inc., a manufacturer of cylindrical photovoltaic (PV) systems for large commercial rooftops, announced that Nazca, a Platinum Solyndra Solution Provider, has completed a 1.28 MW solar system installation on a large warehouse close to Toulouse, France.
The warehouse was built by the GSE group, of which Nazca is a subsidiary, and subsequently sold to the “Port de Barcelona,” one of the main commercial transport and distribution arteries in the Mediterranean area. The port of Barcelona is a founding member of the Toulouse Goods Terminals which were created to bring port services closer to end customers. This is the largest Solyndra system in France and one of the largest worldwide.
“We expect the French solar industry to focus on innovative and high value rooftop installations in the next year and this project, with a strong partner like NAZCA, stands as a great example of the benefits of Solyndra solar systems,” said Clemens Jargon, Solyndra’s president of EMEA and managing director, Solyndra GmbH. “In a short amount of time, they were able to install the Solyndra system with more than 70% net photovoltaic roof coverage, resulting in a maximized power density and renewable energy production.”
“This was a large undertaking for Nazca and the Solyndra product and tight support teams made it easy to install the panels and bring the project to the roof quickly,” said Julien Puel, CEO of Nazca, SAS. “GSE Group, who rents the warehouse rooftop and operates this MW size Solyndra PV installation, is demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and green business practices while achieving a fair return on their system investment.”
The building concept is exploiting a number of Solyndra system advantages including the system’s light weight. Solyndra’s non-penetrating mounting system, with no ballast, allowed Nazca to design a system that generated significant power without requiring additional engineering.
The system, installed on a new, white reflective “cool roof,” consisted of more than 7000 Solyndra panels and will generate 1360 MWh/year of photovoltaic electricity. According to the EPA carbon calculator this is the equivalent of powering 600 households.
Michel Hugues, GSE founder and president, stated: “Solyndra has proven itself in hundreds of installations around the world and we are confident that this system will produce the energy and revenues that we have modeled. Solyndra has a wealth of reliability and performance data that was very helpful as we worked to secure financing for the system.”
The warehouse was built by the GSE group, of which Nazca is a subsidiary, and subsequently sold to the “Port de Barcelona,” one of the main commercial transport and distribution arteries in the Mediterranean area. The port of Barcelona is a founding member of the Toulouse Goods Terminals which were created to bring port services closer to end customers. This is the largest Solyndra system in France and one of the largest worldwide.
“We expect the French solar industry to focus on innovative and high value rooftop installations in the next year and this project, with a strong partner like NAZCA, stands as a great example of the benefits of Solyndra solar systems,” said Clemens Jargon, Solyndra’s president of EMEA and managing director, Solyndra GmbH. “In a short amount of time, they were able to install the Solyndra system with more than 70% net photovoltaic roof coverage, resulting in a maximized power density and renewable energy production.”
“This was a large undertaking for Nazca and the Solyndra product and tight support teams made it easy to install the panels and bring the project to the roof quickly,” said Julien Puel, CEO of Nazca, SAS. “GSE Group, who rents the warehouse rooftop and operates this MW size Solyndra PV installation, is demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and green business practices while achieving a fair return on their system investment.”
The building concept is exploiting a number of Solyndra system advantages including the system’s light weight. Solyndra’s non-penetrating mounting system, with no ballast, allowed Nazca to design a system that generated significant power without requiring additional engineering.
The system, installed on a new, white reflective “cool roof,” consisted of more than 7000 Solyndra panels and will generate 1360 MWh/year of photovoltaic electricity. According to the EPA carbon calculator this is the equivalent of powering 600 households.
Michel Hugues, GSE founder and president, stated: “Solyndra has proven itself in hundreds of installations around the world and we are confident that this system will produce the energy and revenues that we have modeled. Solyndra has a wealth of reliability and performance data that was very helpful as we worked to secure financing for the system.”
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