Freitag, 3. September 2010

Solar FlexRack Chosen for 60kW Solar Array at Ohio Advanced Technology Center

Speed and ease of installation will permit reduced estimates for subsequent projects YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO — His initial experience with the Solar FlexRack has convinced another project manager that the innovative rack mounting system for solar panels holds tremendous potential for the future.


Melink Corporation of Cincinnati was the general contractor for DPL Energy Resources’ $400,000 project at the Mound Advanced Technology Center in Miamisburg, which is a former Department of Energy Weapons site. The 61.2 kilowatt solar array was erected on a hillside on the company grounds. Work was begun in late May and completed in late June.

Craig Davis, Project Manager for Melink, said “We knew the installation of the new solar PV system at The Mound would be a difficult one due to the rocky and sloped terrain. We chose Solar FlexRack because we knew the installation would be difficult and we wanted a product that would allow for a relatively easy and low-labor install.”

Melink’s faith in the Solar FlexRack was well-placed. Experience has shown that a 3-man crew can install one Solar FlexRack in 3 minutes or less. FlexRack’s nearest competitor says it takes an 8-man crew an average of 30 minutes to install their product. And now, says Davis, the success Melink has experienced with the Solar FlexRack at the Mound installation has him looking to future projects. “Thanks to the speed of the Solar FlexRack installation, our team has been able to reduce installation estimates on our other projects, giving us a competitive edge and leading to more projects in the future. “We were also impressed with the customer service provided by everyone at Solar FlexRack,” says Davis. “We can’t wait to try an installation on ground level!”

Donnerstag, 2. September 2010

Solar FlexRack Chosen for 60kW Solar Array at Ohio Advanced Technology Center

Speed and ease of installation will permit reduced estimates for subsequent projects YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO — His initial experience with the Solar FlexRack has convinced another project manager that the innovative rack mounting system for solar panels holds tremendous potential for the future.

Melink Corporation of Cincinnati was the general contractor for DPL Energy Resources’ $400,000 project at the Mound Advanced Technology Center in Miamisburg, which is a former Department of Energy Weapons site. The 61.2 kilowatt solar array was erected on a hillside on the company grounds. Work was begun in late May and completed in late June.

Craig Davis, Project Manager for Melink, said “We knew the installation of the new solar PV system at The Mound would be a difficult one due to the rocky and sloped terrain. We chose Solar FlexRack because we knew the installation would be difficult and we wanted a product that would allow for a relatively easy and low-labor install.”

Melink’s faith in the Solar FlexRack was well-placed. Experience has shown that a 3-man crew can install one Solar FlexRack in 3 minutes or less. FlexRack’s nearest competitor says it takes an 8-man crew an average of 30 minutes to install their product. And now, says Davis, the success Melink has experienced with the Solar FlexRack at the Mound installation has him looking to future projects. “Thanks to the speed of the Solar FlexRack installation, our team has been able to reduce installation estimates on our other projects, giving us a competitive edge and leading to more projects in the future. “We were also impressed with the customer service provided by everyone at Solar FlexRack,” says Davis. “We can’t wait to try an installation on ground level!”

LDK Solar Expands Vertical Manufacturing

LDK Solar Co., Ltd. ("LDK Solar") (NYSE: LDK), a leading manufacturer of multicrystalline solar wafers and PV products, today announced that it has expanded its vertical manufacturing by successfully completing the installation and trial runs of the first production line of solar cells in its newly installed manufacturing facility in Xinyu City. The new solar cell manufacturing line currently has an annualized capacity of 60 megawatts (MW) and is expected to reach 120 MW by the end of the third quarter. "We are very pleased to announce the commencement of our solar cell production," stated Xiaofeng Peng, Chairman and CEO of LDK Solar. "Once again our team has accomplished a rapid production ramp of a new facility. This is an important milestone as we continue to execute our integrated growth strategy. Our objectives of in-house cell production are to produce approximately 50% of our module manufacturing needs, thereby reducing the cost of our modules and attaining a stable supply of cells. Our newly established solar cell manufacturing facility in Xinyu City advances this strategy."



LDK Solar Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) is a leading vertically integrated manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) products and the world's largest producer of multicrystalline wafers. LDK Solar manufactures polysilicon, mono and multicrystalline ingots, wafers, modules, and engages in project development activities in selected segments of the PV market. Through its broad product offering of mono and multicrystalline solar wafers and modules, LDK Solar provides its customers with a full spectrum of solutions. LDK Solar's headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located in Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Xinyu City, Jiangxi Province in the People's Republic of China. LDK Solar's office in the United States is located in Sunnyvale, California. For more information about our company and products, please visit www.ldksolar.com

Yingli Green Energy Announces a Five-Year Polysilicon Supply Agreement with OCI

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE) ("Yingli Green Energy" or the "Company"), a leading solar energy company and one of the world's largest vertically integrated photovoltaic manufacturers, which markets its products under the brand "Yingli Solar," announced today that it has signed a five-year polysilicon supply agreement with OCI Chemical Corporation ("OCI"), a leading chemicals producer in Korea. Under the terms of the agreement, OCI has agreed to supply polysilicon with a total value of approximately US$442 million to Yingli Green Energy from 2011 to 2015.

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE), which markets its products under the brand "Yingli Solar", is a leading solar energy company and one of the world's largest vertically integrated photovoltaic manufacturers. Yingli Green Energy's manufacturing covers the entire photovoltaic value chain, from the production of polysilicon through ingot casting and wafering, to solar cell production and module assembly. Currently, Yingli Green Energy maintains a balanced production capacity of over 600 MW per year. Two capacity expansion projects of 300 MW and 100 MW located in Baoding and Hainan, respectively, have both started initial production in early July 2010, and are expected to bring Yingli Green Energy's total capacity to 1 GW by the end of the third quarter of 2010. In addition, Yingli Green Energy's in-house polysilicon plant, Fine Silicon, which has a designed annual production capacity of 3,000 metric tons, has successfully started commercial operation in early August 2010. Yingli Green Energy distributes its photovoltaic modules to a wide range of markets, including Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, South Korea, China and the United States. Headquartered in Baoding, China, Yingli Green Energy has more than 7,000 employees and more than 10 subsidiaries and branch offices worldwide. Yingli Green Energy is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: YGE). For more information, please visit http://www.yinglisolar.com .

Global Solar Energy Rolls Out the Most Powerful Flexible Module to Roofing Industry

Global Solar Energy, Inc., a leading manufacturer of high-efficiency Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CIGS) solar material, today unveiled its flexible building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) module: the PowerFLEX™ BIPV. Specially designed for commercial and industrial rooftops, PowerFLEX BIPV modules can deliver more power per rooftop than any other solar solution. With the PowerFLEX BIPV module, rooftops can quickly and cost effectively start generating clean energy. 

“At Global Solar, we recognized that the building industry has not been able to fully optimize the real estate on the rooftop with solar solutions currently available” Global Solar will showcase its PowerFLEX BIPV at the 25th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (25th EU PVSEC) / 5th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC-5), September 6-9 in Valencia, Spain. With 12.6 percent aperture efficiency, Global Solar PowerFLEX BIPV delivers the highest efficiency in the flexible module industry. 



The module has a large format (5.75m x 0.5m) and a high power density (300W) enabling it to outperform other flexible solar roofing solutions currently on the market, including 50 percent more energy and power than the current amorphous silicon standard. Global Solar’s PowerFLEX BIPV module directly addresses the biggest concerns posed by the roofing industry regarding solar integration. It is lightweight and can be applied directly to a roofing surface, requiring no mounting hardware, no roof penetrations, and creates no additional wind load. 

Designed especially for roofs, Global Solar’s PowerFLEX BIPV maintains the integrity and aesthetics of a building structure. Because of its large format and high power density, Global Solar’s PowerFLEX BIPV will also lower installation and balance of system (BOS) costs. Although traditional glass solar modules are too heavy for many commercial applications, they have been one of the few options available to the building industry for solar energy generation. Unlike conventional glass modules, which are heavy, rigid and typically installed at an angle on racks, PowerFLEX BIPV modules are lightweight and flexible, and installed flat directly on the roofing surface. This allows the modules to cover a greater amount of rooftop space that, depending on the location of the building, can equate to 50-100 percent more power and energy per rooftop than a tilted solar array. 

This advantage is particularly acute at higher latitudes. “At Global Solar, we recognized that the building industry has not been able to fully optimize the real estate on the rooftop with solar solutions currently available,” said Dr. Jeff Britt, CEO of Global Solar Energy. “We worked closely with roofing professionals when we designed the PowerFLEX BIPV, and their experience mattered to us. Leveraging their input, we now offer a high-powered module that will create the most powerful rooftops in the world.” Industry research is showing that the BIPV market is heating up. Lux Research reported that by 2013 the BIPV market will reach $5.7 billion. Solutions that will succeed are ones that meet the power, design and cost requirements set by the building and roofing industries. 

About Global Solar Energy: Since its founding in 1996, Global Solar has emerged as the leader in flexible Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CIGS) thin film solar cell technology. CIGS thin film technology is lightweight and highly efficient. Global Solar’s thin film solar cells are incorporated into a variety of applications ranging from lightweight portable solar chargers, traditional glass solar modules, and now building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products and designs. Global Solar manufactures CIGS cells in two full scale facilities in Tucson, Arizona, USA and in Berlin, Germany, and distributes worldwide.

SunPower Corp. Sparks 1,000 New Green Jobs with Solar Installations for U.S. Government

Solar industry powerhouse Sunpower Corp. is busy creating new green jobs in the renewable energy sector, the latest endeavor being a group of contracts for a minimum of 20 megawatts in new solar installations for the U.S. Navy, Air Force, General Services Administration and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. All together, SunPower estimates that the construction work will create about 1,000 new green jobs in the local communities where the installations are located, in addition to saving taxpayers money by helping to shift the U.S. military into a more stable, low risk form of energy. The new projects also illustrate how the Obama administration has stepped up the pace of solar installations at government facilities. SunPower has been installing solar arrays at U.S. government facilities since 1999, for a total of 20 megawatts to date. That’s equal to the minimum amount of solar capacity that will be installed under the new contracts.



New SunPower Solar Installations 
The new contracts are peppered around midwest and western U.S. They include a 2 MW system in Colorado, a 1.8 MW system in Indiana, various U.S. Navy facilities in the southwest ranging up to 15 MW (for a total of up to 40 MW), and a 15 MW facility in Arizona. The latter, located at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, will be the largest solar installation to date at any government facility. Expected to be completed next summer, it will supply about half of the energy used at the base, which just goes to show how rapidly we can shift out of fossil fuels given the financial resources and the willpower. 

NREL and Solar Energy 
The Colorado installation will be at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s campus in Golden. NREL is no stranger to solar installations, having developed a passive solar energy system called transpired solar air collector technology, back in the 1990’s. It was recently installed on the south wall of the new Research Support Facility. It consists simply of a dark, perforated metal plate that is warmed by sunlight. A fan slowly draws the warm air into the building, preheated by as much as 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In yet another indication of how the pace of solar installations has ramped up under the Obama administration, this will be the first transpired solar air system at the NREL campus since the 1990’s, when it was used to power equipment at a waste handling facility.