SunPower has begun designing a 13.8 MW PV power system which is to be installed at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, in California. The ground-breaking event is to take place soon. The project is expected to generate about 30% of the facility's annual electrical energy load, once completed. The Navy will be purchasing generated power under a 20-year PPA, so there are no initial expenses.
Soitec Solar Development has received approval for power purchase agreements for a total of 155 MW of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) installations in the San Diego area, California. The approval from the California Public Utilities Commission is for five projects using Soitec's Concentrix technology.
Astronergy, subsidiary of Chint Group, has completed the 20 MW Golmud solar power plant in the Qinghai Province, China. The power plant uses PV technology to convert sunlight into electricity.
REC has entered into a supply contract with Kanoria Chemicals & Industries Limited for a total of 5 MW of its Peak Energy Series solar modules for a solar power plant under development. This project will be one of the first to benefit from the Renewable Energy Certificate Mechanism in India.
First Solar will build, operate and maintain the 66 MW Alpine solar project in Lancaster, California, on behalf of NRG Energy, the developer of the project. The power plant already has a secured PPA for a 20-year period with Pacific Gas and Electric.
China Sunergy has entered into an agreement with SUNfarmint (Germany) for the supply of 23 MW of solar modules. The German distributor and project developer will use the modules for customized PV systems in commercial and residential ground mounted installations, and rooftop projects.
The World Bank has approved a USD 250 million loan to Eskom for the Eskom Renewable Energy Support Project (ERSP), in order to help the South African utility implement two renewable energy projects involving CSP technology and wind energy.
The US Department of Energy announced a USD 60 million investment, as part of its SunShot Initiative, into innovative concentrated solar power technology development. The aim is to reduce the cost of solar energy by 75%, and make it competitive with other sources of energy by the end of this decade.
Panama's Secretary of Energy, Juan Manual Urriola, recently announced the country is soon going to reach two major renewable energy milestones – a solar project that will be completed in mid-2012, and a tender for the first wind farm project in Panama to be issued on November 8, 2011. The announcement was made during the opening of the VI Regional Integratio Forum, being held in Panama City.
NextEra Energy Resources has commissioned the Hatch Solar Center, a 5 MW concentracted PV facility in Hatch, New Mexico. This power plant is currently the largest CPV power plant in operation in the US. It features 84 Amonix 60 kW power generation units.
