SolarSummary: October 15 21, 2002

by Kirsten Elder

Companies in the news

ASE Americas
AstroPower
Chicago Solar Partnership
Dankoff Solar Products
ENTECH, Inc
IT Power
RWE Schott Solar
Shell Solar
Terrasolar Ghana Ltd

Applications

The Western Isles of Scotland are set to be the site of a new pilot study examining whether solar-powered street lights could work effectively in the region. “These solar powered lights complement the renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives taking place in the Western Isles and our aspirations for the islands to be a centre of green energy said the regions renewables spokesman. Already the islands have been earmarked for Europes biggest windfarm, at Barvas Moor in Lewis, costing 600 million, and over 2 million is to be invested in experimental wave energy generators off the coast. (The Scotsman via Solarbuzz, 18/10/02)

A solar energy technology team led by ENTECH, Inc has been awarded a $195,000 contract from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop solar concentrator arrays for use in space. The solar concentrator array concepts use flexible, ultra-light lenses to focus sunlight onto high-efficiency solar cells, achieving unprecedented performance. NASA has already tested a prototype ENTECH solar array with a record 27 percent efficiency converting space sunlight to electricity. This efficiency is more than double the efficiency of the solar arrays on the International Space Station. The new concepts to be explored under the NSF contract will be significantly more efficient than this early prototype array. (Solarbuzz, 16/10/02)

Feasibility studies for several solar and wind power projects are being carried out to help the City of Vallejo, located just to the north of San Francisco, California cut its electricity bill and reduce its dependency on gas and diesel, city officials have said. The city is looking to install approximately solar power units next to the Columbus Parkway pump station and on the roof of the Fleming Hill Reservoir to power the water pumping stations. A 332 kW solar project atop City Hall and JFK Library is also planned, however a site for the wind project has yet to be found. (Vallejo Times-Herald via Solarbuzz, 15/10/02)

Markets

A private solar energy provider, Terrasolar Ghana Limited, has began negotiations with three districts in the Eastern Region to provide them with solar power. The districts are Akuapem North, East Akim and Suhum/Kraboa/Coaltar. The Chief Executive of Terrasolar, Nana Yaw Boakye Asante, told the Ghana News Agency that the company begun a pilot project under which it is providing power to 500 households within Akuapem North District. The first phase of the project covering 100 households would be completed early next year. Nana Asante said the objective is to prove that solar power is not only for lighting homes but could also be used to promote rural industrialisation and speed up the government’s rural development programme. (Accra Mail via Solarbuzz, 16/10/02)

Emdad LLC of Al Bawardi Enterprises and Shell Solar B.V. have announced that they have signed an agreement to provide solar energy in the United Arab Emirates and some neighbouring markets. According to the agreement, Emdad will be the only Shell agent providing solar energy for commercial, industrial and residential projects. Hassan Ali Darwish, president of Al Bawardi Enterprises, said this was a new area with immense potential in the UAE and Gulf markets. “Solar energy is catching on rapidly, especially in remote areas, and Emdad being in the oil and gas sector was keen to undertake projects related to solar power.” Darwish said advanced negotiations were underway with companies in the UAE’s oil sector, including government ones, for starting solar projects. “There are major opportunities, at least $14-15 million worth of project deals are being discussed just now.” (Gulf News via Solarbuzz, 15/10/02)

Investments and Finance

Pennsylvania is to award funding to 27 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects across the state in a bid to increase security by becoming energy independent. The recipients of the new Pennsylvania Environmental and Energy Challenge (PEEC) program will receive a total of US$1.7 million in grants and have assembled their own funds of US$9.2 million. Total cost of all the projects combined is more than US$12 million. (SolarAccess, 17/10/02)

The California Energy Commission and the California Power Authority have set up a program to distribute $1.25 million in grants for schools to install rooftop solar energy systems, officials have said. The money is from settlements reached between Attorney General Bill Lockyer and two energy companies with long-term contracts with the state. Calpine Energy Services agreed to pay $6 million and Constellation Power Source Inc. agreed to pay $2.5 million. Of that total, $2.75 million will be used for retrofitting schools, hospitals and other public buildings, Lockyer’s office said. More money could become available if Lockyer renegotiates additional long-term contracts with other energy companies. (Associated Press via Solarbuzz, 16/10/02)

Industry Reports and Events

The Chicago Solar Partn
ership website has won an award for “Outstanding Website”. The site, www.chicagosolarpartnership.org, offers information for customers of ComEd, Chicago’s largest electricity provider, that are interested in selling excess electricity from their solar electric systems back to the utility. The site also is designed to be a resource for teachers and students. (Solarbuzz, 16/10/02)

Elsewhere in Solar

In India, the state government has decided to provide subsidies that will allow the people of Calcutta to purchase solar water-heaters this winter. According to power department officials, the heaters will provide an uninterrupted supply of 100 litres of hot water with each unit running for 15 years. “We shall arrange for long-term bank loans, to be repaid in five years. Out of the 14 percent interest, we shall provide a subsidy of nine percent,” said the agency director. The government has restricted distribution to the city for the moment but “we shall extend the distribution to the districts within a short time”. Officials said the move will promote solar power in some utilities and cut the large electricity bills. The heaters will be distributed by the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency. (Reuters via Solarbuzz, 15/10/02)

Corporate News

IT Power of the UK has announced the appointment of Dipesh Shah as non-executive Chairman of the company. As former Chief Executive of BP Solar (1991 1997), Dipesh played a fundamental role in the creation of the company as a world leader in photovoltaics, and continued his outstanding career with BP until this summer, when he announced he would be leaving his position of Vice President and General Manager of BP Acquisitions and Divestments to pursue other activities. Dipesh has also been elected Chairman of EPIA on 4 occasions and was a Board Director of Babcock International plc. IT Power recently opened new offices in China and Mongolia and has achieved a doubling of turnover in the last 2 years. (IT Power, 07/10/02)

The European Commission has approved a solar power joint venture between RWE Solutions, part of German utility RWE Group, and glassmaker Schott Glas, owned by the Carl Zeiss Group. The 50/50 RWE Schott Solar joint venture will combine the activities of RWE Solar, its subsidiary ASE Americas Inc and Schott Applied Power Corp, the companies said in a statement. The new firm will develop, produce and market crystalline technologies such as wafers, cells and modules as well as all-inclusive photovoltaic solar power systems, they said. (Reuters . 21/10/02)

Photovoltaic manufacturer ASE Americas has been awarded US$1.8 million by the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. ASE Americas will use the funds to develop advanced Continuous Silicon Wafer Manufacturing technology for making low-cost, high-strength photovoltaic silicon wafers that integrate crystal growing and wafer cutting, operates continuously, and uses readily available silicon feedstock. The project is expected to last 3 years and cost an estimated US$5.5 million. (SolarAccess, 16/10/02)

AstroPower, Inc. has been named one of the 200 best small companies by Forbes. Ranked 19 in terms of annual sales growth and 147 overall, AstroPower is being featured among 200 companies in the technology, retail and apparel, food and restaurants, and healthcare sectors in the October 28, 2002 issue of Forbes Magazine. (Solarbuzz, 17/10/02)

Dankoff Solar Products Inc., based in Santa Fe, New Mexico has been ranked number 242 of the Top 500 fastest growing privately held companies in the US by Inc magazine. Dankoff Solar Products, a manufacturer and importer of solar water pumps as well as a wholesale distributor of solar electric power components, achieved 927 percent growth in the past 4 years. Dankoff Solar Products is the only solar company to appear on the list that is mostly comprised of Computer Software & Services companies. (Dankoff Solar Products via Solarbuzz, 16/10/02)

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