SolarSummary: April 15 -21, 2003

by Kirsten Elder

Companies in the news

APS

AstroPower

ICP Global Technologies

Kyocera

PowerLight

Shell Solar

Systems Design & Technology, LLC

Emerging Technologies

According to a paper published in the latest issue of Semiconductor Science & Technology, the Hahn Meitner Institute in Berlin has designed an ultra thin solar cell that uses cheaper semiconductor materials than conventional solar cells, and is up to 50 times more efficient. The trick, German physicist Rolf Koenenkamp told edie, is to find a design that can combine a cheap absorber with a cheap substrate. Typical cells that use planar substrates require expensive absorbing materials, so the German team devised an alternative substrate that could be used with cheaper absorbers, while also redesigning the shape of the absorber. The result was a cell with a layer of light-sensitive cadmium telluride (CdTe) placed on top of a layer of porous titanium dioxide. The goal for Koenenkamp is to come up with a cheap, undeveloped absorber that has previously been rejected for its poor performance in a conventional cell. (Edie news, 18/04/03)

New Products

Kyocera Corporation has announced the introduction of two types of residential solar power generation systems to the Japanese market. Kyocera will release the Samurai, a roof installation type system primarily for ready-built houses, on June 2, 2003 and Heyban, a roof material type primarily for new houses, on October 1, 2003.

Systems Design & Technology, LLC, an energy and engineering holding firm, announced today the launch of SolarOne Products and Consulting, a product and business development firm with manufacturing experience providing consulting services to companies seeking to develop clean energy-based products. SolarOne will also continue many activities previously conducted by Solar Dynamics, a Connecticut-based manufacturer of portable solar power systems. Solar Dynamics was recently dissolved in March 2003 and its assets acquired by System Design and Technology. (Solarbuzz.com, 15/04/03)

Applications

New Jersey’s largest solar energy rooftop system has been dedicated at Janssen Pharmaceutical. The 500 kW PowerLight designed system will generate enough energy to power more than 600 homes every day thereby reducing the energy drawn from the state’s power grid by six percent each month. (SolarAccess.com, 16/04/03)

Markets

Local worker-owned cooperative Pioneer Valley Photovoltaics [(PV)2], is launching a first-of-a-kind program in conjunction with the Cooperative Development Institute. (PV)2 is inviting the public to join Solar Partners, an organisation that will use the tax-deductible donations it receives to pay for installing solar energy systems on selected sites, and to begin a mission to bring renewable energy into the community. (PV)2 installs and maintains photovoltaic systems on homes, businesses and institutions for residents of Franklin County, Amherst, Athol, and Phillipston in Massachusetts. (Solarbuzz.com, 21/04/03)

Investments and Finance

The World Bank will provide US$200 million to help Turkey establish a comprehensive framework for the development of renewable energies. Total investment in renewable energy generation financing required under the project is expected to reach $500 million which would include equity financing from the private sponsors, debt financing from export credit agencies, the World Bank Special Purpose Debt Facility as well as commercial banks. In the next two to three years, there is a substantial potential pipeline of projects at an advanced stage of development by private sponsors, and the project will enable government agencies to evaluate technical information about potential sites to prospective private sector developers. (Refocus Weekly, 16/04/03)

Policy and Incentives

An amendment to the Energy Policy Act of 2003 would set aside as much as $263 million over the next five fiscal years for use by the General Services Administration to outfit new and existing federal buildings with advanced photovoltaic solar electrical systems. The legislation would require the installation of 20,000 photovoltaic solar energy systems in federal buildings by 2010. (GovExec.com via Solarbuzz.com, 17/04/03)

Industry Reports and Events

ICP Global Technologies, manufacturer of the iSun portable solar charger, has returned from the 31st International Exhibition of Inventions held from April 9 to 13 in Geneva with three awards: The Gold medal with jury praises in the Environment and Energy category, the International Press Grand Prize and The City of Geneva Prize. (SolarAccess.com, 16/04/03)

The MATCH (Media and Technology Charter High School) School of Boston, Massachusetts has been recognised as one of the Northeast’s most innovative, efficient, and resource-smart new architectural gems at the recent Northeast Green Building Awards in Boston, winning first prize in the solar electric buildings competition. The school’s 21.6 kilowatt solar electric rooftop system was furnished by PowerLight Corporation. Shell Solar supplied the state-of-the-art solar electric modules, and the structure was designed by HMFH Architects, Inc. (Solarbuzz.com, 17/04/03)

Corporate News

AstroPower, Inc. announced on Monday that it received a Nasdaq Staff Determination letter on April 17, 2003 indicating that AstroPower does not comply with the requirements for continued listing set forth in Marketplace Rule 4310 (c) (14) as a result of its failure to timely file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, shares of AstroPower’s common stock are subject to de-listing from the Nasdaq National Market. As a result, the trading symbol for AstroPower common stock has changed from APWR to APWRE. (SolarAccess.com, 22/04/03)

Utility APS (formerly Arizona Public Service) has developed a solar-hybrid power system which will greatly reduce the use of diesel generators at Waste Management of Arizonas Gray Wolf Landfill facility just outside of Prescott. Located in a remote area in Dewey, Waste Managements Gray Wolf Landfill originally was powered by three diesel generators. APS and Waste Management dedicated the system this week, which will use the first commercial application of the APS Tilted Tracker Photovoltaic System developed by APS, battery storage and diesel backup to decrease fuel use and improve air quality. The system will save the landfill close to $8,000 a month in electric bills. (Solarbuzz.com, 18/04/03)

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