Solar

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Canadian Solar Supplies 18,500 Panels For Large US Agricultural Installations

Canadian Solar has announced that it has supplied 5.74 MW of its MaxPower CS6X310P modules to two projects located in Fowler, California. The first installation; the 2.49 MW Bee Sweet Citrus Farm, consists of 8,034 panels. The second installation; the 3.25 MW National Raisin Company Farm, consists of approximately 10,509 panels, making this array one of the largest agricultural solar systems in the USA. In total, the cumulative amount of electricity produced from these two installations is equivalent to powering 564 homes for one year.

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Dominion Acquires 60MW Solar Farm And Announces Multiple Solar Electric PPAs

As part of its long-term plan to bring online at least 500MW of solar electric generating capacity in North Carolina (N.C.) and Virginia, Dominion has announced it has acquired the development rights for the 60MW (AC) Summit Farms Solar facility in Currituck County, N.C. The solar facility is expected to enter service in December 2016. It has also signed 25-year power purchase agreements with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston Medical Center and Post Office Square Redevelopment Corporation.

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Credit Suisse And SolarCity Create New Fund To Finance $300m In Solar Projects

SolarCity Corp. has announced that it has created a new fund to finance more than $300 million in solar projects with Credit Suisse. The fourth such collaboration between SolarCity and Credit Suisse will allow thousands of homeowners in the U.S. to pay less for solar electricity than they pay for utility bills. The fund represents another new financing for SolarCity, following a $305 million cash equity financing and a fund to finance $347 million in projects with Citi that closed last month.

200 MW Tranquillity Solar Power Project Commences Operations In California

The huge 200 MW Tranquillity solar power plant has commenced operation in California, the US State that’s leading the way in PV deployment. Built on a huge 1,900 acres expanse of retired agricultural land in Fresno County; the project is a rare development of such size, as the market shifts towards smaller-scale solar PV plant developments. Canadian Solar’s subsidiary Recurrent Energy developed the project from start to finish, with construction beginning in July 2015 and taking only just over a year to complete.

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Municipal Authority Using Clean Energy To Safeguard Public Sector Services

The largest local authority owned solar farm in the UK, acquired for nearly £14.5 million, will be used to help protect the future of municipal services in Forest Heath. It announced that after months of negotiations it has bought Greenheath Energy Ltd and with it the 12.4MW solar farm at Toggam Farm in Lakenheath. The purchase has been made using capital – under Government finance rules, councils are not allowed to use capital to plug annual funding gaps as eventually, the money would simply disappear. Instead, they can use the money to invest in projects which generate an annual income.

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US and German Companies Combine To Deliver 350MW in US Solar Projects

BayWa r.e., a wholly owned subsidiary of global conglomerate BayWa AG, and Geenex Solar LLC, a leading North Carolina-based developer, have joined forces to develop an initial portfolio of projects in North Carolina and Virginia totaling 350 MW. The First project has started construction and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2016. The parties plan to begin constructing the next projects over the coming months with energy deliveries from the portfolio expected in 2017 and 2018. The projects range in size from 20 to 100 MW and are in different stages of development. BayWa r.e. will provide turn-key engineering, procurement, construction, financing and O&M, while Geenex will utilize its local expertise to drive development activities.

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Norway’s Asko And Scania Trucks Test Hydrogen Propulsion Power From Solar Cells

Asko, which is Norway’s largest convenience goods wholesaler, is continuing its investment in sustainable transport services. The company will together with Scania start testing trucks with an electric powertrain. Electrical energy is converted from hydrogen gas in fuel cells on board the vehicles. The hydrogen gas is produced locally, using solar cells. The trucks will run in distribution service with distances of almost 500 km. Asko’s ambition is to achieve a climate-neutral business, where the distribution of goods will take place using trucks, which run on renewable fuels and in the longer term completely on electricity.

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Australia Sets World Record For Solar Thermal Efficiency With 97% Conversion

Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have set a world record for efficiency for a solar thermal dish generating steam that could be used for power stations. The team designed and built a new receiver for the solar concentrator dish at ANU, halving losses and achieving a 97 percent conversion of sunlight into steam. The breakthrough could lead to the generation of cheaper base-load electricity from renewable energy and help lower carbon emissions which cause global warming.

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Tata Power Solar Delivers India’s Largest PV Project, With Parts Made In India

Tata Power Solar, India’s largest integrated solar company, has successfully commissioned a 100 MW solar project for NTPC, India’s largest power Utility. Aligning with the Government’s ‘Make in India’ mission, this is the biggest solar project commissioned using domestically manufactured solar cells and modules. It delivered the project nearly 3 months ahead of the stringent schedule. Key highlights of the project were the innovative design of Balance-of-System (BoS) and cabling.

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First Solar Wins 160MW Of PV Module Contracts For Turkish Power Projects

First Solar, Inc. has announced that it has won 160MW Of PV module contracts power projects in Turkey. Zorlu Enerji, a subsidiary of Zorlu Holding, has contracted First Solar to supply 100MWDC of its high-performance Series 4 thin-film modules, for projects expected to be constructed and commissioned in 2017. In addition, Basariarge Enerji A.S. – a joint venture between Basari Yatirimlar, a Turkish infrastructure company, and the Basari Group – has placed orders for 60MWDC of modules that will power its own projects, as well as PV power plants that it will provide EPC services for. The first modules will be delivered in late 2016.

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India Powers On; First Solar Connects 130MW Utility-Scale Solar Power To Grid

First Solar has announced the connection of 130MW utility-scale solar power to the Indian grid. The 130 MWAC plants collectively will produce enough energy to power 227,500 average homes in India, and will displace over 204,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. The project is powered by more than 1.4 million First Solar modules, offering highly predictable energy in all climates and applications. The modules have been independently tested to pass accelerated life and stress tests beyond industry standards.