the disruptive semiconductor technologies magazine - I-Micronews

OCTOBER 2010 issue n°100
THE DISRUPTIVE SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES MAGAZINE
PHOTOVOLTAIC
Satcon expands partnership with GCL Solar to include strategic manufacturing
agreement
Additional 500 megawatts in expected annual production capacity beginning in March 2011 increases worldwide
manufacturing capacity to over 2 gigawatts.
Satcon Technology Corporation, a provider of
utility scale power solutions for the renewable
energy market, announced a strategic
manufacturing agreement with GCL Solar Systems
Limited, one of China's largest utility solar power plant
developers, to enhance production of their industry
leading 500 kilowatt (kW) PowerGate Plus line of solar
PV inverters for the Asia Pacific market.
Under the terms of the agreement, GCL Solar is
commissioning a manufacturing facility in Nanjing,
China, which is expected to be capable of producing
over 500 megawatts (MW) of production of the 500kW
PowerGate Plus inverters in 2011. Satcon is expected
to provide GCL Solar with the core manufacturing
processes and technologies for the PowerGate Plus
solutions for final assembly at the GCL Solar plant.
GCL Solar has agreed to purchase from Satcon the
capacity to produce a minimum of 300MW per year
out of the GCL Nanjing operation. The PowerGate
Plus 500kW inverters manufactured at the Nanjing
facility under this Agreement are expected to be sold
by GCL Solar into the Chinese solar PV market, and
used on GCL Solar funded utility solar developments
around the world.
Production out of the Nanjing manufacturing facility
is expected to begin in March of 2011, and when
combined with the expanded Burlington, Ontario
operations is expected to increase worldwide
manufacturing capacity to over 2 annual gigawatts.
www.satcon.com
PowerGate 500 kW PV Inverter
Dow Corning unveils plans for new solar energy exploration & development center
Announcement event followed by roundtable discussion on innovation as driver of sustainable growth.
Dow Corning today unveiled plans for its $13
million investment in a Solar Energy
Exploration & Development Center (SEED)
at its European headquarters in Seneffe, Belgium.
This investment expands the company’s ability to
innovate with a broad range of European customers
using its silicon-based materials while also enhancing
the company’s European-based solar energy
research and development capabilities.
Following a ceremony, which included the unveiling
of the investment plans, political representatives and
business leaders shared their views on the role of
innovation as a key driver for economic growth in the
21st Century in Belgium and Europe. The dialogue
created an opportunity for participants to present their
opinion on ‘Plan Marshall 2.Vert’ (Marshall Plan
2.Green) launched by the Walloon government in
September 2009 to boost Wallonia’s economic
growth, including the sixth competitiveness pole
announced by Jean-Claude Marcourt, Vice-President
and Minister of Economy of the Walloon region, earlier
this year as well as the upcoming innovation strategy
and the revision of the EU’s industrial policy.
The investment in SEED includes two new buildings
that will complement the company’s existing Business
& Technology Center in Seneffe, increasing
capabilities and capacity for research and development
in Europe.
One facility, a Synthesis Technology Center for the
European area, will house laboratories and chemists
focused on increasing Dow Corning’s innovation
portfolio of silicon-based materials and boosting
research in sustainable technologies. A second
facility, a European Solar Solutions Application
Center, will seek to advance the company’s technology
for use in photovoltaic cells. Construction is expected
to begin later in 2010.
The Walloon region has granted Dow Corning
€ 7.5 million of subsidies to help the company with
its investments.
www.dowcorning.com
Copyrights © Yole Développement SA. All rights reserved - Recycled paper
Tigo Energy ® teams with SCHOTT Solar to bring electronic intelligence to
photovoltaic projects
The companies are working together to bring electronic intelligence to the solar module and increase power output.
As part of the partnership, SCHOTT Solar has
extensively tested and established system
compatibility, including the frame mounting
procedure, with the Tigo Energy Maximizer Solution
and SCHOTT’s industry-leading solar photovoltaic
(PV) modules. Additionally, Tigo Energy will be
actively supporting the SCHOTT Solar initiative to
include intelligent electronics in next-generation
module design.
The Tigo Energy Maximizer Solution creates smart
modules that provide up to a 20 percent increase in
energy production, active management capabilities
and enhanced safety for utility, commercial and
residential solar arrays. The implementation of the
Tigo Energy PV-Safe feature, which enables the
deactivation of all high voltage DC on the rooftop, was
reviewed by local fire agencies and recognized to
significantly reduce risk during a fire emergency.
As part of the evaluation stage of the partnership,
SCHOTT Solar and Tigo Energy engaged the
installation community to validate the customer
benefits of the solution. “The Tigo Energy Maximizer
solution keeps the SCHOTT POLY 235 modules
running at their peak output,” said Jeff Wiggins, CEO
of SolNV and President of Nevada SEIA. “Tigo Energy
and Schott Solar give our customers the peace-ofmind
of being able to watch the energy production of
each module for the full life of the installation.” SolNV
completed the 5.7kW system installation earlier this
year.
Tigo Energy has developed its innovative Maximizer
technology aimed at accelerating the adoption of
today's photovoltaic components and technologies
increasing system output and maintenance
effectiveness. Tigo Energy products are available in
high volume and can be deployed in residential,
commercial or utility scale systems today.
www.tigoenergy.com
www.schottsolar.com
16