18 reFOCUS July/August 2006 www.re-focus.net

General NEWS

ErSol’s thin-film module plant ErSol Thin Film GmbH (ETF), a

subsidiary of ErSol Solar Energy

AG (ErSol), recently held a

groundbreaking ceremony mark-

ing the start of construction of

its new production plant for sili-

con thin-film modules. The pro-

duction facilities will be based at

Erfurt’s freight handling centre

in Germany and construction

of the 6000m2 plant on a site

of around 35 000 m2 is due

to be completed by the sum-

mer of 2007. The site includes

adequate space for future

expansion of production. ErSol

has purchased the production

machinery and equipment from

UNAXIS S.A. of Switzerland, a

world leader in the field of thin-

film and vacuum technology.

Erfurt will thus be the site of

one of Europe’s most advanced

photovoltaic production plants.

The ErSol Group’s entry into

thin-film technology opens up

an additional growth option

that is virtually independent of

the availability of silicon and

unleashes significant cost cut-

ting potential for the company.

www.ersol.de

EverQ production facilityEverQ GmbH, a strategic part-

nership of Evergreen Solar, Inc.

(United States), Q-Cells AG

(Germany), and Renewable

Energy Corporation ASA

(Norway), recently marked the

official opening of its first pro-

duction facility in Thalheim,

Germany. EverQ develops,

manufactures and markets solar

power products using Evergreen’s

proprietary String Ribbon(tm)

technology with Q-Cells the

world’s largest independent

manufacturer of crystalline silicon

solar cells and Renewable Energy

Corporation ASA (REC) being the

world’s largest manufacturer of

solar-grade silicon and multicrys-

talline wafers.

The partnership is already

planning a major expansion

in Thalheim as a result of the

recently announced execution

of a binding memorandum

of understanding with REC.

Groundbreaking for a second

integrated wafer, cell and module

manufacturing plant - with a

capacity of 50MW - is expected

later this year. With REC commit-

ting to supply a total of 7,400

metric tons of silicon over seven

years beginning in 2008, EverQ

plans to increase its current pro-

duction capacity from 30MW

to approximately 300MW by

2010 and possibly as early as the

second half of 2009. Less than

five years after the first cell left

the production facilities, Q-Cells

AG recently celebrated produc-

tion of its 100 millionth solar

cell. Laid side by side, the cells

would cover about 375 World

Championship soccer pitches.

www.evergreensolar.com

www.q-cells.com

www.recgroup.com

Siemens installs PV on World Cup stadiumSiemens Power Transmission and

Distribution (PTD), which includes

among its specialties the devel-

opment, delivery, construction

and maintenance of interna-

tional solar power projects, has

installed a photovoltaic system

at Nuremberg soccer stadium.

PTD was prime contractor for the

order placed by German insurer

KarstadtQuelle Versicherungen.

The roof-mounted system, which

was the largest of its kind at any

of the stadiums staging matches

at the 2006 World Football

Championships, has been feed-

ing up to 140 kilowatts of

solar-generated power into the

Nuremberg power supply system

since May 19. Covering a total

area of about 1000 m2 of the

stadium roof, each of the 758

solar modules deliver an output

of 185 watts of electricity in full

sunshine. Two 60-kVA power

inverters in master-slave configu-

ration transform the direct cur-

rent produced by the solar mod-

ules into three-phase alternating

current at a voltage of 400 V.

The power inverters are equipped

with monitoring and display sys-

tems, which also enable remote

monitoring and control of the

solar system.

www.siemens.com/solar

SolarWorld-Degussa JV moves up a gear

Degussa AG and SolarWorld AG

are beginning a joint-venture

to produce industrial-scale solar

grade silicon with both compa-

nies deciding to expand their

current cooperation for the pro-

duction of this solar raw mate-

rial. The joint venture Joint Solar

Silicon GmbH & Co KG (JSSI),

Freiberg, Germany will start pro-

ducing solar grade silicon at the

Degussa facility in Rheinfelden,

Germany in 2008. Initially, the

two companies are planning the

production of 850 tonnes of

solar grade silicon per annum

for the next ten years. Degussa

AG will supply the silan gas that

is required for the production of

the solar grade silicon. To secure

long-term supplies SolarWorld

AG has concluded a 10-year sup-

ply agreement with Degussa for

the supply of this silicon-contain-

ing gas. From 2009 onwards the

SolarWorld Group will be able to

cover up to 20% of its own raw

materials requirements cost-effec-

tively from this source.

www.solarworld.de

BP-Clipper windenergy dealBP Alternative Energy and Clipper Windpower have formed a strategic alliance which includes a long-term turbine supply agreement, the joint development of five of Clipper’s wind energy projects in the USA and a five year option entitling BP to take a 10 per cent equity interest in AIM-listed Clipper. With an anticipated total generating capacity of 2,015 MW, the deal is a sig-nificant step in BP’s ongoing investment in renewables.

State targetsThe state government in Victoria, Australia will legis-late that 10% of electricity must come from renewables by 2010. Legislation to set the target will be introduced before the end of this year. A study by the Business Council for Sustainable

Energy suggested that power prices would only rise moderately, under the proposed changes. The Victorian Government wants to see more than $A1 bil-lion worth of investment move into the renewable energy field. Earlier research has shown that Australia could cut its reliance on coal without reducing economic growth.

Solar wineFetzer Vineyards of California will install the largest solar energy vineyard in the United States. MMA Renewable Ventures and 3 Phases Energy Services will mount the 901 kW of PV panels on the roofs of the bottling facility at the Hopland facility, to gener-ate 1.1 million kWh a year of green power and offset 960,000 pounds of CO2

emissions.

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