COMPANYNEWS World’s largest CPV system
COGENTRIX ENERGY has announced that it has entered into a contract with Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo), an Xcel Energy company, for a solar generating project to be located near Alamosa, in southern Colorado. The 30,000 kilowatt solar generating project will be the largest facility of its type in the world and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2012.
“Our focus has always been on developing quality power generation facilities that deliver reliable power to our customers,” said Tom Bonner, President of Cogentrix Energy. “We’re pleased that our Alamosa Solar Generating project continues in that tradition. We have enjoyed a long relationship with Xcel Energy with other electric generating projects on their system and are excited at the opportunity to now be in position to assist them in meeting their renewable portfolio requirements.”
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The solar power generating facility will use concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) systems supplied by Amonix, Inc., a
leader in the design and manufacture of CPV systems. Amonix CPV technology uses optics and a dual-axis tracking system to focus large amounts of sunlight onto very high efficiency photovoltaic cells. As a result, CPV solar is more efficient, producing more energy per acre than any other solar technology making it well suited for utility-scale applications in sunny and dry climates. The system will produce up to 30,000 kilowatts of solar energy for the customers of Xcel Energy, providing enough electricity for approximately 6,500 homes.
The facility will be located in The San Luis Valley of Colorado, with a high altitude and abundant sunshine, one of the best locations for solar energy production in the United States. Cogentrix has finalized permits and is currently in the process of securing financing for the project. Construction on the facility is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2011. It is anticipated that the project will begin providing electricity in the second quarter of 2012 under terms of a 20-year contract with Xcel Energy.
Financing industry growth
BT Imaging Pty Ltd (BTi), a supplier of luminescence-based inspection and quality control systems for the photovoltaic manufacturing industry, today announced the completion of its Series A2 financing round totalling US$3.8 million (A$4.5 million). This round of financing includes existing investors Allen & Buckeridge and Uniseed, and new investor, Applied Ventures, LLC, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT). Applied Ventures is taking an equity stake in BT Imaging. The funds will enable BT Imaging to accelerate product development, launch global expansion plans, and strengthen and defend its portfolio.
“Securing additional funding in this challenging economic environment demonstrates investor confidence in BT Imaging’s products and management,” stated Ian Maxwell, CEO of BT Imaging. “Due to the yield and efficiency gains that our products enable, we are experiencing strong demand from manufacturers in
multiple segments of the photovoltaic manufacturing industry. This financing provides us with additional R&D and product development capability, putting the company at least a year ahead of its original roadmap. Not only can we enhance our current offerings, we can also provide the photovoltaic industry with new solutions to address critical yield challenges. As the world’s largest supplier of equipment to the PV solar industry, we are very pleased that Applied Materials recognizes the unique strength of BTi’s technologies and its potential for widespread adoption.”
Demand for BT Imaging’s inspection systems has been steadily increasing since the company’s launch in 2008. The company’s inspection and quality control systems are used by Tier 1 wafer and cell manufacturers in Europe, Australia, Taiwan, China, and Japan, with many key customers placing repeat orders. The company’s first product, the LIS-R1, is being used by leading research
Cogentrix is focused on the development of renewable power, primarily solar photovoltaic and concentrating photovoltaic technologies. The Company believes solar power has tremendous potential for becoming a significant part of future energy supply. Technological advancements, falling raw material costs, efficiency improvements in the manufacturing of the components for solar generating plants and state and federal incentives and regulatory mandates are expected to result in a large market for solar power. Cogentrix currently has 300 MW of renewable generation in development in addition to numerous projects in its longer term development pipeline effort.
institutions to qualify new photovoltaic manufacturing processes.
BT Imaging’s suite of inspection systems utilizes the company’s proprietary photoluminescence imaging technology. With applications across the PV manufacturing supply chain, BT Imaging systems enable yield and cell efficiencies gains for PV manufacturing lines. With a focus on enabling customers to maximize their profits and reduce manufacturing cost, BT Imaging systems can be effectively used to predict cell performance, material quality control, identify process and material faults, and for process control and debug.
www.solar-pv-management.com Issue VI 2010
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