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COMPANYNEWS


Centrosolar scores TSMC Europe project


CENTROSOLAR is to become the exclusive manufacturer in Europe of crystalline solar modules for TSMC Limited, Taiwan. TSMC is the world’s biggest semiconductor foundry and a leading player in terms of process engineering and quality. The agreement, which runs for 5 years, envisages a volume of initially 100 MWp per year. CENTROSOLAR will be creating the capacity required for this agreement in a new production building on a site adjacent to the existing plant in Wismar.


CENTROSOLAR sees the signing of this agreement as confirmation of its status as one of the most efficient and above all highest-quality manufacturers of solar modules. This also demonstrates that it is possible to keep manufacturing premium modules in Germany on a long-term competitive basis. The first deliveries under the agreement are due in the third quarter of 2011. The solar cells to be used will be supplied by TSMC itself.


Battery storage deal


SAIL VENTURE PARTNERS announced that its portfolio company Xtreme Power Inc., provider of Dynamic Power Resources (DPRs) for utility-scale energy storage, and Xcel Energy have formed a partnership to install a 1 megawatt (MW) system to collect operational data on the integration of energy storage and solar energy systems at the Solar Technology Acceleration Centre (SolarTAC), the nation’s largest solar testing facility.


SolarTAC is a private facility that serves as a solar industry test bed to validate and demonstrate solar technologies. The role of Xtreme Power’s DPR is to perform a number of energy storage and grid asset functions, including output smoothing, time shifting and forecast error mitigation for solar energy generated at the site. The project aims to display the real-world results of integrating storage systems with solar installations, to incorporate energy output from renewable sources onto the power grid. Results will be made public to reflect the system’s performance over the course of three years.


As well as the manufacturing agreement, which gives CENTROSOLAR an extra source of revenue and income and enables it to realise economies of scale, CENTROSOLAR and TSMC are planning further-reaching technical cooperation. Their partnership is to focus on the development of improved module designs and optimised production processes while maintaining quality.


The increased capacity needed as a result of the agreement and the healthy performance of CENTROSOLAR’s core business will be created by further expanding the production facility in Wismar, Germany. The construction of a new production hall and warehouse will create space for upping the existing capacity from currently 200 MWp to up to 500 MWp per year in line with demand. This will equip the company for further growth from both its own business and from contract manufacturing. The first phase, which is to be completed by the


third quarter, involves completing the new building with an extra 150 MWp of manufacturing capacity. The number of jobs at Wismar will then rise by around 300 to roughly 700. The investment volume for the first phase amounts to around EUR 20 million. It will be financed from the company’s own cash flow as well as through subsidies and bank loans.


Module order


DELSOLAR announced that it has signed a contract to supply solar modules to a leading international photovoltaic provider for the North American market. The provider belongs to a international photovoltaic group that has subsidiaries in major solar energy markets worldwide. The contract between DelSolar and the company includes supply terms for product quantities and prices.


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Walter Schindler, an Xtreme Power Board member and a Managing Partner of SAIL Venture Partners, stated, “The Xcel project marks Xtreme Power’s first partnership directly with a utility, its first installation with a solar facility, and its first mainland installation. This project will open doors for Xtreme in the future.”


“Taking part in the SolarTAC project with Xcel Energy affords us an opportunity to work alongside one of the most progressive utilities in the industry,” said Carlos Coe, CEO of Xtreme Power. “We expect the results to highlight the range of benefits battery energy storage brings to PV manufacturers, project developers and power producers, ultimately enabling a more effective utilization of clean energy around the world.”


DelSolar has committed to providing solar modules of about 22 MW generating capacity in 2011.


The contract marks a major achievement for DelSolar in the North American market as the company continues to win support from new strategic customers.


www.solar-pv-management.com Issue I 2011


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