SolarSummary: May 6 – 12, 2003

by Kirsten Elder

Companies in the news

BP Solar www.bpsolar.com

Black & Veatch www.bv.com

CTG Energetics www.ctg-net.com

Evergreen Solar www.evergreensolar.com

Fronius International www.fronius.com

Pacific Solar www.pacificsolar.com.au

PowerLight Corp www.powerlight.com

Solar Energy Systems Ltd www.sesltd.com.au

New Products

Fronius International, a world market leader in the field of high frequency power electronics and one of the largest suppliers of grid tied PV inverters in Europe, is to increase its US presence by introducing its grid-tied inverters – the FRONIUS IG series – into the US grid connect market this year. The IG inverter has already quickly gained market share in Europe. (Solarbuzz.com, 09/05/03)

The City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) has launched a new Renewable Energy – “Palo Alto Green” – offering to all residential, commercial and industrial customers within Palo Alto that provides an easy, affordable way to purchase electricity generated from 100 percent wind and solar power resources. On behalf of program participants, Palo Alto Green will purchase wind energy from newly constructed wind turbine facilities within the western power system and from new photovoltaic projects within Palo Alto and elsewhere in California. Palo Alto Green also hopes to be Green-e certified by the Centre for Resource Solutions, a national accreditation body for Renewable Energy programs, as independent assurance of environmental benefit and consumer protection for program participants. (SolarAccess.com, 07/05/03)

Applications

The largest solar electric system at any university in the world – and one of the largest solar energy systems in the US – will be installed at California State University, Hayward this summer. The 1.05 MW solar electric system, manufactured and installed by PowerLight Corporation, will feature both rooftop and ground-mounted installations and will deliver approximately 30 percent of the campus peak electricity demand during the summer months. (09/05/03)

Markets

A report released by the Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy has said that the Australian government needs to invest Aus$10 million a year into the countrys solar PV industry over the next five years if it intends to become a major global player. The BCSE report claims that this would lead to cumulative investment in PV manufacturing of $275 million by 2010, as well as cumulative investment by end user customers of $3.6 billion and export income from PV systems of $1.6 billion. It will encourage the total installation of 350 MW of PV in Australia by 2010, with national manufacturing capacity of 160 MW a year and a capture of 6 percent of the global market for PV. (Refocus Weekly, 07/05/03)

CTG Energetics, Inc., an energy and sustainability consulting firm based in Orange County, has been selected as the US partner to help develop a municipal solar thermal energy project in the Russian Far East. The firm is teaming with MIR International Cooperation Fund, in Vladivostok, Russia, with financial support supplied by the US Agency for International Development through the Foundation for Russian American Economic Cooperation. The pilot solar project aims to improve the energy efficiency of municipal facilities in the port city of Vladivostok, and is expected to lead to additional programs for heating other public facilities in the Russian city. (SolarAccess.com, 08/05/03)


Corporate News

Mastervolt BV, a Dutch manufacturer of inverter products, has signed a manufacturing contract with BP Solar to supply a new range of BP Solar branded sine wave inverter/charger combinations. This new BP Solar Combi Inverter, available in three models from 2.5 to 5kW nominal power rating, is entirely specified by BP Solar system engineers. According to BP, this has resulted in an extremely rugged product suitable for operation in harsh, humid and tropical conditions. The inverter has been especially designed for off grid energy systems and back up power applications. (SolarAccess.com, 09/05/03)

Evergreen Solar, Inc. announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2003. Product revenues in the first quarter of 2003 reached $1.1 million, an increase of approximately 17 percent from the first quarter of 2002. Net loss for the first quarter of 2003 was $3.2 million, or $0.28 per share, as compared with a net loss of $3.4 million, or $0.30 per share, for the first quarter of 2002. The company is also pursuing private placement equity financing of $29.475 million. (SolarAccess.com, 09/05/03)

Global engineering firm, Black & Veatch, has unveiled the formation of its global Renewable Energy Group, which intends to provide comprehensive project services for Renewable Energy projects in the areas of wind, solar, biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal and ocean energy. The Renewable Energy Group is being formed to respond to emerging Renewable Energy opportunities both in the United States and internationally. (SolarAccess.com, 06/05/03)

Australian company, Pacific Solar, has said it will begin marketing of its PV Systems in the US from June this year. The company is currently a significant marketer in Australia and is part owned by solar cell manufacturer, Eurosolare of Italy. To date, Pacific Solar systems have been installed in California on a test basis, but the company now proposes to market them commercially. The company’s AC solar module design means that a 3kW system can be installed in less than a day, and due to its modularity, the company says the SunEmpower can be added to with minimum cost, as the system size is not restricted by inverter capacity. Pacific Solar says that local installers in the US involved in the test site installations were surprised at the ease of installation and the flexibility of the system. (Solarbuzz.com, 06/05/03)

Solar Energy Systems Ltd (SES) has secured funding for a feasibility and pilot study to investigate the opportunity of selling solar powered water services to island communities and resorts in the Maldives. The terms of the A$120,000 pre-commercial funding package, which has been provided by the Dutch Solar Investment Fund through Triodos International Fund Management, will allow SES to begin pilot testing of the building and operating of mini-utilities to sell potable water on islands through its Solarflow water purification system. (SES press release, 12/05/03).

In other news, SES has been named one of Australias fastest growing technology companies in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50, achieving three-year growth revenue growth of 854%. (SES press release, 13/05/03)

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