China's new energy industry development plan to revitalize Exposure

China officials are being developed to revitalize the New Energy and Industrial Development Plan (Draft) pointed out that until 2020 the new energy power generation accounted for the proportion of the total electricity installed capacity will reach 15%, of which solar power, nuclear power, wind power generation capacity will be respectively reached 20 million Kw, 86 million Kw, 150 million Kw, including solar power generation capacity target is higher than previously proposed by the mainland authorities planning objectives far higher.

The draft also mentions that in 2011 solar power, nuclear power, wind power installed capacity will scale up to 2 million Kw, 12 million Kw, 35 million Kw. Mainland officials previously proposed "renewable energy sources and long-term development plan" in reference to 10 years after the solar energy industry installed capacity target of 1.8 million Kw, if the new plan targeting the installed capacity is equivalent to two years ago, the old plan about 11 times.

Nov. 12, 2009

General Electric will close its only solar panel manufacturing plant

It is learned that, General Electric Co., (GE) plans to close its only solar panel manufacturing plants, mainly because prices have been lower than the cost of production. Milissa Rocker GE spokesman, said in an interview, the company has in the October 23 announced the reorganization of solar energy business to its staff, but also intends to close the Newark, Delaware, plant. Rocker said that the decision to close the plant was mainly due to the challenges facing the solar energy industry, such as the needs of the industry can achieve twice the capacity, product prices are below cost and so on.

General Electric plans to January 1, 2010 to stop production of silicon crystal panels. Rocker said the company would be closed before the end of June next year, the plant. She said the plant currently employs 82 people will be all fired and received severance pay and related benefits. Rocker, however, said GE is also the issue of the plant to explore other options.

Nov. 10, 2009

Evergreen Solar plans to shift production to China

Evergreen Solar Devens company plans to stop production of solar panels, and center of gravity shift of production to China. In the Massachusetts State of the Marlboro company produces silicon and battery, and assembled into panels. However, the operating costs of the plant is very expensive in China, this cost comparison, relatively small.

Evergreen Solar's decision to have the production moved to China and signed a contract with JIAWEI Solar production of solar cells as well as components. Evergreen will be the production of solar silicon wafers in China, leased JIAWEI Solar company to build factories. Evergreen plans to initially have a capacity of up to 100MW. In 2010 a quarter of production.

Nov. 7, 2009

DuPont Photovoltaic scale of business in 2012 will reach 1 billion U.S. dollars

Despite the tremendous impact of the financial crisis in 2009, the size of the global PV market will be the first negative growth. Market research firm iSuppli shows that in 2009 the world's newly installed photovoltaic power generation system will reach about 4GW, United States DuPont has predicted that its photovoltaic business from the current 0.25 billion dollars in 2012, 1 billion U.S. dollars (677 million euros ). The March 20, 2009 DuPont Global Thin Film Photovoltaic R & D Center was officially opened in Hong Kong, May 4, 2009 DuPont (China) Photovoltaic R & D Center in Shanghai was officially opened, it should be seen as DuPont to expand solar business direct the performance.

Although membership of the traditional chemical production enterprises, but in recent years, with renewable sources of energy continue to take the heat, DuPont have started to include renewable resources, bio-technology and other areas of emerging technologies "science company" vigorously restructuring. For example, its latest new series of DuPont PV5200 PV module packaging film, laminated glass in the manufacturing process to show excellent physical and processing properties, and add other features to meet the needs of thin-film solar power. The financial crisis, countries around the world for the promotion of clean energy efforts, has reached an unprecedented level, which also gives DuPont a huge opportunity to expand solar business.

Nov. 6, 2009

FedEx Ground plans to build the nation's largest rooftop solar power system

FedEx Ground, the small-package shipping unit of FedEx Corp., today announced plans to install the nation’s largest rooftop solar-electric system at its distribution hub in Woodbridge, N.J.

The solar power project is the third between a FedEx operating company and BP Solar and the fifth solar power project for FedEx. The 2.42 megawatt solar power system will cover approximately 3.3 acres of roof top space with approximately 12,400 solar panels.

When completed, the system will be capable of producing approximately 2.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year and could provide up to 30 percent of the hub’s annual energy needs.

“Our commitment to our customers and the communities in which we operate extends far beyond delivering packages on time and intact,” said David F. Rebholz, president and CEO of FedEx Ground. “While continuing to provide the stellar service expected from FedEx, we also want to identify and implement ways that we can reduce energy use and shrink our carbon footprint. This project is a giant step forward in those efforts.”

As part of the agreement, BP will install and operate the solar power system and FedEx will purchase the power generated.

“FedEx Ground is a valued customer of BP,” said Reyad Fezzani, president and CEO of BP Solar. “We are proud to have been selected for this project and look forward to providing the company with the highest lifetime value and the lowest lifetime cost of electricity for its solar-equipped operations.”

Installation is scheduled to begin in August and expected to be completed by November. When the system is fully operating, the combined environmental benefits based on a projected annual reduction of approximately 1,867 metric tons of CO2 emissions, are equivalent to one of the following:

More than 340 passenger cars not driven for one year
211,900 gallons of gasoline not burned
4,300 barrels of oil not consumed
259 households’ electricity use for one year
47,872 tree seedlings grown for 10 years
13 acres of forest preserved from deforestation
Data is derived from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator.

FedEx and BP also work together strategically to identify, develop and implement a range of solutions to increase FedEx’s security of energy supply while improving its environmental performance. This includes fuels supply agreements for its ground and air operations, for lubricants, and for solar power systems.

“We bring the scope and scale of BP’s refining, marketing and alternative energy infrastructure to FedEx, creating value for our customer while allowing them to focus on delivering outstanding service to their customers on a daily basis,” said Richard Bartlett, vice president of strategic cooperation for BP.

Last year, FedEx Freight installed two solar power systems. One in Whittier, Calif., is a 282-kilowatt system , while another in Fontana, Calif., is a 269-kilowatt system. In 2005, FedEx Express activated a 904-kilowatt system at its Oakland, Calif., hub facility, making it the first of its kind in the FedEx family. That system today meets up to 80 percent of that facility’s peak energy demand. And, FedEx is currently constructing its Central and Eastern European gateway at the Cologne/Bonn, Germany, airport, which will include a 1.4-megawatt solar power system. The hub is slated for completion in 2010.

Opened in 2000, the Woodbridge hub sits on more than 80 acres of former brownfield once used to stockpile soils dredged from the nearby Raritan River. Soils and groundwater were contaminated with various polluting substances, primarily arsenic. To build the facility, FedEx Ground worked with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection on a remedial action for the site. Today, the hub houses a workforce of more than 1,000 employees and independent contractors.