F.r.t.l.: Mr. Prashant Mathur, President - International Sales & Strategic...

Companies mentioned: Vikram Solar, Unidaan, Dominion, EDF Renewable Energy, SunEdison,BlueWave Capital, Yingli Solar, First Solar, PG&E, Lepomis Project, Sage Stone, Arizona Public Service, Gading Kencana

PV Intelligence Brief 11 - 24 June 2014

Vikram Solar boosts MENA footprint  

Vikram Solar, a manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules and EPC contracts for solar power plants, has recently entered into a distributorship agreement with Unidaan FZ LLC to supply solar products and services in Middle East & North Africa Region.

Unidaan is a provider of reliable power generation equipment, spare parts and related services in Middle East Region, Europe and Asia. Unidaan and Vikram Solar will work hand in hand to further foster the development of EPC and solar business in MENA region.

Gyanesh Chaudhary, Managing Director, Vikram Solar said, “In line with our aim to deliver uncompromising value to our customers across the globe, the agreement with Unidaan is a landmark development. We are delighted and confident that with this association we will offer the best services to the Middle East & North Africa markets the way we have done in the past.”

Prashant Mathur, President - International Sales & Strategic Sourcing, Vikram Solar stated, “Unidaan with its rich experience and regional know-how in the energy sector in UAE is the ideal match to promote Vikram Solar’s products and services in the MENA region. We are very happy to have such a strong partner to cater the requirements for this region and extend Vikram Solar’s regional reach.”

Atul Dua, CEO Unidaan FZ LLC said, Unidaan is honoured to be chosen as Vikram Solar’s exclusive distributor for the MENA region.

The module manufacturer Vikram Solar is headquartered in Kolkata, India, with subsidiaries in Europe and Africa.The production facilities, which boast an installed production capacity of 150 MW, are located in the Special Economic Zone of Falta in West Bengal.

Dominion to acquire CID California solar project

US power company, Dominion, has reported that it has plans to acquire a 20-megawatt solar project from EDF Renewable Energy, one of North America's largest independent power producers and renewable energy project developers. The acquisition is expected to close later this year prior to the project commencing operations.

The solar facility, called the CID solar project, is located in King's County, California near the City of Corcoran. The project has secured a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) as well as the interconnection agreement and the engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) contract.

EDF Renewable Energy to sell CID Solar Project to Dominion

The CID Solar Project was developed by EDF RE and is designed as a 27 megawatt peak (MWp) / 20 MWac ground-mount facility comprised of First Solar Series 3 solar photovoltaic modules with horizontal single-axis trackers. Construction commenced on June 12, 2014 with an anticipated date of operation in the Fall, 2014.

The project’s clean energy will be delivered to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). EDF Renewable Energy and PG&E have a 24-year business relationship whereby 454 megawatts of renewable energy generation is provided to PG&E through nine projects.

"California leads the nation in solar generation and the experience and knowledge we gather there will serve us well as we expand our solar portfolio into other areas," said David A. Christian, chief executive officer for Dominion Generation. "This project fits well within our portfolio of regulated and long-term contracted assets."

The project is expected to qualify for the Federal Investment Tax Credit and support Dominion's growth plan.

In April, Dominion announced the purchase of six other solar projects in California, totalling 139 megawatts. Those projects are currently under construction and are expected to be operational by late 2014.

The acquisition will bring Dominion's total solar generating portfolio to 232 megawatts. Along with the 159 megawatts for the California projects, the company recently obtained two Tennessee projects that will generate 32 megawatts and has 41 megawatts of solar energy facilities operating at sites in Georgia, Connecticut and Indiana.  The company also has various projects under development in Virginia as part of its Solar Partnership Program.

SunEdison makes largest purchase of solar assets in Massachusetts History

SunEdison, a solar technology manufacturer and solar energy services provider, and BlueWave Capital, LLC, a Boston solar energy development company, have reported that SunEdison has agreed to purchase 50 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic projects from BlueWave Capital, marking the largest acquisition of solar assets in Massachusetts history.

The agreement includes twelve projects jointly developed by BlueWave and SunEdison across Massachusetts, many of which are expected to be operational by June 30th of this year and all of which have qualified under the Massachusetts SREC I or SREC II incentive programs.

SunEdison and its financing partners will be the owner-operator of the projects and will sell the net metering credits generated by the systems to the City of New Bedford, the Towns of Bourne, Palmer, Webster and Winthrop, several state colleges including Cape Cod Community College, Middlesex Community College, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, as well as a number of housing authorities including those serving Fall River, Plymouth, Fairhaven and Barnstable.

The electricity cost savings associated with the projects are estimated to total nearly $85m over the next 20 years.

Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Mark Sylvia said: "The solar industry has supported a 148-fold increase in solar capacity in the Commonwealth, growing from 3 megawatts in 2007 to 518 megawatts this month."

"SunEdison and BlueWave Capital have partnered to lead the rapid development of solar photovoltaic systems  across the Commonwealth, and have collectively been instrumental in helping  to propel Massachusetts to the forefront  of US states in terms of installed solar capacity," said SunEdison's Managing Director of Sales, Steve Raeder.

"Getting solar projects developed is not for the faint of heart, but a first-rate team has been able to do two things really well: one, efficiently permit and interconnect  projects at favorable locations, and two,  build trust with public officials who understand the benefits of these projects to their communities," said BlueWave Managing Principal John DeVillars.  "We are very proud of our partnership with SunEdison and with a first-rate group of contractors and consultants who have played critical roles in moving this portfolio forward."

Once operational, the solar systems will be managed by the SunEdison Renewable Operation Center (ROC), which provides global 24/7 asset management, monitoring and reporting services. Data collected from the ROC is used to continuously improve the company's products, project designs and service offerings.

EDF’s Lepomis project reaches commercial stage

EDF Renewable Energy has reported that the 5.99 MWp Lepomis Solar Project, located in Plymouth, Massachusetts, has reached commercial operation. EDF Renewable Energy (EDF RE) and Sage Stone LLC, an international development and investment advisory company have signed a Membership Interest Purchase and Sale Agreement (MIPSA) in July 2013 and subsequently started the construction phase in October 2013.

The ground-mount fixed tilt solar photovoltaic project is comprised of 20,000 Trina Solar modules and generates clean energy delivered to the Town of Wareham, Massachusetts under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement, pursuant to the State’s Virtual Net Metering Credits Program.

“Achieving commercial operation of our first renewable energy asset in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a key milestone for our company. EDF Renewable Energy is pleased to deploy our solar development expertise to help the state achieve its ambitious goal of 1,600 MW of solar installations by 2020,” said Jim Schretter, Vice President of Development for EDF Renewable Energy’s East Region.

“With Lepomis, EDF RE has developed over 300 MWp of both distributed generation and utility-scale solar projects across North America. We extend our appreciation to the community for their support of solar energy, and to our EPC partner - Gehrlicher Solar America Corp., for bringing the project safely to completion.”

EDF Renewable Services will provide long-term operations and maintenance for the facility, balance of plant, project oversight, and 24/7 remote monitoring from its NERC compliant Operations Control Center.

APS seeks renewable energy projects from solar

Arizona Public Service Co. has made a Request for Proposal (RFP) from solar developers and installers to construct two 10-megawatt solar photovoltaic facilities – financed by APS through the company’s AZ Sun Program.

The RFP began on June 16, and interested parties are encouraged to participate in a bidder’s webinar on June 23. Additional information about the webinar and the RFP is available online at aps.com/rfp. Projects must use commercially proven technology, it has been noted.

Once completed in 2015, the new solar facilities – one located on Luke Air Force Base and the other to be built in partnership with the City of Phoenix – will be owned and operated by APS. These facilities will join seven other AZ Sun Projects that are already online or under construction, totalling 170 MW of solar energy for Arizona – enough to power more than 42,000 APS customers.

With the AZ Sun Program, APS is investing in the development of solar photovoltaic power plants across Arizona. The program allows APS to partner with third-party developers and equipment providers to design and construct the facilities, which increase the opportunity for more developers to participate since project financing is provided by APS.

Yingli Green Energy to supply 12 MWp of solar modules to Malaysian projects

Yingli Green Energy Holding, which claims to be the largest vertically integrated PV module manufacturer in the world, has reported announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Yingli Green Energy Singapore Company Pte., is supplying 12 MWp of solar modules to Gading Kencana Sdn Bhd., a solar energy company in Malaysia.

Yingli's high-efficiency PANDA solar modules, which contain Yingli's patented n-type cell technology, will be used in an 8 MWp utility-scale solar farm in Malacca, Malaysia, which covers approximately 14.5 acres. Some 30,000 Yingli modules have already been delivered to the project site, and it is estimated that the plant will generate approximately 11 million kWh of clean electricity per year.

The remaining 4 MWp of Yingli modules comprising PANDA modules and multicrystalline solar modules will be used in a second project phase, which will be dedicated to residential installations across Malaysia, said a release. Yingli's modules are estimated to produce approximately 4,160 MWh of clean electricity per year, which is enough to power about 1,000 typical homes in Malaysia.

"We are delighted to cooperate with Yingli Solar, a global leader with a strong brand and reputation. Malaysia has high solar generating potential throughout the year, so cooperating with companies like Yingli to grow our country's solar PV capacity makes good economic sense. We believe that the combination of our two companies' strengths will help us to provide the best quality of service to our clients and to local communities," commented by Dato Ir. Guntor Tobeng, Managing Director of Gading Kencana.

"We are pleased to establish a strong partnership with Gading Kencana, one of Malaysia's most prominent solar project developers, and we believe our agreement represents a significant opportunity for expansion for both of our companies. Our collaboration will help Yingli to meet demand for clean power in Malaysia, and to solidify the company's leadership position in Southeast Asia," said Angie Koh, Business Development Director of Yingli Singapore.