Increased Interest in Renewable Energy Fuels Growth in Solar Operations Sector – Company Completes Construction on Latest Ontario Solar Power Plant
Global alternative energy projects, in particular the solar panel market, was estimated at $24 billion and is further projected to cross over $180 billion by 2021 according to Radiant Insights, Inc. Radiant reports the solar panel market experienced strong growth in 2015 and is anticipated to grow rapidly over the forecast period. Solar Power Companies with current developments of interest are Atlantic Wind & Solar Inc. (OTC: AWSL), Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ), JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), Exelon Corporation (NTSE: EXC) and Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE: PEG)
Atlantic Wind & Solar Inc. (OTC: AWSL) is pleased to announce it has completed construction on a 320 KW AC utility scale solar power plant in Burlington, Ontario Canada. The $2 million commercial rooftop installation, consisting of 1,488 panels, is expected to produce 7,900 megawatt hours of power over the next 20 years supplying Ontario with clean reliable energy. The power will be sold under the provinces Feed-In-Tariff program.
In Commercial Operation – Upon construction completion inspections by the grid operator and power purchaser were completed. Following receipt of the notice of Commercial Operation from Ontario’s IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator, formerly known as Ontario Power Authority) the power plant went into commercial operation. Commenting on the project completion Atlantic Wind & Solar’s President & CEO John Wilkes stated “we are delighted to see another Atlantic project brought on line and now powering the grid. Bringing a greenfield development idea to its final completion and commercial operation is something for which our team is very proud. Atlantic has been making a tremendous contribution in the transformation to a clean sustainable future. We are determined to continue building upon our successes to meet the ever increasing demand for renewable energy”.
In other Solar news and happenings: Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ), one of the world’s largest solar power companies, today announced that it started the commercial operation of three solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in Japan, totaling approximately 6.2 MWp. The 6.2 MWp portfolio of projects include the 2.3 MWp Ashikita Solar Power Plant in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, the 2.2 MWp Minamishimabara Power Plant – East and the 1.7MWp Minamishimabara Plant – West in Minamishimabara City, Nagasaki Prefecture.
JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-performance solar power products, recenly announced that its entire portfolio of PV modules has passed the 96-hour Potential Induced Degradation (“PID”) resistan ce test under the conditions of 85-degrees Celsius and 85% relative humidity (double 85) at -1,000V of system voltage bias as required to meet the IEC62804 standard. JA Solar is the first PV module manufacturing company to guarantee the capability of double 85 anti-PID for all of its PV modules.
Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NTSE: EXC), and Elmer A. Henderson: A Johns Hopkins Partnership School (Henderson-Hopkins), a K-8 Baltimore City public school operated by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, today announced the completion of a 178-kilowatt (DC) solar generation project The project is the second and largest solar generation project to be unveiled at a Baltimore City school. “Henderson-Hopkins pursues the most contemporary, effective approaches to educating our students, so it is only fitting that we would take the same approach to powering our building,” said Katrina Foster, the school’s principal. “The new solar power system will help us share the importance of sustainability with our community and serve as an educational resource for our students to learn about renewable energy.”
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE: PEG) recently announced that its L&D Solar Farm is interconnected to the grid and supplying solar power to PSE&G electric customers. The 12.93 megawatt-dc solar farm is PSE&G’s largest to date and one of the largest landfill solar farms in the United States. It is comprised of 41,720 solar panels that cover 53 acres of landfill space spanning the towns of Eastampton, Lumberton and Mount Holly, NJ. The L&D Solar Farm will generate enough electricity to power 2,000 average-size New Jersey homes annually. Waste Management of New Jersey, Inc. owns the L&D Landfill and PSE&G owns and operates the solar farm as part of its Solar 4 All® Program. The engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the L&D Solar Farm is juwi, one of the world’s largest and most experienced renewable energy companies.
