Solar Energy Supplies

03.03.2010: PROINSO awarded the supply of several solar farms in Greece with an output exceeding 3.2 MW - ~35 Kb

PROINSO owned by Grupo OPDE, which also includes  MECASOLAR and OPDE, has joined up as a member of the  American Solar Energies Industry Association - SEIA - with the aim of strengthening and supporting the American industry in the development of the market and the photovoltaic industry in the coming years. Interestingly it has already begun to participate in various forums held by SEIA in the energy, legal and industrial area, with the aim of creating a stable framework enabling sustainable development. Grupo OPDE companies are also involved in other associations, such as the-AEF- in Spain, - HELAPCO- in Greece  and -GIFI- in Italy, providing it with extensive knowledge of the industry and the market in the different countries, allowing it to contribute a global vision in solar material in each local market.

The Spanish multinational PROINSO, specializing in the distribution of modules, inverters,   trackers and fixed structures for photovoltaic systems, both on the ground and on roofs, has launched a new application on its website, under the name of "Solar PV Tracker”, which allows the comparative calculation of solar energy production anywhere in the world.

Free of charge and accessible, both in English and Spanish-  at www.proinso.net the goal of this new application is to carry out the  calculation of photovoltaic solar energy production generated in kWh, based on the kWp of the installation and using both 1 and 2-axis trackers, anywhere in the world.

The company has made the following link available to the media, portals, blogs and other websites wanting to incorporate access to its application on the following link: http://www.proinso.net/_bin/iphone.php. It has also announced the launch next February of the iPhone and Android version incorporating new features and improvements.

Operation:  5 steps 

1 .- The PV SOLAR TRACKER app. begins by providing the solar radiation data anywhere on the planet, measured in kWh/m2 (both daily and annually) on a horizontal plane at 0 degrees. Both a country and city can be selected, as can an exact location on the map anywhere in the world. The solar radiation data is based on various databases, both private and public, including the United Nations Organization.

2 .- Once the application has the radiation data on the horizontal plane (at 0 °), the user must enter values to calculate the overall performance or Performance Ratio (PR) of the installation. Thus, for this calculation, data on the following should be provided:  estimated temperature losses, availability, wiring losses, estimated losses from dirt, losses due to being outside of MMP-   the Maximum Power Point, inverter losses, shade losses, tolerance of the modules, losses due to angle mismatch and loss due to estimated spectral angle.
After entering this data, the application will provide a PR value for the facility.  The overall performance of a total facility usually varies between 85% and 70% depending on the   factors mentioned above.

3 .- Then, on the same screen select the tilt angle - in the case of the  of 1-Axis Azimuth trackers- and proceed to the next screen to show the RESULT.
 
4 .- On the RESULT SCREEN the production data in the selected location can be found, with the PR and Availability shown, both on a 2-axis tracker facility , and a 1-axis tracker facility. (* On the same screen the tracker angle can be varied to a 1-Axis Azimuth to observe how the data changes). The data shown is the annually installed kWh / kWp.  Thus, to calculate the production of 12 kWp from a tracker just multiply the value given by the SOLAR PV TRACKER application by 12.
 
5 .- Finally, we  the QUALIFIED INSTALLERS network  screen is reached where the SOLAR PV TRACKER application will indicate to the user where  the  PROINSO Network installers nearest to the location selected on the initial map of the facility can be found and the radius determined by the user in kilometres. Thus enabling the user to contact the nearest PROINSO Network installer with any technical  or commercial queries they may have.

01.18.2010: PROINSO launches web app. for the comparative calculation of photovoltaic solar energy - ~46 Kb

 The Spanish distribution company for solar photovoltaic material becomes the first distributor in its sector to launch a program of this nature.The PROINSO International Network of qualified installers begins initially in Spain, Greece and Italy, and will expand over the coming months to France, Germany and the United States.The aim of the programme, in terms of the Installers, is to guarantee and strengthen the development of their commercial and technical activity in all aspects regarding the "turnkey" installation, with sufficient guarantees of quality, delivery times and costs to meet the needs of customers and banks who will finance the projectsFor its part, the customer has the assurance that the installer has been certified by PROINSO and that PROINSO will provide support for any problems that may arise.

PROINSO will forward, to the Qualified Installers who are part of the network, all turnkey projects which they take in. The qualified installer will be responsible for the turnkey project, installation, and maintenance of the same. PROINSO, meanwhile, will provide the material for the installer so that they can execute the turnkey project.
The approved companies also have legal technical and training assessment from PROINSO. To be approved as a Certified Installer you must have had at least three years previous experience in the field.

16-11-09 PROINSO Launches International Network of Qualified Installers

PROINSO has announced a "commercial agreement" with TRINA, the manufacturer of photovoltaic modules through which it undertakes to supply 108 photovoltaic megawatts during 2009-2010. PROINSO reserves the option to buy an additional 12 MW in the first quarter of 2010. This will enable  PROINSO´s customers, both EPC contractors and installers, to guarantee their supply in the face of any potential shortage of modules which is expected during Q4-2009 and Q1 and Q2 2010 due to the hefty demand that German and Italian markets will experience. Germany is predicted to end 2009 at 3,000 MW and a further 2,000 MW during the first half of 2010 due to Italy reaching 1,500 MW by September 2010, leading to an increase in demand from investors and for modules causing many  projects not to meet deadlines.

Trina Solar, which is defined as a “vertically integrated" company -produces ingots, wafers and cells, and also assembles modules- forecasts that shipments of the pledged material –” some 108 MW" – will begin in the fourth quarter of 2009 and will continue for the first six months of the following year. The modules supplied are for the use of clients that usually work with PROINSO and are expected to be used in photovoltaic solar projects for European markets like Italy, Greece and Spain.

Furthermore, and according to the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Europe at Trina Solar, Ben Hill, "We are delighted to expand our relationship with PROINSO and are looking forward to continuing the relationship beyond 2010." In the same vein, the Director of Marketing at Proinso (OPDE Group), Gustavo Carrero, said he was "delighted to have signed this contract with an established manufacturer like Trina Solar," and added that his company has "chosen the alliance with Trina Solar, with whom they have been maintaining excellent business relations since 2007, to bring high performance modules to solar projects in Europe.

PROINSO will set up in the city of West Sacramento, Yolo County, California, in a 70,000 square foot building which will be fitted with the infrastructure to manufacture 14,000 trackers a year.  Other locations in California were evaluated initially, but the possibilities for recruitment, communications, infrastructure and proximity to one of the parks which will supply 24 MW in 2010 clinched

PROINSO´s  decision to locate in West Sacramento.

Noteworthy is the drive and support received from the Mayor - Mike McGowan, and the other members of the City Council -. Mike Luke, Ernesto Lucero, Diane Richards, Denice Seals – who sanctioned the firm decision and desire that this project be deployed in the area and create jobs and wealth for the surroundings. This building will be used by the other companies from the PROINSO group of which  OPDE, RIOS and MECASOLAR form part. The new address is: 1430 Enterprise Blvd, West Sacramento, CA 95691

The solar trackers MS Tracker 10, developed and manufactured by the Spanish company MECASOLAR have received the award for best PV solar  application of the year during the "Solar Awards 2009"; the international awards granted to solar energy companies.

The awards are convened by the prestigious international publication of British origin, PV Solar, which acknowledges the commitment and investment by MECASOLAR in incorporating new technological developments into their 1 and 2-axis solar trackers, European leaders in implementation in solar photovoltaics.

MECASOLAR received the "PV Application Award 2009" at a ceremony held recently in Hamburg, Germany, during the EUPV trade show. The company-part of the multinational,   OPDE Group- felt very satisfied on having won an award that "recognizes our commitment to investment and research into new technological developments with due regard to the demands and needs of the solar photovoltaic market”.

MECASOLAR trackers are guaranteed by the company's experience in the markets for solar photovoltaics in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece, where it is the leader in sales and production, having reached the 180 MW mark for those markets. MECASOLAR has production sites in Spain, Greece and now in California, United States; a market where it has already closed several contracts. A new factory will also soon be opened in Italy.
Other companies who received awards in the remaining categories of the Solar Awards 2009 included: Solar Solutions, Newport, Dek Solar, Siemens, Oerlikon Solar, J.T. Baker, Advanced Energy, Pasan, Fraunhofer, Spire Solar, ibvgot, First Solar and LDK.

The Spanish company PROINSO, specialists in  engineering and supply of photovoltaic solar plants, has signed a collaboration agreement with the Belgian engineering company Nizet, for the supply of modules, inverters and fixed structures, which will become the largest solar farm in Belgian, located in Ivarem.

PROINSO-a company which forms part of the OPDE group- will also be responsible for advising on engineering and design optimization, as well as training the qualified staff of the Belgian company. The new plant at Ivarem will have an output of 3 MW and will become the largest in Belgium, a country with a total of 100 MW of solar photovoltaic facilities, which will represent 3% of the total market.

The entire supply operation will amount to €5 million and will run from mid October until next December 2009, date for the launch of the new solar plant which will work in combination with a methane plant.

Thus, for the next months PROINSO will provide: 3 MW of  Trina Solar TSM-PC05 modules of 235 Wp (with an efficiency of 14.4%), 270 SMA inverters (SMC11000TL equipment); 266 MECASOLAR fixed structures (model MS-2CFIX) as well as communications and monitoring equipment  (SMA).

 PROINSO are extremely satisfied with the importance of the agreement. "Not only because we will be supplying and advising Belgium’s largest plant, but for the trust Nizet have placed in us by choosing us as a partner for their first incursion into solar photovoltaics of this size.

In this regard, we must remember that the Belgian company- with an annual turnover of €1,300 million and a history of more than a century in the market is one of the country's largest engineering companies.

Recently, it took charge of building an offshore wind farm (at sea, a few miles from the coast) with a 300 MW output to the north of British Isles.

13.10.2009: PROINSO awarded the supply of the largest solar photovoltaic plant in Belgium with a 3 MW output - ~7.366 Kb

• The project, in which MECASOLAR is involved, aims to reduce energy costs for pumping water in Reclamation District 108 located in Yola in the state of California. This pumping is common practise when extracting water in California, substantially increasing water costs.

• PROINSO, integrated in the OPDE Group, is responsible for the supply and logistics of the project, providing 34 trackers (500 kW) MECASOLAR model MS-2E TRACKER 10 and the TRINA 230 Wp modules (230Wp Model TSMT05 Poli). It also advises local engineering companies on the configuration and implementation of the project currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed in early November.

• MECASOLAR, which will open a new production plant in the San Francisco area over the coming months, will be among the main players at the Solar Power Expo Fair to be held from 27 to 29 October in Anaheim (California. Stand 111).

MECASOLAR supplies 500 kW of 2-axis trackers for solar photovoltaic project in California - ~6.6 Mb

SOLAR PRO-Articulo tecnico de MECASOLAR Project in Yolo-California - ~952 Kb

• Both companies, who form part of the OPDE Group, will supply fixed structures, trackers, modules and invertors for solar photovoltaic plants located in the regions of Puglia (Italy, 10.5 MW); Kilikis (Greece, 1 MW) and Valladolid (Spain, 2.5 MW).
• MECASOLAR confirm the excellent reception on the national and international market for its new fixed and seasonal 1-axis azimuth trackers, which were launched this May. With only two products they have reached a volume of orders in the three countries amounting to €4 million.
• PROINSO will supply modules and invertors for these projects, as well as fixed structures and MECASOLAR trackers which will be distributed exclusively.
• Orders for Italy and Greece were placed after the involvement of MECASOLAR and PROINSO at the recently held Solarexpo fair held in Verona, Italy. This international presence will be soon strengthened by their participation at the INTERSOLAR fair, to be held in Munich from 27 to May 29.
• The OPDE Group are making a clear commitment to internationalization and, according to their estimates, 50% of sales figures and turnover in 2010 will have their origin in overseas markets, mainly Italy, Greece and United States.

2009-05-25: PROINSO and MECASOLAR awarded orders for 14 MW for Italy, Greece and Spain - 3,528 Kb

• SMA inverter      SMC 7000 HV         180 units
• SMA inverter      SMC 5000 A            250 units
• SMA inverter      SMC 7000 TL          225 units
• SMA inverter      SC100                         14 units

Last December, Noviercas (Soria) inaugurated their 400 kWn plant. This installation is comprised of 40 Mecasolar MS Tracker 10 trackers.

Proinso participated in this project as the supplier of Mecasolar trackers and photovoltaic modules. The installation is divided into four groups, each generating 100 kWn. Each of these groups consists of ten MS Tracker 10 trackers.

The energy production results for the first two weeks of operation exceeded the production estimates for this time period.

PROINSO will participate in GENERA 2008, showcasing its latest technological developments.PROINSO will be in direct contact with its current and potential clients at this event, which will be held from February 26th to the 28th of 2008. The stand will be located in pavilion 12 - B08.   PROINSO will share its stand with MECASOLAR, the current Spanish market leader in solar tracker manufacture, with a capacity greater than 88 MWp. PROINSO will not only showcase the Spanish market's most sold dual-axis solar tracker, but will also exhibit developments by inverter manufacturer SMA, as well as REC, ET-SOLAR and TRINA modules, which it currently distributes. Furthermore, company engineers and technical supervisors will be present at the stand and available to offer the best technical solutions for your projects. PROINSO will also present the many solutions that it offers the solar thermal energy world at the Fair.

The Austrian group TSK recently awarded PROINSO a contract to supply 18 MW of solar energy. The supply will consist of 1,800   MECASOLAR trackers, photovoltaic modules and SMA inverters. The contract amount exceeds €70 Million. Start-up will take place at the beginning of 2008. The reasons that TSK Group trusts in PROINSO as the provider for its solar energy installation projects are the stable and excellent business relationships that PROINSO maintains with many module manufacturers, which allows it to leverage its guarantee for delivery and connecting the group's installations before September 28, 2008. Considering the project contracts that the company has signed to date with IBERINCO, TSK and OPDE, among others, the power supply that PROINSO has leveraged for 2008 exceeds 70 MW, which positions it as the primary national wholesale distributor. Forecasted invoicing for 2008 is excellent, completely exceeding 2007's sales.

The Norwegian group REC, which is a manufacturer of silicone and polysilicone, wafers and modules for REC SOLAR, has chosen PROINSO to be one of its main distributors and partners in the Spanish market.

REC photovoltaic modules have generated much excitement and interest upon entering the Spanish and European markets as one of the top brand names in terms of production quality, supply guarantee and efficiency, due to the manufacturer's vertical integration in the value chain.

The demand for modules manufactured by REC Group, which has totally integrated the value chain, is important not only due to the high demand in the Spanish market, but also due to the supply guarantee that PROINSO promises and brings to its clients.

The REC modules that PROINSO is currently marketing are model SCM 210 from 210 to 225 Wp.

Last January 19, Javier Remacha, PROINSO General Manager, and Günther Cramer, one of the founders and member of the SMA Board of Directors, signed an agreement under which PROINSO became the official, authorised SMA distributor for the Spanish market.

The German undisputed European leader in inverter manufacturing trusted in PROINSO's capacity to be one of its outstanding distributors in Spain. The sales capacity and overall knowledge that the PROINSO engineering team imparts to its clients led to this agreement.

PROINSO selected SMA inverters as one of the key products to include in its catalogue due to the technical service that it provides in Spain.