China Bak to deliver batteries for Chery lithium-ion EV

Battery maker China Bak Battery, Inc. will provide storage for the first lithium-ion electric vehicle offering of Chinese state-owned car maker Chery Automobile Company. In a disclosed contract, China Bak said will supply 100 units of high-power lithium-ion batteries for Chery’s Ruilin M1 EV in the first half of the year. Deliveries start in June 2012.

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DuPont enters strategic agreements with Suntech and Yingli

American chemical company DuPont sealed strategic agreements with two solar power companies this month. DuPont announced a strategic agreement with the world’s largest producer of solar panels, Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. The agreement will focus on technology advancements, supply chain optimization, cost reduction initiatives and supplying DuPont-based materials for Suntech Power modules.

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Insurance Auto to supply salvage vehicles for recycling in China

Illinois-based Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc., a company in the business of auctioning off salvage vehicles, signed a deal with Chen Jia, Inc. in China where it could begin sending over vehicles for recycling following more lenient government rules. Through the deal, Insurance Auto will supply vehicles for to Chen Jia for the latter’s recycling operations.

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Atlantic Power acquires 51% of Canadian Hills after Swepco P.P.A.

Boston-based independent power producer Atlantic Power Corporation invested $23 million in Canadian Hills Wind, L.L.C., which owns a 298.45-megawatt wind farm in Oklahoma. Atlantic Power now owns 51 percent of Canadian Hills Wind. According to Atlantic Power, the Canadian Hills Wind project is in the late stages of development under builder Apex Wind Energy Holdings, L.L.C.

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Exclusive: German company’s organic solar cell hits most bright spots

A Dresden-based company is covering several bases in the organic solar cell niche with which it hopes to make an impact in the building-integrated photovoltaics market – and beyond. The company specializes in organic solar cells, photovoltaic devices that use thin layers of organic materials with semiconductor properties. In December last year they achieved a conversion efficiency of 9.8 percent for their product, as confirmed by the Fraunhofer ISE CalLab.

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SunPower acquires Tenesol; Total now owns 66% of common shares

Silicon Valley-based solar company SunPower Corporation has completed its acquisition of France-based developer and panel maker Tenesol, a wholly owned subsidiary of Total S.A. In a press release, SunPower said it acquired Tenesol for $165.4 million in cash. The deal’s completion this week followed the signing of a definitive agreement between the two companies in December regarding Tenesol’s acquisition.

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Primoris Renewables to rake in $40 million for waste-to-energy

Primoris Services Corp.’s Lake Forest, California-based Primoris Renewables has partnered with Dallas, Texas-based Synergy Renewables for waste-to-energy facilities in Puerto Rico, construction of which would begin this year with commercial operation targeted in the fourth quarter of 2013.

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FirstEnergy requests 10-year solar R.E. credits for Ohio utilities

FirstEnergy Corp. has filed a request for proposal to solicit 10-year contracts to provide 1,000 solar renewable energy credits beginning 2012 until 2021 for customers of its Ohio utilities Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co., Ohio Edison Co., and Toledo Edison Co. This is to comply with the renewable energy and solar energy resource requirements established under Ohio’s energy law.

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‘World still not on sustainable path’ – high-level U.N. panel

A high-level United Nations panel on global sustainability formed by Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, in its final report said “the world is still not on the path of sustainable development,” even though real progress has been made on some issues.

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U.S. installs 6,800 MW of wind power in 2011; Ohio accelerates

The United States wind power industry installed 6,810 megawatts of wind-derived electricity in 2011, as new states come into the industry radar for the first time. In its fourth quarter data, which rounds up sector performance for the entire year, the American Wind Energy Association said installations in 2011 grew by 31 percent compared with 2010.

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