A Chinese solar giant and an Israeli investment firm jointly launched a test
facility for a new type of solar panel geared toward harsh desert conditions, at
Kibbutz Yotvata early Tuesday morning.
The test site is part of the
team’s new National Technology and Renewable Energy Center in Israel, also on
the Yotvata campus, which will provide a platform for further testing of clean
technologies, according to the companies.
Capital Nature, the investment
firm, focuses on funding and accelerating early stage ventures in the renewable
energy field — particularly in the Eilot region.
Meanwhile, the solar
firm, Suntech Power Holdings, is a China-based solar equipment manufacturer that
has delivered more than 25 million photovoltaic panels to more than 1,000
customers in 80 countries, the company said.
Undergoing examination for
its survival ability in the Israeli Arava Desert, Suntech’s new Superpoly 305
Watt V Series was installed at the kibbutz by its local distributor here,
Enerpoint Israel.
The test site contains a 2.4- kilowatt module, which
will undergo continuous performance analysis, the companies said. In the future,
the overall facility will likely host over 50,000 square meters and 750
kilowatts worth of renewable beta structures.
“Our modules have a great
reputation for performance in desert conditions,” said Dr.
Stuart Wenham,
Suntech’s Chief Technology Officer said.
“We are very excited to work
with and promote the development of Capital Nature’s testing center and we
encourage other companies to put their panels to similar testing to make sure
they can withstand the harsh desert conditions over 25 years.”
Danny
Denan, CEO of Enerpoint Israel, said that his company has installed hundreds of
solar projects across the country, many of which have been developed by Suntech
— a company that he sees as a leader in solar technology globally.
The
test site launch occurred just hours before the kick-off of the three-day
Eilat-Eilot Fifth International Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition, an
event that is co-chaired by Capital Nature vice president of business
development, Noam Ilan.
“We’ve commissioned this testing center to
provide a professional testing ground for renewable energy technologies in real
world conditions in the Arava desert so that companies can generate real time
data to assess performance as well as estimate return on investment,” Ilan said.
“We are very happy to add to our six Israeli pilot projects an international
player such as Suntech and hope this will generate collaboration with Israeli
technology.”
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