Solel lands record deal for solar receivers

Solar energy technology company Solel Solar Systems Ltd. has won a contract to supply 70,000 thermo solar receivers for three new solar power plants in Spain. The company will supply its UVAC 2008 receivers to two unnamed Spanish infrastructure companies, which are jointly building the power plants. The plants will have a production capacity of 50 megawatts each. The current order will be filled over the course of 2009. This is the largest order for the company's systems to date, and follows an earlier order for 46,000 units, which Solel announced in January.

(I actually had an opportunity to witness a presentation earlier today by Ilan Sharon, business development manager at Solel, and I was impressed to learn that Solel currently has a $400 million backlog of orders, equivalent to 700 MW of solar energy.)

Beit Shemesh-based Solel says its system captures sunlight and converts it to heat for clean power generation, with 20% less heat loss than other receivers in the market, according to testing by the National Renewal Energy Laboratory of the US Department of Energy in January 2008. Heat loss measurement is a critical indicator of receiver efficiency.

Solel CEO Avi Brenmiller said, "This large and unprecedented order is a testament to Solel's ability to offer a compelling and economical solution for the production of clean and renewable energy. The solar power market is growing rapidly, and we intend to continue to lead the way with unrivaled products and increased production.