Yingli sets 10 MW supply deal with U.S. company

* Deal with SunDurance Energy to supply modules

* Yingli has met with utilities, project developers

NEW YORK, March 2 (Reuters) - Yingli Green Energy Holding Co Ltd (YGE.N) said on Tuesday it has signed a sales agreement to provide more than 10 megawatts of photovoltaic solar modules to a New Jersey renewable energy systems developer this year.

Under the deal, of which no financial details were disclosed, SunDurance Energy Inc will take delivery of the modules through the third quarter.

About 8 megawatts of the modules will be used for projects that are currently under development, with about 2 megawatts for future projects, according to Robert Petrina, managing director for Yingli Green Energy Americas.

Like other makers of the photovoltaic systems that turn sunlight into electricity, Yingli is hoping to grow its U.S. business through larger utility-scale and commercial projects.

That part of the U.S. market is expected to grow rapidly this year following the financial crisis that choked off funding for many new projects in 2009.

So far this year, a rush to supply modules to Germany ahead of expected subsidy cuts there and the return of financing capital to the U.S. sector have helped improve demand.

In January, Yingli announced that it had been a awarded a $4.5 million tax credit to build a module manufacturing plant in the United States. The company plans to build the plant in either Phoenix or in Austin, Texas.

Yingli's fourth-quarter sales to the United States were expected to be around 15 MW. One megawatt is enough power to supply about 800 average U.S. households.

Petrina said Yingli has met with U.S. utilities about solar projects but has focused more on selling to power project developers.

"We've had discussions with a number of different players in the sector. Some utilities have requested proposals directly," he said.

"We don't compete downstream, and we want to work with partners who are well positioned," he added. (Reporting by Matt Daily)