Expert chair appointed to the Energy Efficiency Deployment Office

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 16:08 

The Energy Efficiency Deployment Office (EEDO) has appointed Peter Boyd as Expert Chair. Boyd is currently the CEO for Carbon War Room, an independent global, non-profit that seeks to accelerate entrepreneurial solutions to profitable, ?gigaton-scale? reduction in carbon emissions. Read more

DECC?s deployment projection drops to 11.9GW by 2020

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 12:28 

Yesterday, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) lifted the lid on its long-awaited consultation over solar feed-in tariffs. The Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Greg Barker set out proposals that, he said, provide ?a strong, sustainable foundation for growth for the solar industry.? Read more

Kronos Solar applies for 13MW solar park development in Pembrokeshire

Thursday, 5.24.2012 - 17:15 

German solar developer and installer, Kronos Solar has applied for permission to install a 13MW solar park at West Farm, Cosheston in Pembrokeshire. Read more

DECC reveals solar FiT cuts: industry?s comments

Thursday, 5.24.2012 - 16:29 

Earlier this afternoon the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced the results of the latest consultation on feed-in tariffs. This news has been much anticipated by the UK solar industry, which has seen decreased installation figures since the last cuts were introduced. Many industry players have contacted Solar Power Portal with their comments on today?s announcement; a selection of these thoughts can be read below. Read more

New 16p solar FiT will go ahead from August 1

Thursday, 5.24.2012 - 14:00 

After weeks of anticipation the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has today published the results of the latest solar feed-in tariff consultation. From August 1 the new rate for 4kW systems will be 16p/kWh, set in line with current installation figures. Read more

What to expect from today?s solar feed-in tariff announcement

Thursday, 5.24.2012 - 12:42 

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is to announce the results of the latest consultation on feed-in tariffs later today, mapping out the rates for solar installations in the UK. In anticipation of this news we?ve put together a list of what to expect. Read more

FoE: Solar industry needs certainty

Wednesday, 5.23.2012 - 19:12 

In a letter seen by the Solar Power Portal (published in full below), Andy Atkins, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth has urged Ed Davey to ?end the uncertainty in the solar industry? by announcing the conclusion of the review to the feed-in tariff scheme. Read more

Davey offers UK consumers advice on how to reduce energy bills

Wednesday, 5.23.2012 - 17:11 

After yesterday publishing the Electricity Market Reform, which outlined how consumer energy bills will continue in their upward trend, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is today offering advice on how to get a better energy deal. Read more

Anesco leads large-scale solar renaissance

Wednesday, 5.23.2012 - 11:37 

Anesco has broken ground on one of the first large-scale solar parks since prohibitive cuts to the feed-in tariff were rushed through in August last year. The park represents the renewable energy company?s first step towards installing significant large-scale solar capacity across the UK. Read more

London Fire Brigade ignites passion for solar energy

Wednesday, 5.23.2012 - 11:20 

Adding to the growing number of solar installations cropping up in the nation?s capital, the London Fire Brigade has recently been investigating the potential for solar energy generation at over 100 sites. Read more

First Solar donates 250kW PV system to Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation?s Taliesin West campus

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 19:20 

First Solar has completed the installation of a 250kW solar PV system donated to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and installed at the Taliesin West campus. This marks the completion of the first phase of the Energizing Taliesin West initiative, which aims to transform the historic landmark into a ?net zero? energy customer. The PV system is expected to produce over 500MWh of electricity per year. Read more

Tonga?s first solar farm to be in full operation by August

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 19:03 

Tonga Power?s General Manager, John van Brink, advised that the country?s first solar farm is expected to be in full operation by August. Developed by Meridian Energy, the 1MW Popua Solar Farm is the first renewable power station for the Tonga and will provide around 4% of the energy requirements for the main island of Tongatapu. Read more

Politicians from Germany?s Green Party submit proposal for a solar program to be established in Iran

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 18:45 

Citing the potential destruction that a war with Iran would produce, Hans Josef Fell and Omid Nouripour have submitted a proposal to Germany?s Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, urging him to support the establishment of a solar program in Iran and the elimination of the country?s nuclear energy development. The document contends that Iran has an extensive supply of fossil fuels, but, further, that it has a large potential for renewable energies. Read more

MEMC comments on S&P downgrade

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 18:07 

Following S&P?s downgrade of MEMC Electronic Materials senior debt to a B+ rating, the company issues a short statement regarding the decision. ?We are disappointed with the rating change by S&P,? commented Brian Wuebbels, MEMC?s chief financial officer, ?but we are comfortable that our cash and liquidity position is sufficient to meet our current cash needs. The credit downgrade by S&P today will not adversely affect our current access to our existing non-recourse construction revolver for SunEdison construction activities.? Read more

CPUC passes new rule regarding net metering

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 18:01 

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted 5 to 0 on the passing of a new rule regarding net metering, chiefly to refine the calculation for California?s 5% net metering cap. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) worked with members and stakeholders as part of the Coalition for Solar Rights petitioning the CPUC to review the calculation of the cap, which is anticipated to be reached as early as next year by some utilities. The CPUC vote essentially clarified the net metering calculation while also calling for further studies into the process. Read more

Solar shakeout: Flexcell thrown financial lifeline but production halted

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 17:14 

Swiss-based VHF-Technologies, better known under its product branding as Flexcell has stopped production of its flexible thin-film products and reduced its headcount to around 50. The move is designed to preserve cash, after being thrown a financial lifeline by Capricorn Capital to the tune of CHF8.5 million (US$8.9 million). Read more

Solar Shakeout: Oerlikon Solar customer Pramac files for insolvency

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 17:10 

Swiss silicon thin-film firm, Pramac has been forced to file for insolvency after shareholders rejected management proposals over restructuring the company after posting losses (net) of over ?94 million in 2011. The diversified firm had been a customer of Oerlikon Solar since 2008. Pramac had a 30MW end-to-end turnkey line using Oerlikon?s ?Micromorph?  technology. Read more

Solar shakeout: Silex Systems closes module assembly plant in Sydney

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 17:05 

The former BP Solar module assembly plant, originally closed in 2009 but resurrected by Silex Systems to provide modules in the Australian market has also closed the facility. The company said that it couldn?t operate the facility on a profitable basis as market demand in Australia had waned. Read more

Azure secures US$70 million financing for 40MW PV plant

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 16:06 

Azure Power has received a US$70 million loan from the US Export Import Bank to construct a 40MW PV plant in Nagaur, Rajasthan. The project will be an expansion of Azure?s already existing 5MW plant in Nagaur. The PV plant, which is expected to be the largest plant in a single location that is part of the National Solar Mission, is expected to commence commercial operation in February 2013. Read more

PV enterprises unite to prove US DoC ruling as ?unwarranted?

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 16:03 

China?s Chamber of Commerce Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) has released details on why the US Department of Commerce?s preliminary determination is false and unwarranted. Read more

What Is Holding Back Solar Hot Water in the US?

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 20:46 

Solar hot water has been a commercialized technology for many, many years now. It had its heyday back in the 1980s when it seemed like everyone was putting a system on his or her roof. Even my dad, the ultra-conservative New York City money manager put one on our house in Connecticut when I was a teenager. Unfortunately, however, the technology wa Read more

UK Again Cuts Solar Feed-in Tariffs

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 17:55 

The UK government yesterday unveiled an overhaul of its solar feed-in tariffs. Read more

Sundrop Fuels, ThyssenKrupp Partner for 50 Million-Gallon Louisiana Drop-in Biofuels Project

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 17:54 

In Colorado, Sundrop Fuels announced a partnership with technology and engineering supplier ThyssenKrupp Uhde for what will be the nation's first bona fide commercial "green gasoline" production facility. Read more

Gamesa Ousts Chief Executive

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 17:42 

Spanish wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa has ousted chief executive Jorge Calvert after the company's market value fell 89 per cent while he was in charge. Read more

Report: Two Solar Technologies That Will Thrive; Two On the Demise

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 15:34 

For every revolutionary advance in solar, there are countless evolutionary dead-ends ? technologies that were well worth exploring, but ones that ultimately failed to live up to the mantra of "cut costs or die." Read more

A Solar Fred Caption Contest Featuring a Viral Slinky Video

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 15:00 

There are times in solar marketing when one can use seemingly unrelated memes and turn them into useful (and inexpensive) solar advocacy and commentary on social networks. Case in point is this Slinky-on-a-treadmill video below, which now has over 1 million views, according to YouTube. We'll get to why in a bit. First the video: Let’s disc Read more

Sandia Releases Web Tool to Evaluate Energy Storage Options

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 15:00 

Sandia National Laboratories and the Department of Energy have released a new tool to help utilities, developers and regulators identify the energy storage options that best meet their needs. Partnering with DNV KEMA, a global testing and consulting firm, Sandia is releasing Energy Storage Select, or ES-Select, software under a public license to t Read more

Solar manufacturing's new strategy: 'co-opetition'

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 10:38 

The current crisis in solar manufacturing is leading to some novel economic strategies. Pure manufacturing is dead, say many solar companies: it's time to diversify. Read more

Solar Manufacturing's New Strategy: "Co-opetition"

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 10:38 

The current crisis in solar manufacturing is leading to some novel economic strategies. Pure manufacturing is dead, say many solar companies: it's time to diversify. Read more

California PUC Rules in Favor of Net-Metering

Thursday, 5.24.2012 - 22:14 

California net-metering gained a resounding victory on Thursday when the state's Public Utilities Commission voted 5-0 to accept a proposal that clarifies how utilities should measure the net-metering cap. Read more

Solar Frontier to supply CIS modules for pilot PV project in Abu Dhabi

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 17:16 

Solar Frontier K.K. (Tokyo, Japan) has announced that it will supply its copper indium gallium diselenide (CIS or CIGS) solar photovoltaic (PV) modules for a 36.4 kW pilot PV project to be located in Abu Dhabi, UAE. An opening ceremony for the project on May 22nd, 2012 for the plant was attended by Tatsuro Watanabe, Japan's Ambassador to the UAE. The project will be a joint project between oil refining company Takreer (Abu Dhabi, UAE) and the Japan Cooperation Center, Petroleum, and will be constructed by Chiyoda Corporation (Yokohama, Japan). Read more

eSolar partners with Sanmina-SCI to design concentrating solar power components

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 17:12 

On May 23rd, 2012, eSolar (San Jaose, California, U.S.), a provider of modular, scalable concentrating solar power (CSP) plant technology, announced that it has teamed up with Sanmina-SCI (Burbank, California, U.S.), an integrated manufacturing services company, to design next-generation concentrated solar power (CSP) components for utility-scale power plants. Read more

Intersolar to hold South America conference in August

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 17:07 

Intersolar South Amaerica announced that it will hold the South America Summit on August 15th, 2012, at Expo Center Norte in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Co-located with Electrical Installations Exhibition & Conference (ENIE), the summit marks Intersolar's entry into a market that is becoming increasingly attractive to the solar industry. Read more

Stanford announces certificate program in renewable energy

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 17:02 

Stanford University (California, U.S.) has introduced a new professional certificate program in renewable energy. The online program, Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies, explores emerging technologies that can transform distribution and storage of energy. Read more

CPUC approves changes to California's net metering law

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 12:44 

On May 24th, 2012 the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously to approve a ruling that will double the amount of solar photovoltaic (PV) and other distributed generation that can participate in the state's net metering program. The ruling clarifies the methodology for calculating the state's net metering cap, which was contested between utilities and solar advocates. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA, Washington D.C., U.S.) has praised the ruling. Read more

Hoku Corporation halts construction on polysilicon plant in Idaho, ends business at Tianwei Solar

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 12:41 

On May 22nd, 2012 Hoku Corporation (Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.) announced that it has quit construction at its polysilicon plant in the U.S. state of Idaho, laying off 100 employees. The company has also ceased business and terminated all employees at subsidiary Tianwei Solar USA Inc. (Hermosa Beach, California, U.S.), due to financial concerns. As of March 31st, 2012 Hoku Corporation reported cash and current assets of USD 14.4 million and liabilities of USD 279 million. The company notes that it has received an additional loan from the New York branch of China Merchant's Bank (Shenzhen, China), and will pursue restructuring options. Read more

Chinese Ministry of Commerce determines U.S. state policies violate trade laws; SEIA, Chinese trade group call for dialogue

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 12:31 

In what is widely seen as retaliation for the recent U.S. Department of Commerce ruling, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has issued a preliminary determination that six U.S. state-level renewable policy supports violate global trade rules. The Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA, Washington D.C., U.S.) has issued a statement calling for dialogue, and both SEIA and EuPD Research (Bonn, Germany) have warned of potential damage to the global solar industry from a trade war. SEIA's statement comes shortly after SolarWorld Industries Inc. (Hillsboro, Oregon, U.S.) publicly criticized SEIA's stance on potential U.S. tariffs. Read more

MiaSole reaches 15.5% aperture area efficiency with flexible CIGS module

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 9:03 

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL, Golden, Colorado, U.S.) has confirmed that a flexible copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) solar photovoltaic (PV) module produced by MiaSole (Santa Clara, California, U.S.) has achieved a 15.5% aperture area efficiency. The 1.68 square meter module has set a world record for flexible PV technology, representing a more than 2% efficiency increase over the record of 13.4% efficiency for flexible PV, which was set earlier in 2012. Read more

Welspun wins bid to develop 125 MW PV project in India

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 8:58 

Welspun Energy Ltd. (Mumbai, India) has won a bid to develop a 125 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The company plans to build a 100 MW PV plant and a 25 MW PV plant. Welspun notes that this is the highest capacity solar project to be awarded to any Indian company to date. The company is one of four winning bidders for solar projects in the state, through an auction conducted on May 10th, 2012. Read more

Soitec reports increase in loss, predicts 2012 revenues from CPV business

Friday, 5.25.2012 - 8:53 

On May 21st, 2012 Soitec SA (Bernin, France) released results for its financial year ending March 31st, 2012, reporting EUR 6.8 million (USD 8.56 million) in sales and an operating loss of EUR 44.9 million (USD 56.6 million) from its Solar Energy Segment. Soitec states that sales were marginal during financial year (FY) 2011-2012 as the segment is still in the development phase. The company notes that significant investments have been made in the Solar Energy Segment to support the ramp-up of its production facility in Freiburg, Germany. Read more