THE DEAL: Castle Rock Vineyards Harvests the Sun

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Solar photovoltaic energy systems benefit by having few if any moving parts. They are about as plug and play as you can get. But when it comes to financing, they can seem as complex as a nuclear power plant. Read more

Minimizing Micro-cracks in Solar Cell Interconnection during Manual Soldering

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Solar cell substrates are delicate. The manual soldering process applies stress to the material, which can cause micro-cracks to form in the substrate. Hoa Nguyen, OK International, identifies the requirements and equipment needed to reduce micro-cracking during solar cell assembly. Read more

CTDC?s subsidiary selected to supply solar modules for two Italian solar projects

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 1:38 (PV-Tech)

China Technology Development Group?s wholly-owned subsidiary, Linsun Power Technology, has been tapped for two Italian solar PV jobs. The company will supply 1.55MW of its transparent multicrystalline solar modules for two on-grid solar PV plants in Molfetta and Verona, Italy. Read more

Solar Power Portal?s top 10 hits of 2010

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 17:56 (Solarpowerportal)

As we reach the end of the year, we decided to delve into the Solar Power Portal archive of web statistics to rediscover the most popular news stories that have captured the attention of our readers since the introduction of the feed-in tariff. Read more

Solar tax threatens CEZ profit hit

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 14:29 (PV-Tech)

The new taxes on solar power and carbon credits in the Czech Republic will reportedly cut profit at the country?s major electricity provider, CEZ, by up to 4.6 billion crowns (US$242 million) in 2011. Read more

Eaga provides 1,000th council house with solar power

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 13:52 (Solarpowerportal)

To date, green services provider Eaga has installed free solar power for more than 1,000 social housing households through its Clean Energy Programme in the UK. Utilising the feed-in-tariff (FIT) Eaga has been able to install solar photovoltaics systems for social housing residents at no cost to them or the landlord. Read more

SolarWorld?s Hillsboro plant reaches major milestone

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 13:16 (PV-Tech)

SolarWorld?s Hillsboro plant has reached a significant milestone in its five-year expansion plan by employing its 1,000th member of staff. Since acquiring the facility from Shell Solar in 2006, SolarWorld has transformed the former semiconductor plant in Camarillo, California into the largest solar manufacturing plant in North America. Read more

SolarWorld?s Hillsboro plant reaches significant milestone

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 13:16 (PV-Tech)

SolarWorld?s Hillsboro plant has reached a significant milestone in its five-year expansion plan by employing its 1,000th member of staff. Since acquiring the facility from Shell Solar in 2006, SolarWorld has transformed the former semiconductor plant in Camarillo, California into the largest solar manufacturing plant in North America. Read more

SunLink installs roof-mount system on Sunset Reservoir facility

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 12:38 (PV-Tech)

SunLink has installed its non-penetrating commercial roof-mount system on Recurrent Energy?s 5MW Sunset Reservoir PV facility in San Francisco. SunLink?s system has enabled 23,000 Suntech modules to be fitted onto the reservoir?s rooftop, which has more than tripled the city?s solar capacity. Read more

CPUC approves mid-sized solar development incentive scheme

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 11:58 (PV-Tech)

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously to approve the state?s program designed to drive small to mid-sized renewable energy development. The Renewable Auction Mechanism (RAM) next-generation feed-in tariff program, which requires investor-owned California utilities to purchase electricity from solar and other renewable energy systems up to 20MW in size, is now set to go ahead as planned. Read more

Despatch Industries post record-breaking sales figures

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 11:46 (PV-Tech)

Despatch Industries has finished 2010 with total sales figures of US$200 million ? the best year-end results in the company?s 108-year history. Despatch?s Solar Business Group was responsible for the lion?s share of this number after capitalising on the increasing demand for cell-processing equipment in Asia. Read more

Alteris Renewables Helps Hoosick, NY Farm Harness the Sun and Save

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The top renewable energy integrator in the northeast, Alteris Renewables, and certified organic farm Berle Farm are pleased to announce the commissioning of the farm's new solar energy system. Read more

Solar Windows Coming But What Kind?

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

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Company Results: Solar Shines On While Wind Blows Hot & Cold

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Warnings of a 'double-dip' recession in the US and elsewhere, notably the UK, have done little to undermine confidence in the renewables sector. Venture capital investment in cleantech companies, according to analysis firm Ernst & Young, topped US$1.5 billion in the second quarter of the year. Industry observers are keen to see if the momentum can be maintained for the remainder of the year. Read more

SolarTech launches industry?s first EPC contract template

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 1:49 (PV-Tech)

In SolarTech?s continued effort to hasten the implementation of renewable solar energy projects on state and local levels, the company has made the industry?s first engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contract template for solar financing, which is anticipated to go hand in hand with the power purchase agreement (PPA) that was released in 2009. Read more

Construction kicks off on Bulgaria?s 45MW solar project

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 1:44 (PV-Tech)

NEOptions, the Bulgarian Development Collaborative and SDN spent three years working together to produce what they claim as the largest solar PV project in Bulgaria and one of the largest in the EU: a 45MW solar PV project made up of one 20MW installation and another 25MW solar PV installation in the towns of Samovodene and Zlataritsa, Bulgaria. Construction has started on the solar PV project, with 5MW already completed. Read more

JinkoSolar signs contract with Innovalight

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 1:28 (PV-Tech)

JinkoSolar Holdings has signed an agreement with Innovalight granting JinkoSolar the right to purchase Innovalight?s silicon ink and license its processing technology for the manufacturing of solar cells. JinkoSolar is looking at this contract with Innovalight?s technology to yield efficiencies over 18.6% in its monocrystalline solar cells during the first half of 2011. Read more

DOE Announces $30 Million for Next Generation Biofuels Research

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

DOE announced on December 14, 2010 that funds will be made available for small-scale process integration projects that support the development of advanced biofuels. The biofuels could replace gasoline or diesel without requiring special upgrades or changes to the vehicle or fueling infrastructure. The funding opportunity announcement, reference number DE-FOA-0000337 (the "FOA") will provide up to $30 million over the next 3 to 4 years to support up to 5 projects. Read more

POET cellulosic ethanol efforts could have nearly $38 billion impact on Iowa

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

POET's Project LIBERTY will generate as much as $37.8 billion in economic activity over 20 years and could employ more than 2,800 people, an independent analysis claims. Read more

New Capital Investment Boosts Canadian Wind Turbine Company

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

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IREC Releases Comprehensive Report on Net Metering in Competitive Electricity Markets

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) has released a new report today, The Intersection of Net Metering and Retail Choice: an overview of policy, practice and issues, detailing the methodologies states use to accomplish 'net metering' in competitive electricity markets. Read more

Extension of renewable energy incentive promotes clean energy development and job growth

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Washington, D.C. (December 17, 2010) ? The following is the statement of National Hydropower Association Executive Director Linda Church Ciocci on the passage of a one-year extension of the Section 1603 grants in lieu of tax credit program in the tax bill compromise: Read more

Grant Program Passed, Thousands of Renewable Energy Jobs Saved

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In typical fashion, the U.S. Congress passed a suite of last-minute tax laws last night, including an extension of the Treasury Grant Program (TGP) for renewable energy project developers. Read more

2011 Florida Renewable Energy Tour announces Jacksonville Tour Stop

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The Florida Alliance for Renewable Energy (FARE) is excited to announce the next confirmed tour stop in its 2011 Renewable Energy Tour which is set to take place at Jacksonville University (JU) on Thursday, February 24th 2011. During the day the tour will consist of visits to various renewable energy and energy efficient installations in the area. At night, JU will host a Town Hall event including local and state legislators as well as industry experts and featuring discussions about advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency in Florida. Read more

Energy heads home in 2011

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

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Quick Look: Renewable Energy Development in Germany

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Developers, manufacturers, investors and other renewable energy industry stakeholders need to know where the next big market is going to be so that they can adjust their business decisions accordingly. Read more

From the Editor

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Is the renewable energy sector finally heading for a downturn after years of unprecedented growth? It would of course be quite wrong to call time on an industry that is by any standard a major force in the global power generation sector and has enjoyed robust expansion year-on-year for perhaps a decade or more. But it would also be unrealistic to expect such growth to continue indefinitely. And it cannot be denied that a number of indicators have emerged in recent weeks which suggest that , for example, the European wind sector is facing a period of demand volatility and oversupply. Read more

Day4 Energy and Motech extend supply agreement

Friday, 12.17.2010 - 1:26 (PV-Tech)

Day4 Energy and Motech Industries have agreed to an extension in the supply contract the two companies have for the delivery of multicrystalline silicon solar cells. Motech will considerably increase the contracted quantity of the solar cells they supply to Day4 and its Day4 solarSystems manufacturing partners, although neither company revealed the amount to be supplied.  Delivery is set to begin in early January 2011. Read more