Dow Electronic Materials breaks ground on eastern China manufacturing site

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 23:15 (PV-Tech)

Dow Electronic Materials broke ground on its new eastern China manufacturing facility, located at the company’s Zhangjiagang site in JiangSu Province, approximately 98km from Shanghai. The company said the new facility will meet the growing demand for materials for the photovoltaic, printed circuit board, and other markets in Asia. Start-up is planned for late 2011. Read more

The California Way: Auction Trumps Feed-In Tariff

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

There has been no shortage of debate on the best way to boost renewable electricity generation. Feed-in tariff or renewable portfolio standard (with competitive bidding)? Throwing money at project developers or consumers and businesses that use the energy? Read more

Thin film industry experts set to meet on March 3-4 in Berlin to discuss how to increase competitiveness and achieve real bankability in 2011

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Recent reports indicate thin film is set to continue its impressive growth within the booming PV sector. 2010 saw the critical moment when thin film overtook crystalline silicon in its internal rate of return, and in 2009 thin film production seized a 20% share of the global PV market with figures for production predicted to reach 30% within the decade. Read more

Order Focus: GT Solar gets $47.3 million order from OCI for polysilicon reactors

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 23:10 (PV-Tech)

Photovoltaics manufacturing equipment supplier GT Solar has received a $47.3 million order from South Korea-based polysilicon producer OCI for its newest SDR400 CVD reactors. Representing the third order by OCI for GT Solar’s SDR400 reactors, the new systems will be installed as the first phase of the customer's recently announced polysilicon capacity expansion plan. Read more

Project Focus: NRG to open 20MW New Mexico plant

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 17:15 (PV-Tech)

NRG Solar is set to expand its power generation portfolio by opening a 20MW plant in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The company plans to invest US$21 million over the next three years in the Roadrunner Solar Electric Facility, which will be constructed by First Solar and sold to El Paso Electric under a 20-year power purchase agreement. Read more

Cornwall Council issues public tender notice for solar power plants

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 16:51 (Solarpowerportal)

Cornwall Council has issued a Public Tender Notice for its solar power plant plans. The Council says it has posted this notice to advertise its intention to establish a framework agreement for contractors to be appointed for the design, build, operation and maintenance of solar energy generation projects located within the UK regions of Cornwall, Plymouth and Devon. Read more

Order Focus: JinkoSolar says module supply contracts for 2011 top 546MW

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 16:43 (PV-Tech)

Having ramped to its 2010 target of 600MW of production capacity in wafers, cells and modules, JinkoSolar has said it has secured solar module supply contracts, including down payments, totalling 546MW for 2011. The company did not disclose whether capacity would be expanded further in 2011. JinkSolar had recently guided revenue for 2010 would be in the range of US$638-US$648 million. Read more

Van der Valk Solar Systems, GH Solar collaborate for custom-made greenhouse systems

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

In a bid to kick-start the photovoltaics sector in the Netherlands, Van der Valk Solar Systems, the manufacturer of components for the horticultural industry, has joined forces with GH Solar. So far, solar progress in the country has been slow, due to lack of a renewable subsidy structure; however the introduction of a feed-in tariff is expected in the near future. Read more

Van Der Valk Systems, GH Solar collaborate for custom-made greenhouse systems

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

In a bid to kick-start the photovoltaics sector in the Netherlands, Van Der Valk Systems, the manufacturer of components for the horticultural industry, has joined forces with GH Solar. So far, solar progress in the country has been slow, due to lack of a renewable subsidy structure; however the introduction of a feed-in tariff is expected in the near future. Read more

Czech Senate approves 26% solar tax, breaks investor confidence

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 12:15 (PV-Tech)

The Czech Senate has approved a new law, which will add a 26% tax on solar energy production over the next three years, as well as 32% tax on carbon credits awarded to solar companies in the next two years. The new taxes will apply to all photovoltaic plants that were guaranteed to receive a fixed feed-in tariff (FiT) for a period of 20 years. Read more

Order Focus: DelSolar wins supply contract with leading European energy firm

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 12:00 (PV-Tech)

DelSolar has signed a one-year contract to supply PV modules for an unnamed European renewable energy company in 2011. The agreement includes supply terms for product quantities and prices, and stipulates that DelSolar provide at least 30MW worth of modules. Read more

UK factory will run on solar power

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 11:46 (Solarpowerportal)

Green energy firms Romag and Cleaner Air Solutions UK are collaborating on a project to create the largest solar panel installation in the North-East. Under the terms of the agreement, Romag, the photovoltaic glass specialist, will install solar photovoltaics on Cleaner Air Solutions’ factory in Consett, County Durham. The work, scheduled for completion before Christmas, will bring more than half a megawatt of solar power... Read more

New York State Solar Thermal Incentive Program Nearly 50 Percent Subsidy !

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

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Project Focus: Port of Los Angeles boasts new 1MW rooftop solar PV installation

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 2:15 (PV-Tech)

The Port of Los Angeles’ World Cruise Center has been making several improvements to modernize their facility including one the installation of a 1MW rooftop solar system. The recently completed installation is expected to generate 1.2 million kWh of electricity per year to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power energy grid. Read more

Bosch to set up module assembly plant in France

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 1:15 (PV-Tech)

Currently, the Vénissieux, France location that Bosch Solar Energy plans to set up as a PV module assembly plant is being used as diesel system location where common-rail injection pumps are manufactured. As the demand for such products has declined, Bosch began looking for a new use of the location and eventually, the company decided to bring their assembly plant to the locale. Read more

Project Focus: SunEdison signs on to develop two solar plants totaling 37MW for APS

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 1:15 (PV-Tech)

SunEdison has agreed to build two solar PV plants for Arizona Public Service (APS) that will have a combined capacity of 37MW. The 17MW Hyder solar plant and 20MW Chino Valley solar plant, which APS will take ownership of once completed, will bring APS’s renewable energy portfolio to almost 682MW by 2013. Read more

New EPA Regulation May Discourage U.S. Biomass Projects

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The burning of biomass generates more electricity in the U.S. than wind, solar and geothermal energy combined, but a new regulation scheduled for implementation January 2, 2011 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may discourage new biomass projects, including those proposing to convert from coal to biomass. Read more

Bioengineers Develop Bacterial Strain That Could Increase Ethanol Production

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

A team of Bioengineers in the United States have modified a strain of bacteria to increase its ability to produce ethanol. The research, published in Biotechnology and Bioengineering, reveals how adaptation and metabolic engineering can be combined for strain improvement, a positive development for the biofuel industry. Read more

Unidym and Samsung come together for IP and licensing agreement

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 1:15 (PV-Tech)

Unidym, a subsidiary of Arrowhead Research, and Samsung Electronics have joined forces for an IP cooperation and license agreement. Under the terms of the agreement Unidym gave Samsung license of patents for CNT materials, including fundamental patents on CNT compositions of matter, synthesis of CNTs, processing CNTs, ink formulations and transparent conductive films. Read more

Proposed Tax Extenders Bill Includes TGP, Other Renewable Energy Provisions

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

It appears that the feverish work performed by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has resulted in a compromised tax credit extenders bill that includes a one-year extension of the Treasury Grant Program (TGP), which allows developers to receive a 30% investment tax credit in the form of a grant for their renewable energy projects. Read more

For Renewable Energy Growth, Bring in the MBAs

Friday, 12.10.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

I scanned the curriculum of prominent business schools to see how many address topics in renewable energy and the subject is absent in nearly all of them. This holds back the advancement of the industry, and deprives MBA candidates of access to information about what may turn out be both the most pressing issue of our age and the greatest business opportunity of the century. Read more