Germany?s opposition backs further FiT cuts

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 19:15 (PV-Tech)

Germany's opposition parties, the Greens and the Social Democrats (SPD), have backed calls to make further cuts to the country's feed-in tariff rate. This revelation could convince the government to bring forward reductions in subsidy payments. Read more

AUO and SunPower inaugurate 1.4GW solar cell fab

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

Although construction and tool install will continue through 2013, the joint venture solar cell plant operated by AU Optronics and SunPower has been officially inaugurated at a ceremony that included key executives and Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib. Read more

Project Focus: Etrion complete work on 1MW Oria plant

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 13:03 (PV-Tech)

Etrion has completed construction of its 1MW Oria plant in Puglia, Italy. The ground-based facility, which is fitted with Siemens inverters and SunPower PV modules and tracker technology, will produce 1.7 million kWh per year. Read more

Etrion complete work on 1MW Oria plant

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 12:14 (PV-Tech)

Etrion has completed construction of its 1MW Oria plant in Puglia, Italy. The ground-based facility, which is fitted with Siemens inverters and SunPower PV modules and tracker technology, will produce 1.7 million kWh per year. Centrobanca has provided 83% of the project?s financing with a 17-and-a-half-year non-recourse loan. Read more

Intertek Expands Inverter Test Laboratory Capacity and Services

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Intertek (LSE: ITRK), a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services, announces the expansion of its Cortland, NY inverter test facility. The laboratory tests a wide variety of small to medium-sized inverters to U.S., Canadian and International safety and performance requirements. The expansion increases Intertek's capacity to test multiple inverters in parallel, and extends the range of products that can be tested in this location to up to 150 KW. Inverters are a critical part of distributed energy generation products, providing the means for making power derived from renewable energy sources compatible with the power grid, as well as providing safety Read more

Ontario's FIT Raises Lender Interest

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Ontario's Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program, introduced in 2009 by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) following passage of Ontario's Green Energy and Green Economy Act (the Act), has captured the attention of the global renewable power development community and manufacturers of utility scale generation equipment. The global lending community is just now waking up to the opportunities this program represents: to date there have been two utility-scale wind projects that have been financed under FIT and there are two more on the way. Read more

SMA Sunny Central String-Monitor Provides Insurance for Energy Yields

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Large-scale PV system owners can now protect their investments with SMA America's Sunny Central String-Monitor-US, which instantly and accurately detects power deviations by measuring and comparing individual string currents. These interruptions can then be corrected by system owners immediately, reducing the duration of suboptimal system performance and maintaining maximum energy yields for the greatest return on investment. Read more

Twin Creeks Technologies breaks ground on new Malaysian manufacturing plant

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 1:15 (PV-Tech)

On June 4, 2010, Twin Creeks Technologies and Perak State Economic Development, through its associate company The Red Solar, entered a joint venture, which produced Twin Creeks Malaysia Sdn Bhd (TCMSB). Recently, Twin Creeks Technologies has broken ground on the site for the new facility: a 250,000 square foot, 100MW, solar cell and panel manufacturing plant in Ipoh, Malaysia. Read more

SolarReserve?s Crossroads project obtains certification

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 18:02 (PV-Tech)

SolarReserve?s 150MW Crossroads Solar Energy Project has received Certificates of Environmental Compatibility (CEC) from the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee. The project and its associated transmission line, which will utilize Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne?s molten salt, power tower technology, is located close to the town of Gila Bend in Maricopa County, Arizona and has the potential to generate 450,000MWh of electricity per year. Read more

Project Focus: SolarReserve?s Crossroads project obtains certification

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 17:15 (PV-Tech)

SolarReserve’s 150MW Crossroads Solar Energy Project has received Certificates of Environmental Compatibility (CEC) from the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee. The project and its associated transmission line is located close to the town of Gila Bend in Maricopa County, Arizona and has the potential to generate 450,000MWh of electricity per year. Read more

Solar Energy Mapping reveals UK buildings? suitability for solar panels

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 16:48 (Solarpowerportal)

The GeoInformation Group has revealed its latest product, Solar Energy Mapping, which identifies buildings potentially suitable for solar panel installation. Using highly accurate 3D building information and mapping techniques, buildings can be identified and graded by the amount of sun they receive... Read more

Order Focus: tenKsolar sign supply agreement to use JA Solar?s SECIUM technology

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 14:10 (PV-Tech)

tenKsolar has signed a supply agreement to use JA Solar's SECIUM solar cell technology in conjunction with its RAIS Wave rooftop array. tenKsolar has already received 1MW of purchase orders for the RAIS Wave system from the Stuart C Irby Company, a division of Sonepar U.S., bringing total orders to date to approximately 1.2 MW. Read more

Project Focus: NRG acquires First Solar?s 290MW Agua Caliente solar plant

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 14:01 (PV-Tech)

NRG Solar has purchased First Solar's 290MW Agua Caliente solar plant in Yuma County, Arizona. When it is completed in 2014, Agua Caliente is expected to become the world's largest operational PV facility and supply electricity for more than 225,000 homes in the region. Read more

First Solar to reach nearly US$4 billion in sales in 2011: French plant cancellation threatened

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 13:28 (PV-Tech)

In an attempt to nearly double capital expenditure by as much as US$1.1 billion over the next two years, First Solar hopes to achieve sales of between US$3.7 billion and US$3.9 billion in 2011 Read more

SunEnergy Europe & the Largest Municipal Solar Park

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

SunEnergy Europe, exhibitor at the 7th Southeast European Renewable Energy Exhibition (13-15 April 2011), announced the opening of Meldorf municipal solar park in Schleswig-Holstein. Read more

Consumer Markets Will Lead the Way to a Solar-Powered Future

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

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Abound Solar Seeks To Take on First Solar

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In reaction to the growing global solar industry, cadmium telluride thin-film manufacturer Abound Solar announced today that it has big plans to scale up its manufacturing facilities in the U.S. The company has closed a $400 million Department of Energy loan guarantee and $110 million equity investment and will use the funds to expand its existing manufacturing line in Colorado and build a new larger facility in Tipton, Indiana. Read more

Abound Solar Seeks To Take On First Solar

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In reaction to the growing global solar industry, cadmium telluride thin-film manufacturer Abound Solar announced today that it has big plans to scale up its manufacturing facilities in the U.S. The company has closed a $400 million Department of Energy loan guarantee and $110 million equity investment and will use the funds to expand its existing manufacturing line in Colorado and build a new larger facility in Tipton, Indiana. Read more

Solar Energy International to ring in the new year with Solar Business and Technical Sales course

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Over the last year, Solar Energy International has seen the renewable energy industry grow by leaps and bounds. We have received an overwhelming interest from our students and alumni for more business-focused curriculum that relies on SEI's 20 years of solar business experience and industry relationships. Read more

Gehrlicher Solar signs framework agreement with CEE for European solar projects

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 2:15 (PV-Tech)

Gehrlicher Solar and Conetwork Erneuerbare Energien Holding (CEE), an equity investment company, have entered into a framework agreement for the development of 35MW of solar projects throughout Europe. The projects will be executed over the next twelve months. Read more

SEIA names U.S. solar industry as a major player in solar product exports

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 1:43 (PV-Tech)

A new report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and GTM Research entitled, U.S. Solar Energy Trade Assessment 2010, found that the U.S. not only has a strong solar industry, but is a leader in the net exportation of solar energy products. In 2009, US$723 million worth of net exports came from the U.S. alone. Read more

Solar Semiconductor to manufacture Solaria modules in India

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 1:15 (PV-Tech)

Solar Semiconductor and Solaria have entered into an agreement where Solar Semiconductor will produce Solaria’s solar modules at its Hyderabad, India manufacturing plant. Solaria looks at this move as a strategic way to meet demands for its solar modules in India. In addition to producing its solar modules in India, Solaria is also expanding its Fremont, California manufacturing plant to help meet the needs of the U.S. and other markets. Read more

Scientists Unravel More Details of Plant Cell-Wall Construction

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

One big challenge in converting plants to biofuels is that the very same molecules that keep plants standing up make it hard to break them down. Now scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory are unraveling details of how plant cells' structural supports ? their cell walls ? are made, with the hope of finding ways to change their composition for more efficient biofuel production. Read more

Unraveling Plant Cell-Wall Construction for Biofuels Research

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

One big challenge in converting plants to biofuels is that the very same molecules that keep plants standing up make it hard to break them down. Now scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory are unraveling details of how plant cells' structural supports ? their cell walls ? are made, with the hope of finding ways to change their composition for more efficient biofuel production. Read more

Enercon World's Most Powerful Wind Turbine at Present!

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Enercon will participate for the first time at the South-East European annual Exhibition to be held 13-15 April 2011 in Sofia. The company announced the installation on its company premises in Magdeburg, Germany the first wind turbine of the type E-126 with an official rated capacity of 7.5 MW. The firm has thus realized what is officially the world's most powerful wind turbine at present. The hub height is 135 m. According to Enercon Magdeburg Sales Manager Frank Ihme, the turbine yields enough electricity to supply about 6,000 households. Read more

Offshore wind insurers: Pivotal to knowledge transfer and risk mitigation?

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

By making risk their business, insurers enjoy a unique insight into the industries in which they operate. With a clear vantage point of the sector coupled with inside information on why costly mistakes have been made, insurers should play a pivotal role in knowledge exchange within the offshore wind industry. Yet most developers wait until the last minute to bring the insurers on board - and in doing so, miss out on a huge opportunity for risk mitigation. Read more

Hydropower Highlighted at POWER-GEN International

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

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Solon SE sells Swiss subsidiary to Delta Energy Systems

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 16:41 (PV-Tech)

Solon SE has sold its Swiss subsidiary, Solon Inverters AG, to Delta Energy Systems. The companies have chosen not to disclose the details of the sale, which is the latest stage in Solon SE?s plan to concentrate resources on key markets and products. Read more

2011 Florida Renewable Energy Tour announces Ft. Myers/Naples Tour Stop

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 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 Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) on Thursday, February 17th. During the day the tour will consist of visits to various renewable energy installations in the area. At night, FGCU will host a Town Hall event including local and state legislators as well as industry experts and featuring discussions about advancing renewable energy in Florida. Read more

Bulgaria examines the CO2 capture and storage technology

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

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58 Bulgarian Municipalities Get EU Money for Energy Efficiency

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

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Bulgaria Doubles Electricity Export in 2010

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

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Power Engineering Names Renewable Project of the Year

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

This year's Power Engineering Projects of the Year Award winners and honorable mentions represented facilities and/or technology that signified excellence in four categories: coal-fired, gas-fired, nuclear and renewable/sustainable. Read more

Spanish Renewables Grew 30% in 2010

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Spain's fast-growing renewable energy industry grew 28% last year to contribute 0.81% to the country's GDP, according to a Deloitte consultancy study commissioned by the country's primary renewable energy lobby group, Asociacion de Productores de Energías Renovables, or APPA. Read more

COP16 Closes, Some Agreement Reached

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In spite of the low expectations for the latest UN conference on climate change, negotiators left the COP16 conference this weekend with a list of priorities that could help reduce emissions and increase adoption of renewable energy. Read more

Why Tax Credits Make Lousy Renewable Energy Policy

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

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Deadline Nears for Walt Ratterman Award Nominations

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners is making a final call for nominees for its first "Walt Ratterman Award for Creative Community Energy" to recognize the NABCEP Certified Installer with the most inventive public service-oriented renewable energy project of the year. Nominations for the award are open until December 31, 2010. The first recipient will be announced spring, 2011. Read more

Is Lithium-ion A Dead-End Electric Drive Technology?

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Last week Energy Secretary Steven Chu addressed the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun. After watching the video presentation several times I can't help but wonder whether the Secretary didn't politely caution his audience that lithium-ion batteries are a dead-end electric drive technology. Read more

Is Lithium-ion a Dead-End Electric Drive Technology?

Wednesday, 12.15.2010 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Last week Energy Secretary Steven Chu addressed the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun. After watching the video presentation several times I can't help but wonder whether the Secretary didn't politely caution his audience that lithium-ion batteries are a dead-end electric drive technology. Read more