Imec launches project X10D for development of OPV cells with increased efficiency at lower costs

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 22:31 (PV-Tech)

Working with its 16 project partners Imec has launched the European FP7 project X10D. The collaboration will see the companies working towards the development of tandem organic solar cells that boast increased conversion efficiency, a longer lifetime and a smaller production cost. Imec advised that the overarching goal of the project is to bring OPV technologies into the competitive thin-film PV market. Read more

Varian implanters help Astronergy achieve 19% conversion efficiency on c-Si PV cells

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 22:14 (PV-Tech)

Varian Semiconductor and Astronergy noted that after just two months into their partnership to improve cell efficiency and to streamline the solar cell manufacturing process they have developed and characterized a new production process using Varian?s Solion ion implant system. Read more

centrotherm?s preliminary figures for first 3 quarters lead company to adjust outlook for full 2011

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 22:01 (PV-Tech)

centrotherm photovoltaics has released its preliminary financial figures with revenue being finalized at ?635.7 million for the first nine months of 2011. Operating earnings (EBIT) reached ?25.2 million correlating with a 4% EBIT margin. The company noted that from these figures, ?65.3 million in revenue was generated by its silicon and wafer unit with an EBIT of ?-61.1 million. Read more

China Sunergy ships 23MW of modules to SUNfarming

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 16:17 (PV-Tech)

China Sunergy have completed a second sale this month. The specialized solar cell and module manufacturer has agreed a shipment of 23MW of solar modules to German distributor and project developer SUNfarming Group. Read more

PV technology provider Manz AG reduces revenue and earnings expectation for fiscal year 2011

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 13:04 (Solarserver)

On October 28th, 2011 the Management Board of Manz AG (Reutlingen, Germany), equipment provider for the solar photovoltaic (PV) and Flat Panel Display (FPD) industry has reduced its revenue and earnings expectations for current fiscal year. The adjustment is due to the present market environment for solar equipment, and the related demand decline in the second half of the year, Manz emphasizes. As a consequence, the Management Board now anticipates revenues of between EUR 220 million and EUR 230 million, and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) that are still positive or at breakeven level. Read more

Public Service Company commissions 34 MW of PV at two plants in Arizona

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 13:03 (Solarserver)

On October 27th, 2011, Arizona Public Service Company (APS, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.) announced the commissioning of two 17 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in Gila Bend in the U.S. state of Arizona. The Paloma Solar Power Plant and the Cotton Center Solar Plant are the first PV projects to reach commercial operation under APS' AZ Sun Program. Read more

College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University of Albany launches CIGS PV research center

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 13:02 (Solarserver)

On October 24th, 2011, The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University of Albany (CNSE, Albany, New York, U.S.) announced that it will launch a solar photovoltaic (PV) research and development center in the U.S. state of New York. The Solar Energy Development Center will focus on copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film PV technology. The new facility will utilize a pilot CIGS PV production line for use to develop proof-of-concept prototypes to demonstrate emerging concepts in CIGS manufacturing, including new materials and novel processes, which will be located in Halfmoon, New York. Read more

German PV feed-in tariff to decrease by 15 percent in 2012

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 10:55 (Solarserver)

The German Federal Network Agency has published the new feed-in tariffs (FiT) that will be effective by January 1st, 2012. Electricity produced by solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed in 2012 will be remunerated in a range of 17.94 Eurocent to 24.43 Eurocent (USD 0.25 to USD 0.35), depending on size and location. "During the last 12 months an additional new capacity of approximately 5.200 megawatts (MW) has been registered. This figure results in a 15 % lower remuneration compared to the actual FiT for systems connected to the grid beginning January 1st, 2012," said Matthias Kurth, President of the German Federal Network Agency. Read more

Solar Smart Living, SolFocus complete CPV system for El Paso Electric

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 21:07 (PV-Tech)

SolFocus advised that along with its solar developer partner Solar Smart Living it had completed a 53kW CPV installation at El Paso Electric?s substation facility. Owned by El Paso Electric, the CPV system was developed by Solar Smart Living and uses six SolFocus SF-1100S tracking systems. In addition to the installation providing renewable electricity, El Paso Electric is also using the installation as a way to evaluate CPV?s potential in the region. Read more

Q-Cells? CIGS thin-film PV modules power GP Joule-built 20.8MWp solar farm in Germany

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 20:41 (PV-Tech)

Nearly 200,000 of Q-Cells CIGS thin-film solar modules are being used in GP Joule?s 20.8MW Solarpark Ammerland. The project, which celebrated its grand opening today, was constructed in just over eight weeks and was developed by Martin Bucher with Module24 selecting Q-Cells to provide its modules for the plant. Q-Cells noted that in addition to supplying its solar module technology, it also gave technical support during the project?s installation. Read more

SolarReserve raises USD 27 million in equity financing

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 18:28 (Solarserver)

Project developer SolarReserve LLC (Santa Monica, California, U.S.) focusing on concentrating solar power (CSP) has raised USD 27 million in equity financing, according to a company's filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Read more

The Pending Solar Apocalypse ? Not!

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 17:22 (Renewable Energy World)

The hysterics around recent solar industry announcements that in general profit margins are narrowing are, as usual with all things solar recently, completely overblown. "Is This A Death Spiral for Solar Companies?" might be my favorite histrionic headline. Read more

ET Solar introduces anti-reflective modules

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 16:35 (PV-Tech)

The China-based vertically integrated producer and provider of PV modules, ET Solar, is now introducing the market to anti-reflective modules. Read more

Solar energy zones included in new DOI roadmap

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 16:17 (PV-Tech)

The US Department of the Interior (DOI) has given PV in North American a major boost by creating 17 solar energy zones (SEZ) under its new industry roadmap. The zones, which will help promote utility-scale project development by reducing permitting times, are located on 285,000 acres of public land in the southwestern states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. Read more

Leasing Options Bringing Solar Awareness to the Masses

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 15:22 (Renewable Energy World)

How can we make solar more accessible to the public? This question has been dogging the industry since its inception. Installing solar on a home is no easy task, and though prices have reduced dramatically in recent years, it can still be very costly for most homeowners. Enter: solar leasing. Read more

T-Solar building 44 MW of PV in Peru, 12.3 MW PV plant in India

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 13:03 (Solarserver)

On October 27th, 2011, Grupo T-Solar Global SA (Madrid, Spain) announced that it has begun construction of two solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in Peru totaling 44 MW, as well as a 12.3 MW PV plant in India. The company expects to commission the plant in the Indian state of Gujarat by the end of 2011, and the two PV plants in Peru's Arequipa region by June 2012. Read more

Interior Department clarifies process for "Solar Energy Zones"

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 13:03 (Solarserver)

On October 27th, 2011, the U.S. Department of the Interior released a supplement to a federal plan to facilitate utility-scale solar development on public lands in six Western states. The Interior Department states that this "Supplement to the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Energy Development" (Solar PEIS) sets forth a more complete description of the process for identifying zones for solar energy development. Read more

Buzz Aldrin appointed to Principal Solar?s advisory board

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 12:44 (PV-Tech)

The legendary astronaut Dr. Buzz Aldrin has been appointed to Principal Solar?s (PSI) advisory board. Renewable energy holding company PSI appeared in partnership with Dr. Aldrin and Hunt Energy Enterprises at PSI?s launch party on 19 October 2011. Read more

Germany set for 15% FiT cut in 2012

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 11:05 (PV-Tech)

The Bundesnetzagentur, Germany?s Federal Network Agency, will cut the country?s solar feed-in tariff (FiT) by 15% in 2012. The subsidy reduction is more severe than the 12% forecasted by many industry insiders and was triggered by the 5.2GW of new capacity installed between October 2010 and September 2011. Read more

Arizona Public Service commissions pair of 17MW solar PV power plants in Gila Bend

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 0:49 (PV-Tech)

Arizona Public Service?s (APS) AZ Sun Program is seeing progression as company announced the completion of two 17MW solar power plants in Gila Bend, Arizona. The Paloma Solar Power Plant, which was developed with the help of First Solar, is the first site to reach commercial operation under the AZ Sun Program while the Cotton Center Solar Plant entered commercial operation shortly after. Read more

Obama Administration Fast Track for Transmission Projects Does Little for Western Geothermal Interests

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 16:00 (Renewable Energy World)

As part of the campaign to gain support for the American Jobs Act, the Obama Administration has recently identified 7 major transmission projects for expedited permit streamlining. According to Nancy Sutley of the Council on Environmental Quality, this move will "speed the creation of thousands of construction and operations jobs while transforming the nation's electric system into a modern, 21st century grid that is safer and more secure, and gives consumers more energy choices." Read more

Video: Siemens Enters Geothermal Market

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 15:59 (Renewable Energy World)

For the second time this month, an international energy giant has jumped full throttle into renewable energy. Read more

GE Energy Financial Services, KGAL invest ?111.1M in 50MW CSP, molten salt storage project in Spain

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 21:20 (PV-Tech)

GE Energy Financial Services, a unit of GE, and KGAL announced that they are jointly investing ?111.1 million in a 50MW parabolic trough concentrated solar power plant that uses molten salt energy storage in Torre de Miguel Sesmero, Badajoz, Spain. The two companies will invest structured equity in Extresol II, which was developed by Spain?s ACS. Further financial details surrounding the investment were not disclosed. Read more

Renogy to supply 5 MW of PV modules to Wild Brush Energy

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 18:30 (Solarserver)

On October 26th, 2011 Wild Brush Energy Inc. (Seattle, Washington, U.S.) announced that it has signed an agreement with Renogy LLC (Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.) for Renogy to supply and install solar photovoltaic (PV) modules at a 5 MW project in an undisclosed location. The two companies have also arranged for Renogy to provide turnkey PV plant installation expertise in the development of Wild Brush's PV plant projects in the United States. Read more

NREL launches new website for renewable energy data

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 18:29 (Solarserver)

On October 25th, 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Golden, Colorado) announced that it launched a new website that will make the data on renewable energy, energy efficiency and alternative transportation more accessible than ever. NREL's new site, developer.nrel.gov, provides data feeds that computer programmers can access for use in their own mobile and Web applications. Read more

China Taking Uncertain Path Toward Electric Vehicles

Friday, 10.28.2011 - 16:34 (Renewable Energy World)

China's Energy Saving and New Energy Vehicle Development Plan is still awaiting approval, stymieing the efforts of domestic new energy vehicle producers to map out their development plans and raising concerns that foreign rivals may come in to the local market and grab the new growth opportunities. Read more