Innotech Solar opens new solar cell re-processing plant in Germany; State Minister of Economic Affairs leads inauguration

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 20:16 (Solarserver)

Norwegian company Innotech Solar ASA on September 30th, 2011 celebrated the commissioning of a new solar factory in Halle/Saale (Germany). The plant will provide a hub for optimizing solar cells on an industrial scale, Innotech Solar announces. The official opening of the new facility has been performed by the Saxony-Anhalt State Minister of Sciences and Economic Affairs together with the Mayor of Halle, Dagmar Szabados. Read more

Enecsys selects Ember's ZigBee technology for micro-inverters, integrates chips and software into monitoring system

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 20:15 (Solarserver)

Enecsys Limited (Cambridge, UK) has teamed with Ember Corporation (Boston, MA, U.S.) to bring wireless ZigBee communications to roof-top solar photovoltaic (PV) systems allowing households and businesses to better monitor and optimize their systems' performance. Enecsys has integrated Ember's ZigBee system-on-chip (SoC) and ZigBee PRO software into its SMI series of PV micro-inverters, which convert the DC output of solar panels into AC for connection to the electricity grid. Read more

Dietmar Roth switches seats from Roth & Rau chair to Meyer Burger board

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 12:10 (PV-Tech)

The Meyer Burger takeover of Roth & Rau is on its way to becoming more of a reality as the management board team has undergone a reshuffle, and former Roth & Rau chairman Dr. Dietmar Roth has left his former role for a seat on the Meyer Burger board of directors. Read more

Enecsys selects Ember?s ZigBee wireless technology for enhanced monitoring of its PV microinverter

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 0:54 (PV-Tech)

Enecsys advised that it has partnered with Ember for the company?s wireless ZigBee communications, which will be incorporated into Enecsys microinverters so that households and business can better monitor and improve their systems? performance. The ZigBee system-on-chip (SoC) and ZigBee PRO software have been added to Enecsys? SMI microinverter series and should allow for real-time and historical data to be populated for its users. Read more

STR Holdings to shut down Florida manufacturing facility, move operations to its Connecticut plant

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 23:38 (PV-Tech)

STR Holdings revealed that as of October 7, operations at its St. Augustine, Florida manufacturing facility will cease as it aims to streamline its US operations and improve its cost structure.  ?A relatively slow PV market affords us the opportunity to fully consolidate our U.S. operations,? said Robert Yorgensen, president of STR Solar. ?This decision reflects our continued focus on optimizing our global capacity and significantly reducing our costs.? Read more

groSolar to offer Xunlight?s flexible thin-film silicon modules in North America

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 23:17 (PV-Tech)

Xunlight?s flexible thin-film silicon modules will be the first thin-film groSolar will offer to its independent dealers in North America. The companies signed a distribution deal, which will make Xunlight?s flexible thin-film solar modules available to groSolar?s 1,500 independent dealers and solar contractors throughout Canada and the US. Financial details about the agreement were not released. Read more

Solarwatt extends PV module warranties to 10 years

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 23:03 (PV-Tech)

As of October 1, Solarwatt had extended the product warranty for all of its solar modules to 10 years. The company stated that for the 10-year period it would guarantee all of its delivered modules to be free of material and processing defects that would affect their operation. Read more

Dunmore Europe invests US$17 million to expand and upgrade its Freiburg manufacturing facility

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 22:41 (PV-Tech)

Dunmore Europe advised that it has invested US$17 million in the upgrade and expansion of its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Freiburg, Germany. The company stated that the enhancements are being made to support increasing demand for its coated and laminated products in the solar, automotive, insulation and aerospace industries. Read more

LIPA, Nassau and Suffolk counties launch new unified solar PV, thermal permit initiative

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 20:15 (Solarserver)

On September 23rd, 2011, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) and the Nassau and Suffolk County Planning Commissions announced the launch of a new unified solar permitting process as part of the Long Island Unified Solar Permitting Initiative (LIUSPI). The ground-breaking solar initiative emanated from a working collaborative of stakeholders and municipal officials from across Long Island to develop a model process that could be used by all municipalities throughout Long Island to effectively and uniformly handle the application for and approval of residential solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar hot water systems in each respective jurisdiction. Read more

Onyx Service & Solutions to secure large solar projects in Latin America

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 20:14 (Solarserver)

At the end of September 2011, Onyx Service & Solutions Inc. (Greenwood Village, Colo.) announced that President Malcolm Burleson is traveling to Roatan, Panama City and Bogota to secure large solar construction projects. In Roatan, Onyx Service & Solutions on own account has already been in development of an 18.5 MW solar power project and is currently seeking government approval before proceeding further on the project. Read more

Beyond the Solyndra Circus: A Golden Age for Solar

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 20:09 (Renewable Energy World)

Here's a headline that I bet you didn't see (at least in the United States) in the past month, but based on the facts, could have been written: Read more

Qatar Solar Technologies plans US$1bn polysilicon plant; operations to commence in 2013

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 18:08 (PV-Tech)

Qatar Solar Technologies (QSTec) has revealed that it will be constructing an 8,000 MTPY (metric tons per year) high-purity solar grade polysilicon manufacturing plant in Ras Laffan Industrial City, north-east Qatar. The approximately US$1 billion plant will be built on 1.2 million square metres of land, and is scheduled for completion towards the end of 2013. Read more

The Question Day 16: How Can the U.S. Solar Industry Meet Expectations?

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 17:40 (Renewable Energy World)

RenewableEnergyWorld asked solar executives and our social media community to lend their voices and define what three strategies they think will lead to a thriving solar industry. Answers were varied, and many valid opinions were brought to light. Responses will be updated here daily, and feel free to look at previous insights by clicking on the page links below. Read more

Inverter Stocks: A Value BOS Play on Solar

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 17:24 (Renewable Energy World)

I don't usually follow solar stocks because I think solar is just a little too cool, and the space is too well covered by other analysts for me to feel like I can offer new insights. Nevertheless, the sharp decline in solar stocks this year has been tempting me to dip my toe in the golden stuff. Since I'm no solar stock expert, I've been flirting with buying other people's picks. Read more

Concentrating solar power: Chevron commissions 29 MW solar thermal enhanced oil recovery plant using BrightSource technology

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 13:22 (Solarserver)

BrightSource Energy, Inc. (Oakland, Calif.) is providing its proprietary Luz Power Tower (LPT) concentrating solar thermal technology (CSP) for use in the world?s largest enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project. The solar facility, built for Chevron Technology Ventures, a division of Chevron U.S.A., commenced operations on October 3rd, 2011 in Coalinga, California, and serves to cleanly and cost-effectively support enhanced oil recovery efforts. Read more

Mecasolar supplies tracking systems, fixed structures for PV plants totaling 11.5 MW in Italy, Wales, Greece, Australia and France

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 13:14 (Solarserver)

In Great Britain, MECASOLAR (Fustiñana, Spain) supplied 2.9 MW in fixed structures for a PV project developed in Wales. Moreover, the company has announced more deals in the British market to supply solar trackers for various PV solar projects, MECASOLAR reports in a press release. In Italy, MECASOLAR supplied 3 MW in single-axis solar trackers to a new solar farm in Puglia, and 2 MW in fixed structures to another plant in Sicily. Read more

Phoenix Solar plans 50MWp multi-site solar park in Bulgaria

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 13:12 (PV-Tech)

Phoenix Solar has been granted project rights for a 50MWp solar park in Kazanlak, Bulgaria. In 2009, the company had secured project rights for a park 20MWp in capacity; however, this new permit details the construction of 10 5MWp projects, which will be eligible to avail of the country?s feed-in tariff, currently standing at approximately ?0.248 per kWh. Read more

SunPower sells 250 MW California Valley Solar Ranch PV project to NRG

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 12:42 (Solarserver)

On September 30th, 2011, NRG Energy Inc. (Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.) announced that it has completed its acquisition of the 250 MW California Valley Solar Ranch solar photovoltaic (PV) project from SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California, U.S.). The company states that the acquisition occurred shortly before the financial close of a USD 1.24 billion loan guarantee for the project from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announced on the same day as the project's sale. Read more

Canadian Solar buys SpectraWatt assets for USD 4.94 million

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 12:34 (Solarserver)

Canadian Solar Inc. (Kitchener, Canada) has acquired all of the capital equipment of SpectraWatt Inc. (Hopewell Junction, New York, U.S.) for USD 4.94 million during a public auction held on September 28th, 2011 at SpectraWatt's facilities in the U.S. state of New York. The purchase of these assets will be subject to a U.S. Bankruptcy Court final approval, which is scheduled for October 6th, 2011. SpectraWatt declared chapter 11 bankruptcy on August 19th, 2011, one of three U.S. solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers to do so during the summer of 2011. Read more

NxGen Power secures US$4.3 million funding from Seminole for 1.3MW project

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 12:30 (PV-Tech)

Seminole Financial Services has agreed to provide funding to the tune of US$4.3 million to NxGen Power for construction of a 1.3MW solar PV project in Raleigh, North Carolina. The solar farm will be situated on 10 acres of land next to Raleigh?s Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Facility and will be connected directly to the utility grid. Read more

Exelon purchases 230 MW Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One from First Solar

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 12:30 (Solarserver)

On September 30th, 2011, Exelon Corporation (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.) announced that it has acquired the Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One, a 230 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project, from First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Arizona, U.S.). First Solar will continue to build the plant, and will also be responsible for operations and maintenance upon completion. The announcement of the purchase comes on the same day as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) finalized a USD 646 million loan guarantee to support the project. Read more

University of Maryland wins 2011 U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 12:22 (Solarserver)

On October 1st, 2011, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the winners of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Solar Decathlon 2011, with the University of Maryland's (Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.) "WaterShed" design taking first place overall. Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.) took second place, followed by University of Wellington (Wellington, New Zealand) placing third overall in a total of 10 contests in 10 days measuring the performance, livability and affordability of each house. Read more

First Solar completes sale of 550 MW Desert Sunlight PV project

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 10:13 (Solarserver)

On September 30th, 2011, First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Arizona, U.S.) announced that it has completed the sale of the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, a 550 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project, to NextEra Energy Resources LLC (West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.) and GE Energy Financial Services Inc. (Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.). First Solar will continue to build the PV project, and will operate and maintain it under separate agreements. Also on September 29th, 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) finalized a USD 1.46 billion loan guarantee to support the project. Read more

French PV manufacturer Senersun to supply 1.3MW of modules to Artinis

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 1:29 (PV-Tech)

Senersun, a French PV module manufacturer revealed that it had signed a supply agreement with Belgian installer Artinis to provide 1.3MW of its solar panels. The agreement is intended to help Senersun further its presence in the Belgian solar market and will see the delivery of 5.436 of its modules. The PV modules will come with a 100% STS certification and ten-year warranty. Read more

Strength in Numbers: 5 Partnerships That Could Expand Renewable Energy

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 16:07 (Renewable Energy World)

Today, there is no perfect form of energy. Fossil fuels are abundant but dirty. Solar and wind are clean but intermittent, and geothermal is cheap once its running but difficult to get started. Yet, as technologies evolve, so do creative partnerships that maximize an energy's potential while hedging against its shortfalls. Read more

Another Milestone: Renewable Energy Surpasses Nuclear Power by 18%

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

According to the most recent issue of the "Monthly Energy Review" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), with data through June 30, 2011, renewable energy has passed another milestone as domestic production is now significantly greater than that of nuclear power and continues to close in on oil. Read more

Latest Report: Renewable Energy Surpasses Nuclear Power by 18%

Tuesday, 10.4.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

According to the most recent issue of the "Monthly Energy Review" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), with data through June 30, 2011, renewable energy has passed another milestone as domestic production is now significantly greater than that of nuclear power and continues to close in on oil. Read more