Environment California: State on track to reach 3 GW of PV capacity by 2016

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 15:20 (Solarserver)

On November 9th, 2011 Environment California Research & Policy Center (Oakland, California, U.S.) released a report which concludes that California's Million Solar Roofs Initiative is on track to meet a goal of installing 3 GW of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) plants by 2016. "Building a Brighter Future: California?s Progress Toward a Million Solar Roofs" states that California has achieved this goal while reducing the cost of PV generation and creating thousands of jobs throughout the state. The organization notes that California has recently reached an installed capacity of more than 1 GW of rooftop PV plants across the state. Read more

Concentrating photovoltaics: Public Utilities Commission approves PPAs for 114 MW installations in Southern California

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 15:19 (Solarserver)

On November 10th, 2011 the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved 25-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) under which San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E, San Diego, California, U.S.) will purchase the electricity generated by five proposed concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) projects near San Diego, California. Developer Soitec SA (Bernin, France), plans to commission the five CPV plants between February and December 2014. The plants will have a total output between 114 MW and 160 MW, and will utilize Soitec's Concentrix CPV technology. Read more

IMS Research: Market for new photovoltaic manufacturing equipment to fall 55% in 2012

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 13:05 (Solarserver)

On November 10th, 2011, IMS Research (Wellingborough, U.K.) announced that the market for solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing equipment will fall by more than 55% in 2012 from 2011 levels, in the release of its latest quarterly report on the industry. The company states that significant decreases in new manufacturing capacity and limited demand for upgrades or replacement of existing capacity will cause the manufacturing equipment market to fall to USD 5.7 billion in 2012 from USD 12.8 billion in 2011. Read more

Astronergy completes 20 MW PV plant in Qinghai Province, China

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 13:03 (Solarserver)

On November 10th, 2011 Astronergy (Hangzhou, China) announced that it has completed a 20 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Qinghai Province, China. The Golmud PV plant utilizes Astronergy PV modules, with all other key components manufactured by Astronergy parent company CHINT Group Corporation (Wenzhou, China). Read more

Court decrees Evergreen Solar may proceed with sale of majority of assets to three companies

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 17:34 (PV-Tech)

Evergreen Solar has received permission to proceed with the sale of the majority of its assets from a bankruptcy judge at a Wilmington, Delaware hearing, according to a Bloomberg report. The bankrupt module manufacturer and co-owner of the proprietary ?String Ribbon? technology is said to have secured a buyer for its core wafer assets to Hong Kong-based Max Era Properties for approximately US$9.2 million ? US$6 million in cash and US$3.2 million in unrestricted ordinary shares of China Private Equity Investment Holdings. Read more

Blue Chip Energy receives Environmental Resource Permit for Sorrento Solar Farm; Milestone for the development of the 40 MW first phase

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 17:22 (Solarserver)

BlueChip Energy, LLC (BCE; Lake Mary, FL), a fully-integrated solar energy provider for utility, commercial and residential applications, on November 8th, 2011 announced it had received an Environmental Resource Permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for its Sorrento Solar Farm. The Sorrento Solar Farm will be meeting specific conditions throughout its construction to prevent degradation of water and soil. BlueChip Energy will be following specific guidelines and supply inspection reports of the surrounding retention, underdrain, wet detention, swales and wetland storm water management system. Read more

Trina Solar receives ISO 14064 verification statement from British Standards Institution

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 17:21 (Solarserver)

Trina Solar Limited (Changzhou, China), an integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) products on November 1oth, 2011 announced that as of October 2011 it has received the ISO 14064-1:2006 verification statement from British Standards Institution (BSI). Read more

Development banks to withdraw support for India?s PV sector

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 17:06 (PV-Tech)

The US Government-sponsored banks that have helped fund the takeoff of India?s fledgling solar industry may soon to withdraw their support, according to an official at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Read more

FiT cut fiction: 10-day MCS timeframe is incorrect

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 16:37 (Solarpowerportal)

Since the December 12 deadline was announced, several concerns have arisen in the UK solar industry, the most recent of which is that all solar installations must actually be completed by November 25 as DECC will only guarantee to process MCS certifications within 10 days of installation. Read more

SolarWorld?s Deutsche Cell subsidiary celebrates 10 years of operation

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 15:11 (PV-Tech)

Deutsche Cell, the German subsidiary of SolarWorld, has logged 10 years of cell production in Freiberg and Saxony. Founded in 2001, the company?s multicrystalline solar cell production capacity has increased tenfold since the company?s inception, currently standing at 260MW per annum. Read more

Solar FiT cuts: how is the PV supply chain affected?

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 13:58 (Solarpowerportal)

In the small window of opportunity offered by the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) between the latest feed-in tariff announcement and the December 12 cut-off point, it is expected that hundreds – if not thousands – of solar installations will be added to the Ofgem register. The fact is: by offering companies, distributors and consumers only six weeks to install all planned solar projects at the FiT higher rates, DECC has prompted what can only be described as pandemonium. Read more

Trina Solar receives ISO 14064-1:2006 verification statement from the BSI

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 13:57 (Solarpowerportal)

PV module manufacturer Trina Solar has received ISO 14064-1:2006 verification from the British Standards Institute. The ISO 14064 verification recognises the strides that Trina Solar has taken in order to establish a systematic methodology to quantify and report GHG-related information in accordance with ISO's rigorous international requirements. Read more

SMA Solar regains lost market share: no change to lowered annual sales guidance

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 13:21 (PV-Tech)

A concerted effort to increase sales overseas, though not a player in the expanding China market, SMA Solar Technology reported it had claimed back lost market share in the first 9-months of 2011. As part of the growing regional mix, product mix changed as SMA?s central inverter sales recorded strong growth. SMA reiterated recently lowered guidance for sales in 2011 to be between ?1.5 billion to ?1.7 billion and operating profit of ?220 million to ?300 million. Read more

British Standards Institution awards Trina Solar ISO verification statement

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 13:04 (PV-Tech)

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has awarded Trina Solar its ISO 14064-1:2006 verification statement. To qualify for the statement, BSI carried out an audit to ensure Trina conformed to the necessary guidelines. Read more

U.K. solar companies go to court to stop FIT cuts

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 13:02 (Solarserver)

On November 10th, 2011, Solarcentury Holdings Ltd. (London, U.K.) announced that it has joined a group of solar companies in taking legal action against the U.K.'s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) over damage caused by the review of feed-in tariffs. The companies seek an injunction to stop the DECC from reducing current tariff levels on December 12th, 2011, stating that this early date is illegal, irrational and unreasonable. Read more

South Africa: Standard Bank signs USD 1.5 billion in three-digit MW wind, solar projects

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 13:01 (Solarserver)

On November 7th, 2011 Standard Bank Group Ltd. (Johannesburg, South Africa) announced that it has underwritten roughly USD 1.5 billion of debt on various wind and solar projects participating a South African government renewable energy solicitation process. The bank estimates that if these projects succeed in achieving preferred bidder status, they will represent 442 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity, as well as 401 MW of wind capacity. Read more

The U.S. Market for PV Modules; Where Great Opportunity Meets Great Challenges

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

At Solar Power International (SPI), North America's largest solar trade show, two divergent visions of the U.S. solar PV market competed for the limelight. The first was an optimistic perspective that highlighted strong historic growth and the tremendous future potential of solar electricity in the U.S. The second was a decidedly more pessimistic view that highlighted the powerful competitive force of high volume, low cost, tier one Chinese module manufacturing. Read more

The U.S. Market for PV Modules: Where Great Opportunity Meets Great Challenges

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

At Solar Power International (SPI), North America's largest solar trade show, two divergent visions of the U.S. solar PV market competed for the limelight. The first was an optimistic perspective that highlighted strong historic growth and the tremendous future potential of solar electricity in the U.S. The second was a decidedly more pessimistic view that highlighted the powerful competitive force of high volume, low cost, tier one Chinese module manufacturing. Read more

Phoenix Solar reviewing preferred supplier base as part of streamlining business

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 12:07 (PV-Tech)

The number of preferred suppliers its currently uses may be reduced, according to Phoenix Solar?s CEO, Dr Andreas Hänel in a conference call to discuss third quarter results. He also noted that his company was considering a purchasing shift away from dealing directly with US and Chinese suppliers and dealing with suppliers regional warehouse systems in an effort to streamline operations and reduce lead-times. Phoenix Solar has been heavily impacted by inventory build and rapidly falling prices that have required ?29 million in cumulative write downs and losses of ?13.2 million at the firm in just the third quarter. Read more

PVA TePla made a loss of 18.6% in 2011

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 11:39 (PV-Tech)

PVA TePla, a manufacturer of crystallization systems for semiconductor and solar silicon as well as vacuum and high-temperature systems, generated sales revenues of ?77.3 million in the first nine months of 2011 (previous year: ?95.0 million). With a margin of 9.8% (previous year: 10.3%), operating profit (EBIT) totalled ?7.6 million (previous year: ?9.7 million). Read more

Solar FiT cut decision is ?the latest in a string of Government own goals?

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 11:08 (Solarpowerportal)

Providing a much-needed boost to the solar industry, the UK’s biggest business group has come out in support of the renewable technology, claiming the decision to cut the feed-in tariff rate by more than 50 percent is “the latest in a string of Government own goals”. Read more

SMA Solar expects PV industry growth to stagnate

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 10:34 (PV-Tech)

PV inverter market leader, SMA Solar Technology is projecting the global PV market will decline in 2011 from last year and stagnate in 2012. The company expects global newly installed capacity to be in the range of 19GW - 21GW in 2011, down from 23GW installed in 2010. In 2012, SMA management projected a moderate growth scenario but noted that it couldn?t rule out stagnation from 2011 estimates. Read more

California Approves Solar Contract Despite High Cost

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 0:24 (Renewable Energy World)

Should consumers pay for more for renewable energy in order to promote certain technology type? That's an interesting question raised by California regulators on Thursday, when they approved what they acknowledged to be a pricy contract for Abengoa Solar to sell power to Pacific Gas & Electric. Read more

Advanced Biofuels Taking Off? Use of Non-food, Bio-based Jet Fuel Climbing

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Earlier this week, United Airlines became the first air carrier in the U.S. to make a commercial flight using a 40 percent algae-based jet fuel from Solazyme. And today, Air Alaska is flying the nation's second commercial biofuels flight, using a fuel containing a 20 percent cooking-oil-based feedstock produced by Dynamic Fuels. Air Alaska will be making 75 trips within the U.S. over the coming weeks using the cooking oil blend. Read more

Hazy Days: Five U.S. Industries and the Challenges Ahead

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Unless you're Rick Perry, the word "energy" seems to be on the tip of everyone's tongue these days. Read more

Can We Control Regulatory Instability?

Friday, 11.11.2011 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

It is easy in the world of renewable energy to feel like a wind-blown leaf. Despite the sector's drive and ingenuity ? and all its technological advances and efficiency records ? it seems doomed to eternal reliance on shifting government policy and the largesse of typically short-lived administrations for the cash it needs to grow. Read more