Duke Energy, Integrys, Smart Energy Capital commission 5 rooftop PV systems for Pennsylvania schools

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 20:56 (PV-Tech)

Duke Energy, Integrys Energy Services and Smart Energy Capital advised that their collaboration to build five rooftop PV systems for two Pennsylvania school districts had reached completion. The Bald Eagle Area School District and Bellefonte Area School District in Pennsylvania feature five new PV systems, which collectively produce nearly 1.5MW of electricity. Read more

Suniva to supply PV modules for 1.2-MW canopy PV plant at bus station in U.S. state of Georgia

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 16:26 (Solarserver)

On November 18th, 2011, Suniva Inc. (Norcross, Georgia, US) announced that it will supply modules for 1.2-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) canopy at the Laredo Bus Facility in Decatur, Georgia. The solar canopy due to Suniva is the largest in Georgia, and the second largest in the country at a U.S. transit system. Read more

Suntech reports 3% decrease in revenues, reduced losses in 3Q 2011

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 15:23 (Solarserver)

On November 22nd, 2011 Suntech Power Holding Company Ltd. (Wuxi, China) released financial results for the third quarter of 2011, reporting relatively flat revenue growth to USD 810 million, an operating margin of -2% and a net loss of USD 116 million. The company also released an outlook for the fourth quarter of 2011, predicting a 20% decline in shipments and gross margin in the range of 9% to 11%. As have many other large PV manufacturers, Suntech downgraded its full year 2011 guidance, and now predicts revenues between USD 3.0 and 3.1 billion. Read more

Suntech posts Q3 loss of US$116.4 million: streamlining business on lower full-year guidance

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 13:40 (PV-Tech)

A greater than expected loss was the only surprise on Suntech Power releasing third quarter results having recently revised quarterly guidance. Suntech posted a net loss of US$116.4 million in the quarter on the back of US$809.8 million in revenue, a 2.5% decrease from the previous quarter. Total PV shipments increased approximately 16% from the prior quarter. Suntech expects PV shipments to decrease by approximately 20% in the fourth quarter with gross margin declining from 13% to between 9%-11% in the fourth quarter. Read more

Scheuten Solar supplies solar modules for 1.7MW Greek project

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 12:31 (PV-Tech)

PV manufacturer Scheuten Solar has supplied its Multisol P6-66 solar modules for a 1.7MW ground mounted solar project in Leonidio Arkadias, Greece. This project is a private initiative of Efkleia Development SA in Athens. The design has been completed and the installation is being carried out by Scheuten Solar?s partner Stamenco. Read more

Waxman Group launches renewables arm

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 11:34 (Solarpowerportal)

Following the success of its solar photovoltaic design and distribution business, the Waxman Group has launched a renewables arm that will specialise in the design, consultation and supply of biomass boilers and solar thermal systems. The move is part of the group’s plan to strategically position itself at the forefront of design and distribution of renewable energy technologies in the UK. Read more

Element Power starts solar subsidiary, names Paolo Pietrogrande executive chairman

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 22:17 (PV-Tech)

Element Power revealed that it has launched its new solar subsidiary, Element Power Solar (EPS)  in response to what it deems as the global opportunities PV solar power affords. Element Power noted that it has 21 solar power plants in operation and a project portfolio that totals over 2,000MW. In addition to revealing its new subsidiary, Element Power advised that it had appointed Paolo Pietrogrande as chairman of EPS. Read more

CASE fires another salvo in growing solar dispute, says ?trade war hurts everyone?

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 21:31 (PV-Tech)

As reports keep filtering in that the China Photovoltaic Industry Alliance (CPIA) is in the midst of filing an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy trade case against US-based producers of solar products, the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) voiced its unease about the ?trade war?, collateral damage and potential job loss that SolarWorld?s anti-trade actions could produce. Read more

SunPower, Gilbane complete 1.1MW PV parking lot canopy system at Mission College in California

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 21:07 (PV-Tech)

SunPower and Gilbane mutually announced that their 1.1MW solar power system at Mission College in Santa Clara, California had been officially dedicated. The 1.5-acre parking lot canopy structure uses 2,640 SunPower E19/425 solar panels and over its 25-year lifespan is expected to save the college nearly US$8.5 million in electricity costs by generating almost one-third of Mission College?s electric demands. Read more

Mage Powertec Plus modules installed on Deichman Logistics Centre roof

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 19:07 (PV-Tech)

Mage Solar has supplied Deichmann Logistics Centre in Soltau, Germany, a 605kWp PV system. Over 2,600 polycrystalline Mage powertec plus modules will cover 11,600 square metres of a flat roof area. Read more

UK solar supporters descend on Parliament

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 18:53 (Solarpowerportal)

At 11am this morning, bystanders on Westminster Bridge were witness to hundreds of UK solar supporters who lined up to campaign against Government’s decision to cut the feed-in tariff rates by more than 50 percent on December 12. In total, more than 500 solar activists grabbed their billboards and high-visibility... Read more

AEG Power Solutions appoints new VP of solar business unit

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 18:30 (PV-Tech)

Effective immediately, AEG Power Solutions has appointed Bob Roos as VP for its Solar Business unit. Read more

Solar Manufacturers Expect Tough Times for 2012

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 18:27 (Renewable Energy World)

Hopes that demand for solar energy equipment in Germany would rise significantly were dashed and led to disappointing third-quarter earnings, reported several Chinese manufactures on Tuesday. The market will continue to see a bumper crop of solar panels in the next quarter or two, along with more mergers or potential bankruptcies. Read more

Astronergy (Chint) supplies modules for 3MW multi-site project in Tennessee

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 18:19 (PV-Tech)

Astronergy ? aka Chint Solar ? has been tapped to supply around 12,700 modules to equip four 750kW ground-mounted systems in Fayetteville, Tennessee. Commissioned at the start of November, these four plants are said to be the first in a series of installations planned for Tennessee in 2012 that will use Astronergy?s PV modules. Read more

Order Focus: Sybac Solar to use Solectria inverters for two Florida projects

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 17:28 (PV-Tech)

Solectria Renewables? Smartgrid inverter (SGI) products will be used in the construction by Sybac Solar of two Florida-based PV projects. The projects comprise a 665kW rooftop array at the United Trucking Center and a 2MW ground-mounted array at the Murphree Solar Farm. Read more

Asia-Pacific to install 4.8GW in 2011

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 17:16 (PV-Tech)

An end-of-year surge in the number of utility-scale PV installation in China and India will result in installed capacity for 2011 in the Asia-Pacific region reaching 4.8GW, according to the new Asia Pacific Major PV Markets Quarterly report from NPD Solarbuzz. Read more

French government says ?non? to the solar industry

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 16:46 (PV-Tech)

Environmental lawyer Arnaud Gossement represents applicants petitioning against the establishment of a moratorium suspending the mandatory purchase of solar power by facilities producing over 3kWp. Read more

Concentrating solar power: Turkey approves expansion of hybrid GE CSP/natural gas/wind plant

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 16:27 (Solarserver)

On November 18th, 2011 General Electric Company (GE, Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.) announced that the government of Turkey has approved the expansion of a hybrid power plant featuring natural gas generation, wind turbines and concentrating solar power (CSP) technology to 1.08 GW. The announcement of the approval to expand the Dervish Integrated Renewables Combined Cycle (IRCC) plant came at an event where MetCap Energy Investments (Istanbul, Turkey) announced that it will invest in these and another GE natural gas generation project, Project Eurostar. Read more

Scheuten Solar supplies modules for 1.7 MW PV project in Leonidio Arkadias, Greece

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 16:26 (Solarserver)

Scheuten Solar (Venlo, The Netherlands) supplied "Multisol" P6-66 solar photovoltaic (PV) modules for an 1.7 MW ground mounted project in Leonidio Arkadias, in the region of Vaskina in Greece. This project is a private initiative of Efkleia Development SA in Athens. The design has been completed and the installation is being carried out by Scheuten Solar?s partner Stamenco. Read more

Lux Research: AC PV modules will be slow to adoption

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 16:25 (Solarserver)

Lux Research Inc. (Boston, Massachusetts) reports that alternating-current (AC) solar PV module players have little to lose by offering an additional product next to their standard line that utilizes a micro-inverter from an established company. The market research company, however, noted that installers and developers remain the gatekeepers, and may not select those products over DC modules coupled with outside string/central inverters from more trusted suppliers. Read more

Canadian Solar shipments and revenue up on loss of US$43.9 million: claims market share gains

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 16:10 (PV-Tech)

Although gross margin just beat the low range of recently revised guidance, Canadian Solar said it was gaining market share and expected margin improvement in the fourth quarter along with strong sales, roughly inline with third quarter shipment levels, a contrasting position on both counts compared to its tier-1 piers. Canadian Solar reported a third quarter loss of US$43.9 million, gross margin of 2.4% and revenue of US$499.6 million. Read more

European firms threatened by solar industry shake-up

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 15:19 (PV-Tech)

Over the coming months the solar industry it set to experience its own version of natural selection, as surplus capacity and falling prices triggers a significant reduction of the number of companies in the marketplace, according to a new report from Bank Sarasin. Read more

JA Solar revenues, margins fall in 3Q 2011

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 15:13 (Solarserver)

As the latest PV manufacturer to report ongoing losses in the third quarter of 2011, JA Solar Holdings Company Ltd. (Shanghai, China) announced a 7% sequential decline in revenues to USD 388 million, an operating margin of -11%, and a net loss of USD 58.9 million in its third quarter 2011 results, released November 22nd, 2011. While the company's shipments grew 6% from the third quarter of 2011 to 445 MW, its revenues have fallen 32% in the same period, the result of industry-wide solar photovoltaic (PV) price declines. JA Solar predicts that its shipments will fall to between 310 MW and 330 MW in the fourth quarter of 2011, and has downgraded its full year 2011 shipment Read more

Solarwatt?s Easy-In roof system receives MCS accreditation

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 13:05 (Solarpowerportal)

German module manufacturer Solarwatt has been awarded MCS accreditation for its Easy-In roof system. The company’s solar modules also received MCS certification in January this year. Read more

GCL-Poly, CGN Solar Energy partner, announce 1 GW solar farm in Datong City, China

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 12:58 (Solarserver)

On November 17th, 2011 GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd. (Hong Kong, China) announced that it has entered into an agreement with CGN Solar Energy Development Company Ltd. (Beijing, China) to develop a 1 GW "solar farm" project in Datong City, China. GCL-Poly states that it will be responsible for the ongoing development and construction of the project, and that this will lay the groundwork for cooperation on future solar projects between the two companies. Read more

Trina Solar reports losses in 3Q 2011, will reduce output to 80% of capacity

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 12:24 (Solarserver)

On November 21st, 2011 Trina Solar Ltd. (Changzhou, China) released its third quarter 2011 results, reporting revenues of USD 482 million, a decrease of 17% from the previous quarter, as well as an operating margin of -4.9% and a net loss of USD 31.5 million. Trina Solar attributes this negative profitability to the ongoing collapse of solar photovoltaic (PV) prices. The company states that it expects these challenging times to continue, and will reduce its output to 80% of capacity. Read more

JinkoSolar revenues, margins fall in 3Q 2011 results

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 12:16 (Solarserver)

On November 21st, 2011 JinkoSolar Holding Company Ltd. (Shanghai, China) released financial results for the third quarter of 2011, reporting a 21% sequential fall in revenues to USD 279 million, a -11% operating margin, and a net income of USD 10.7 million. JinkoSolar expects a decline in shipments and a further decline in revenues to USD 180 million to 210 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. The company has reduced its full year 2011 revenue guidance to between USD 1.1 and 1.2 billion, as well as reducing its integrated wafer, cell and module production target to 1.2 GW by the end of 2011. Read more

UK solar industry marches to Parliament in protest against FiT cuts

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 12:13 (Solarpowerportal)

Today solar industry players and environmental campaigners will take part in a mass lobby in Parliament and a protest on Westminster Bridge in objection to Government’s proposal to cut the FiT... Read more

NRG acquires Solar Power Partners

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 12:07 (Solarserver)

On November 21st, 2011 NRG Energy Inc. (Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.) announced that it has acquired Solar Power Partners Inc. (SPP, Larkspur, California, U.S.) for an undisclosed amount of money. The acquisition includes 30 MW of distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in operation or under construction by SPP, as well as a pipeline of projects in seven U.S. states, Ontario and Puerto Rico. Read more

Intersolar India continues on the path of success and doubles exhibition space for 2011

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 11:42 (Solarserver)

Intersolar India kicks off on December 14th at Bombay Exhibition Center (BEC) in Mumbai. Three years after its creation, India's international exhibition and conference for the solar industry continues on its strong upward trend and is pleased to announce a near 100% increase of exhibition space compared to last year. On a total of 20,000 square meters, over 230 exhibitors will set up their booths in hall 1 of the BEC, with over 6,000 visitors expected to attend. Read more

Activ Solar adds further 20MW to Perovo Solar Power Station

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 10:52 (PV-Tech)

Activ Solar has completed Phase III of its Perovo Solar Power Station, adding a further 20MW to the system?s size. The total capacity of Perovo now stands at 60MW, and, with ramping up still ongoing, it looks set to be one of the largest PV projects in Europe. Read more

JinkoSolar Q3 margins squeezed by lower than expected fall in polysilicon prices

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 0:36 (PV-Tech)

JinkoSolar reported a loss from operations of US$30.9 million in the third quarter, due to rapidly falling module prices but not a corresponding decline in polysilicon prices that squeezed gross margins down to 3.7%, compared to 25.4% in the second quarter of 2011. Total solar product shipments were 257.7MW, compared with 254.1MW in the prior quarter. Module shipments were 218.2MW, up 5.6% on the second quarter. Total solar module shipments for Q3 were recently revised to be in the range of 210MW - 220MW, down from previous guidance of between 230MW - 250MW. Net income was US$10.7 million, a decrease of 71.1% sequentially and a decrease of 73.8% year-over-year. Read more

Chopping the Cellulosic Ethanol Down Payment: Is Less Than $100 Million for Full-scale Possible?

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 16:33 (Renewable Energy World)

So, the obituary desk has been hard at work the last few months, writing notices on the death of cellulosic biofuels and the RFS. Read more

Wind Could Become Brazil's Second Power Generation Source in 2015

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

It's one of those stories everyone's talking about, at least in Brazil's wind energy space. And it should come as no surprise. Under its newly launched energy expansion plan, the government intends to boost installed wind power generation capacity to 11.5 GW by 2020 from a mere 1.5 GW now, bringing new and exciting investment opportunities for developers and entrepreneurs. Read more

23 Governors, 369 Orgs Throw Support Behind Four-year PTC Extension Bill

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Most recently, a broad, nonpartisan coalition of 369 members, including manufacturing, farm and business interests, issued a letter endorsing a four-year extension to the Production Tax Credit (PTC), wind energy's key federal tax incentive. Legislation recently introduced by Representatives Dave Reichert (R, WA-08) and Earl Blumenauer (D, OR-03) seeks to grant a four-year extension to the existing PTC for wind energy (H.R. 3307, the "American Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act"). Read more

Azure Power nabs US$13.6 million in funds from DEG for Indian PV projects

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 21:56 (PV-Tech)

VC Circle is reporting that Deutsche Investitions ? und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG), part of the KfW Bankengruppe, supplied Azure Power India with a ?10 million (US$13.6 million) risk capital in compulsory convertible debentures. The funding will go towards Azure?s plans for expansions over the next few years and help improve the capabilities of the company?s 10 existing operating facilities. Read more

?100 million invested into Irish renewable energy fund

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 17:54 (PV-Tech)

?100 million have been invested into Solar21, the Irish renewable energy fund, for PV solar farms across Europe, focussing on economies with the most attractive long-term guaranteed FiT rates. Read more

Secretary Chu: We Can Win Clean Energy Battle

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Seven trillion dollars are at stake in the global battle to win market share in renewable energy and the United States can win that battle, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said during stops in Colorado. Read more

EPA issues permit to California city of Palmdale to build hybrid CSP/natural gas plant

Tuesday, 11.22.2011 - 11:59 (Solarserver)

On November 16th, 2011 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a permit to the city of Palmdale, California, for the building of a hybrid power plant which combines 570 MW of natural gas-fired generation with 50 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) solar generation. The EPA expects that the Palmdale Hybrid Power Project will be commissioned by the summer of 2013. The agency notes that the plant will be the first of its kind in the nation required to limit greenhouse gas emissions, with a cap of 351 kg of CO2 for every MWh generated. Read more