ClearSky Advisors: U.S. PV market to grow 7% in 2012

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 19:16 (Solarserver)

ClearSky Advisors Inc. (Toronto, Canada) has released an analysis predicting that the U.S. solar photovoltaic (PV) market volume will grow 7% in 2012, but that market value will show flat growth and may decline compared to 2011. The company's latest U.S. PV market forecast predicts that overcapacity in the PV supply chain will lead to continued price declines for PV modules in the first half of 2012, and that the PV market will not significantly improve until 2014, as solar power becomes competitive in some states without incentives. Read more

RALOS initiates strategic partnership with Schweizer Electronic AG for PV market entry in Asia

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 19:13 (Solarserver)

RALOS New Energies AG (Griesheim, Germany) will tap into one of the most important solar photovoltaic (PV) markets of the future with a strong partner. Together with the Schweizer Group (Schramberg, Germany) solar parks and powerful large-scale PV power plants are to be planned, developed and, after realization, monitored and maintained in the Asia-Pacific region. Read more

Yingli reports flat growth, slight losses in 3Q 2011

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 15:29 (Solarserver)

On November 23rd, 2011 Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Ltd. (Baoding, China) released financial results for the third quarter of 2011, reporting only slight losses and emerging as the least impacted of large Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers by recent price collapses. Yingli reported a 2% drop in revenues to USD 668 million during the quarter, an operating loss of USD 0.9 million, and a net loss of USD 28.3 million. The company emphasizes that it increased its shipments by 22% during the quarter, including a large increase in shipments into the Chinese market. Read more

Feed-in Tariffs: The Proven Road NOT Taken?Why?

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

America needs to introduce a nationwide feed-in tariff (FIT) to kick-start the renewable industry, restore America's leadership role, and accelerate the expansion of the renewable industry worldwide. Read more

Suntech reports 2.5% decrease in revenues, reduced losses in 3Q 2011

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 13:55 (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

Tata Steel and Dyesol enter next phase of DSC production

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 13:21 (PV-Tech)

Tata Steel and Dyesol are continuing with their progress on the production of what they hope will be the world?s largest dye solar cells modules (DSC). The team has been constructing a DSC 20m2 roof array that will be tested at the Sustainable Building Envelope Centre (SBEC) test facility in Shotton, Wales. Read more

Schweizer plans new factory to produce high-efficiency PV cells and modules in China

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 12:49 (Solarserver)

On November 21st, 2011 Schweizer Electronic AG (Schramberg, Germany) announced that it will build a new manufacturing facility in Nantong, China to produce high efficiency solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules. The company states that it is also setting up sales channels for PV plants in Asia. The company has partnered with the Schmid Group (Freudenstadt, Germany), which will supply four production lines, each of which will produce 100 MW of cells and modules annually. The company states that by investing anti-cyclically, it expects to participate in the future growth of the PV market. Read more

Is the current FiT model going to be scrapped in favour of a German ?capacity trigger? model?

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 12:14 (Solarpowerportal)

Chris Huhne is considering disposing of the current feed-in tariff system, which guarantees payments for a fixed period of time, in favour of a system where there is a limit on the amount of energy capacity that can be installed before the subsidy automatically falls, according to the Financial Times. Read more

Commons debate defeat leaves FiT proposal unchanged

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 20:57 (Solarpowerportal)

The commons debate regarding the Government's proposed cut to the feed-in tariff for solar power has resulted in a defeat for the opposition by 292 to 220, a majority of 72. The defeat means that the proposed cut-off date of December 12 will go-ahead as detailed, with the consultation period to end on December 31. Read more

3U HOLDING AG develops approx. 10 MW solar project on former industrial area in Lower Saxony, Germany

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 19:07 (Solarserver)

3U HOLDING AG (Marburg, Germany) is expanding in the field of project planning and constructs its first solar photovoltaic (PV) park. The solar park developed in Adelebsen, Lower Saxony, Germany will be realized on an approximately 26 hectares large, former industrial area and will have a capacity of slightly more than 10 MW, the company reports in a press release. Read more

KDC Solar cuts ribbon on 3.25 MW PV plant in New Jersey

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 19:04 (Solarserver)

On November 21th, 2011, KDC Solar LLC (Bedminster, New Jersey, US) announced that it has completed construction of a 3.25 MW rooftop mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) installation at the United Stationers Supply Co. warehouse in Cranbury, New Jersey. The PV array will generate about 3,920,000 kWh of solar electricity per year and is designed to cover 100% of the electric power needs for the United Stationers' warehouse site. Read more

KB home to add solar as standard at 28 communities throughout Southern California

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 19:01 (Solarserver)

On November 21st, 2011 KB Home (Los Angeles, California, US) announced that it will add solar power systems as a standard feature of homes in nearly all of its communities across Southern California. A new KB home, with the high-efficiency SunPower solar power systems, will help homeowners reduce their monthly energy bills by as much as 80% and lower their cost of homeownership for years to come, KB Home emphasizes. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne shifting away from ?plain vanilla? module production

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 18:28 (PV-Tech)

Third quarter results from Hanwha SolarOne echoed pricing pressure and weak demand, especially from Germany that led to margin pressure, inventory write downs and losses. Hanwha SolarOne reported US$225.4 million in revenue, a decrease of 20.1% from 2Q11 when revenue reached US$277.1 million. The company recorded a non-cash inventory write-down of US$30.6 million and a net loss of US$46.4 million. Read more

Serbia makes plans for 1GW solar park

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 17:14 (PV-Tech)

Securum Equity Partners has signed a contract with the Serbian Government to build a 1GW solar park. The contract is a non-binding agreement and consequently includes few concrete details at present, although it has been revealed that the planned site is will cover 3,000 hectares and is likely to be in southern Serbia. Read more

AMG granted patent for mono crystalline growth method

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 15:43 (PV-Tech)

AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group?s acquisition of the Mono 2 casting technology last year has paid off. The mono crystalline growth method has been granted a US patent. The patent was granted to AMG IdealCast Solar Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of AMG?s Engineering Systems Division. There are four additional core patents still pending. Read more

AMG granted patent for monocrystalline growth method

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 15:43 (PV-Tech)

AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group?s acquisition of the Mono 2 casting technology last year has paid off. The monocrystalline growth method has been granted a US patent. The patent was granted to AMG IdealCast Solar Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of AMG?s Engineering Systems Division. There are four additional core patents still pending. Read more

Part 1: How Tariffs Could Impact Solar Industry

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Would tariffs placed on Chinese solar panels amount to "protectionism?" Are the companies most critical of the trade complaint "just crying foul?" And what's more important to American companies, the race to grid parity or the desire to reclaim solar manufacturing from China? Read more

Solarbuzz: Chinese PV installations to surpass U.S., Japanese markets in 2011; Asia Pacific markets projected to reach more than 4.8 GW in 2011

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 13:10 (Solarserver)

According to a new report released by NPD Solarbuzz (San Francisco, Calif.) on November 22nd, 2011 the solar photovoltaic (PV) market in the Asia Pacific region is forecast to grow 39% Q/Q and 130% Y/Y in Q4?11. The market research company expects Q4'11 installations of more than 2 gigawatts (GW) of PV, which will significantly raise the region's share of the global market this year, The region is poised to grow an additional 45% in 2012, as Asian governments introduce new installation targets, due to NPD Solarbuzz' new "Asia Pacific Major PV Markets Quarterly report". Read more

500 protest impending U.K. solar FIT cuts, Liberal Dem MPs may break ranks on vote

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 12:40 (Solarserver)

As the latest resistance to feed-in tariff (FIT) cuts proposed by the U.K.'s ruling Conservative Party, on November 22nd, 2011 an estimated 500 persons marched on the nation's Parliament in protest. The protest comes as the voices opposing the cuts grow more numerous, including members of the Liberal Democratic Party and the environmental campaign of the Church of England, which has launched an online petition. Read more

LDK reports falling sales, margins in 3Q 2011

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 12:31 (Solarserver)

On November 22nd, 2011 LDK Solar Company Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) released financial results for the third quarter of 2011, reporting a further decline in net sales to USD 472 million, a -16% operating margin and a net loss of USD 97.4 million. The company expects revenues to stabilize in the fourth quarter of 2011 between USD 440 and 520 million, with a gross margin between 2% and 7%. The company downgraded its full year 2011 revenues on November 14th, 2011 to between USD 2.2 and 2.5 billion. Read more

Ed Miliband blasts ?short-sighted? FiT review

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 10:09 (Solarpowerportal)

Ed Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party, and Caroline Flint, the Shadow Energy Secretary, have both expressed their concerns regarding the FiT review following a recent visit to Solarcentury. Ed Miliband has labelled the decision to slash back the incentives for people to produce their own green energy as the latest example of "short-sighted policies from a short term Tory-led Government". Read more

Does a 13-year-old hold the key to a more efficient solar panel arrangement?

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 10:03 (Solarpowerportal)

Aiden Dwyer, a 13-year-old from Long Island, New York has developed a revolutionary design for solar arrays, inspired by the arrangement of branches on trees and the observed Fibonacci Sequence. Read more

LDK Solar halting capacity expansions to focus on cost reduction to strengthen balance sheet

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 0:02 (PV-Tech)

Having only recently made revisions to third quarter 2011 guidance, LDK Solar?s primary results of revenue and shipments appeared to sneak past the higher range of lowered guidance. Rapidly declining prices for wafers and modules meant an inventory write-down of US$47.3 million, a loss from operations of US$77.1 million, a net loss of US$114.5 million and a negative gross margin of 3.6%, just a fraction over the lower range margin guidance of 3.5%. Emphasis on the call was cost reduction and balance sheet strengthening, resulting in an end to capacity expansions in the near-term. Read more

Scientists Genetically Increase Algae Biomass by More Than 50 Percent

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Research at Iowa State University has led to discovery of a genetic method that can increase biomass in algae by 50 to 80 percent. Read more

Yingli Green dips into the red on record quarterly module shipments

Wednesday, 11.23.2011 - 12:55 (PV-Tech)

Tier-1 module manufacturer, Yingli Green Energy reported strong third quarter results despite market conditions. The PV module manufacturer achieved record quarterly shipments, up 21.9% from the previous quarter to an estimated 500MW. However, due to falling prices, revenue declined to US$667.7 million, compared to a record US$680.6 million in the second quarter of 2011. Read more