Centrosolar expands product range into neighboring European countries; International launch of the Cenpac complete photovoltaic system

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 18:18 (Solarserver)

Centrosolar AG (Hamburg, Germany) continues to expand its market position into neighboring European countries. Until recently, the "Cenpac" complete photovoltaic system was only available in Germany. It will now be marketed all over Europe. Centrosolar developed the system in 2010 and, in the process, achieved an important milestone: Cenpac is the first standard solar system available on the market that can be installed on almost any roof. Read more

A Novel Way to Concentrate Sun's Heat

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Most technologies for harnessing the sun's energy capture the light itself, which is turned into electricity using photovoltaic materials. Others use the sun's thermal energy, usually concentrating the sunlight with mirrors to generate enough heat to boil water and turn a generating turbine. A third, less common approach is to use the sun's heat ? also concentrated by mirrors ? to generate electricity directly, using solid-state devices called thermophotovoltaics, which have their roots at MIT dating back to the 1950s. Read more

SDG&E proposes new fee for California PV system owners

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 11:44 (Solarserver)

According to the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE, San Diego, California, U.S.), proposed changes to San Diego Gas and Electric Company's (SDG&E, San Diego, California, U.S.) rates and fees could result in additional charges of USD 10 to 40 per month to the utility's customers who produce the majority of their electricity with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. CCSE also notes that SDG&E's proposed Distributed Generation Renewable Utility Tariff (DG-R tariff) could damage the region's growing solar photovoltaic (PV) market. The DG-R tariff is part of SDG&E's 2012 General Rate Case, which is currently being reviewed by the California Public Utilities Commission. Read more

JCM Capital to develop 30 MW of PV-integrated farm buildings in Ontario

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 11:36 (Solarserver)

On November 30th, 2011 JCM Capital Ltd. (Ontario, Canada) announced that it has signed an agreement with Hay Solar Holdings ULC (Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S.) to provide development, construction, and long-term equity financing for modular farm buildings integrated with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in Ontario, Canada. Each modular farm building will host a 100 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, and the aggregate total under the program will equal 30 MW of PV. Read more

European Environment Agency predicts huge renewable energy growth this decade if EU countries meet projections; concentrating solar power and photovoltaics to be boosted significantly

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 0:57 (Solarserver)

According to projections, offshore wind energy capacity in Europe will increase 17-fold between 2010 and 2020, while newer renewable technologies such as concentrating solar power (CSP) and wave/tidal power will increase more than 11-fold. European countries are also expected to significantly boost solar photovoltaic (PV) power, onshore wind and other renewable technologies over the next decade. These projections are based on European countries? plans to install renewable energy sources, which have been analysed by the European Environment Agency (EEA, Copenhagen, Denmark). Read more

US ITC gives unanimous green light to SolarWorld?s trade investigation

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 18:59 (PV-Tech)

The US International Trade Commission has approved the investigation requested by the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM) into unfair trading practices on the part of Chinese c-Si cell and module manufacturers. The trade panel today approved the investigation, which could lead to the introduction of US trade duties, according to a Reuters report. Read more

Updated: US ITC gives unanimous green light to SolarWorld?s trade investigation

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 18:59 (PV-Tech)

The US International Trade Commission has approved the investigation requested by the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM) into unfair trading practices on the part of Chinese c-Si cell and module manufacturers. The trade panel today approved the investigation, which could lead to the introduction of US trade duties. (Full transcript of response follows.) Read more

ITC Determines Harm in Solar Trade Case

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 18:15 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) announced Friday that its has unanimously determined that Chinese solar panel and cell imports are harming the American solar manufacturing industry. Read more

PHOTON Laboratory module test recognizes JinkoSolar for high performance PV modules

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 18:11 (Solarserver)

On November 30th, 2011, JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. (Shanghai, China) announced that two types of its monocrystalline solar photovoltaic (PV) modules have been recognized for high yield by PHOTON Lab's outdoor field test. The field test measures each module's yield in order to determine the exact amount of kilowatt-hours per kilowatt of installed power that flow from the PV system to the inverter. Read more

One Third of World's Energy Could Be Solar by 2060, Predicts Historically Conservative IEA

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 17:11 (Renewable Energy World)

The International Energy Agency is notoriously conservative on projections for renewable energy. The agency has embraced the need for more clean electricity and fuels to address climate change and peak oil, but its outlook for the future is usually far more conservative than how reality plays out. Read more

Chinese government doubles renewables surcharge

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 17:10 (PV-Tech)

China?s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has revealed that the government is doubling the surcharge for solar and other renewables from CNY0.004 to CNY0.008 per kWh. The tariff was raised to cover the premium that utilities pay for renewable electricity and is effective as of December 1. Read more

DOE unveils US$12 million Rooftop Solar Challenge

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 13:44 (PV-Tech)

The Department of Energy SunShot programme has awarded the US Rooftop Solar Challenge US$12 million to help promote solar development by cutting the amount of red tape in the industry. Read more

Roof King extends Centrosolar?s influence in Europe

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 12:29 (PV-Tech)

Centrosolar will be expanding its market position with its new PV system, previously only available in Germany. Nicknamed the ?Roof King?, Cenpac was developed in 2010 and Centrosolar claims it is the first standard solar system available on the market that can be installed on almost any roof. Read more

Hawaii PUC approves third tier of feed-in tariff including solar PV and CSP systems

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 12:02 (Solarserver)

On November 22nd, 2011, the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (HPUC) approved the third tier of island state's feed-in tariff, which includes solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) systems up to 5 MW in size on the island of Oahu and 2.72 MW in size on Maui and Hawaii. The new tier will pay rates of USD 0.197/kWh to 0.236 per kWh for PV generation between 500 kW and 5 MW, and USD 0.315 to 0.335 for CSP systems of the same size. In its approval of tier 3, the HPUC also made changes to tier 1 and tier 2 of the feed-in tariff. Read more

Chinese trade organization condemns U.S. investigations of Chinese solar subsidies, CASE grows to 132 companies

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 11:54 (Solarserver)

A petitioner in the recently launched trade investigation by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce is now publicly condemning U.S. investigations into Chinese subsidies. On December 1st, 2011 the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) issued a statement in English in opposition to the investigations by the U.S. Department of Commerce and International Trade Commission. This statement comes the same day as the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) announced that it has reached 132 member companies which employ 13,000 workers in the solar industry, in a statement which called for an equitable resolution to the dispute. Read more

Coalition including Solar Energy Industries Association urges U.S. congress to extend Treasury Grant Program

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 11:47 (Solarserver)

On November 30th, 2011 a coalition of 763 businesses and organizations sent a letter to U.S. congressional leaders to call for a one-year extension of the Section 1603 Treasury Grant Program (TGP). The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA, Washington D.C., U.S.), which supports the coalition, estimates that the TGP has leveraged USD 23 billion in private sector investment to support 22,000 U.S. projects. The program was created through U.S. President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ("stimulus package") and following a one-year extension is scheduled to expire at the end of 2011. Read more

Gehrlicher Solar sellsMW French portfolio to White Owl Capital

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 11:33 (PV-Tech)

Gehrlicher Solar has sold two solar parks near Villeneuve-sur-Lot, France, to White Owl Capital. The installations have capacities of 1.9MW and 2.6MW and will generate a combined total of 5.5 million kWh of electricity a year. Read more

U.S. military awards Cogenra contracts to build 363 kW of hybrid solar thermal/PV systems

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 0:46 (Solarserver)

On November 29th, 2011 Cogenra Solar Inc. (Mountain View, California, U.S.) announced that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has chosen its hybrid solar thermal/solar photovoltaic (PV) technology for a test initiative. As part of the Installation Energy Test Bed Initiative, the DoD has awarded Cogenra a USD 2 million contract for to install a 242 kW plant and a 121 kW plant at two separate U.S. military facilities. The company states that these sites were selected as tests to accelerate adoption of the systems at other military sites nationwide. Read more

FAA Awards $7.7 Million for Advancement of Aviation Biofuels

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 21:41 (Renewable Energy World)

In an encouraging move for the biofuels industry, the FAA announced it is awarding $7.7 million to eight companies to advance the development of drop-in commercial aviation biofuels, with a significant focus on ATJ (alcohol to jet) fuel. Read more

Green Gives Way to Blue

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 17:23 (Renewable Energy World)

When the freshly-minted UK coalition government boasted it would be the "greenest government ever," it sounded like a bad joke. How could the Tories possibly pull off such a feat? The Liberal Democrats had a good manifesto and a track record of support for green policy, but the Tories? Their constituency has arguably never embraced green thinking, so why should they change now? A reasonable question. Surely it's a horribly cynical ruse to persuade more voters in their direction, many said. A few bike rides to work and a failed rooftop turbine from David Cameron does not a green government make. The fact that a huge car used to follow him with his shoes and briefcase did Read more

Renewable Energy Groups Seek 1603 Extension; Analysts Offer Hope for Life After the Grant

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 18:34 (Renewable Energy World)

This week more than 750 large companies, small businesses and organizations sent a letter to Congress calling for a one-year extension of the Department of Treasury's Section 1603 Program. Read more

Joint committee inquiry questions the Treasury over FiT fiasco

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 18:06 (Solarpowerportal)

The Environmental Audit and the Energy and Climate Change Committee’s inquiry on solar PV feed-in tariff rates continued yesterday in Westminster. The inquiry took further evidence from Chloe Smith MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury and Jonathan Mills, Deputy Director, Energy Environment & Agriculture, HM Treasury in an attempt to understand the role that the Treasury played in setting the proposed FiT changes. Read more

EIB supporting ?100 million funding for renewable energy projects in South Africa

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 13:40 (PV-Tech)

With almost perfect conditions for solar technology deployment, a significant energy need and weak infrastructure, South Africa as highlighted in a detailed EPIA report last year should be one of the best emerging markets. However, lack of financial support was said to be the key obstacle. That my now be changing with one example of funding being made available with the support of the European Investment Bank and Investec to the tune of ?100 million for the promotion of clean energy generation and energy efficiency initiatives in South Africa. Read more

DECC figures show November accounted for 30% of systems installed in 2011

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 12:10 (Solarpowerportal)

DECC has published the weekly solar PV installation and capacity graph that the Minister of State for Climate Change, Greg Barker, showed to the EAC and ECC during Tuesday’s inquiry into the proposed cuts to the feed-in tariff. Read more

DOI reform of leasing regulations to assist renewable energy development on Native lands

Friday, 12.2.2011 - 0:30 (Solarserver)

On November 28th, 2011 the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) announced reforms of federal surface leasing regulations for Native American lands, which it says will spur renewable energy development. The DOI manages roughly 230,000 square kilometers of Native American lands. The proposed reform identifies specific processes, with enforceable timelines, through which the BIA must review leases, and establishes separate, simplified processes for residential, business and renewable energy development, instead of the previous "one-size fits all" approach. Read more