Refusol PV inverters receive UL certificate

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 20:10 (Solarserver)

On December 13th, 2011, REFUsol (Metzingen, Germany), manufacturer of efficient solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters, announced that it has received a certification from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) for its four products, including REFUsol 012K-UL, 016K-UL, 020K-UL and 024K-UL. Read more

JA Solar hits 18.5% efficiencies in volume production with Maple solar cell technology

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 20:02 (PV-Tech)

JA Solar Holdings revealed that its Maple solar cells had reached an 18.5% conversion efficiency level in large volume production, with the average conversion efficiency for the Maple cells in mass production being recorded at 18%. The new record for JA Solar is noted as being higher than the industry?s standard average conversion efficiency for multicrystalline solar cells of nearly 16.8%. Read more

Can We Achieve a "Smart Home" Future?

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The concept of the smart grid continues to mystify both utilities and consumers alike. Is it cost-effective? What is the best method for deployment? Is the public ready for it? Do we actually need it? Read more

centrotherm SiTec in process of commissioning second polysilicon expansion at STSIC

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 12:18 (PV-Tech)

centrotherm SiTec, a subsidiary of centrotherm photovoltaics said that it had received Final Acceptance Test (FAT) from Shaanxi Tianhong Silicon Industrial Corporation (STSIC) of a turnkey 1,250MT polysilicon plant. centrotherm SiTec was also in the in process of commissioning a second polysilicon expansion at STSIC that would take capacity to 3,000MT using state-of-the-art 24-pair reactor technology, according to the company. Read more

Dye solar cells: Dyesol announces a 15% increase in the efficiency performance of large DSC strip cells

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 11:23 (Solarserver)

Dyesol (Queanbeyan, NSW, Australia) in an online webcast to German investors held on December15th, 2011 by Chairman Richard Caldwell announced that a 15% increase in the efficiency performance of large DSC strip cells has been achieved at the Queanbeyan laboratory facilities during the past 12 months, bringing industrial dye solar cell efficiency up from 6.9% to 8%. Read more

ESA Renewables signs on to provide O&M services for four PV farms in North Carolina

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 22:17 (PV-Tech)

ESA Renewables has landed four separate, multi-year, operation and maintenance contracts for four solar farms in North Carolina. The contracts will see ESA?s Hayesville, North Carolina office operate, maintain and monitor the solar farms, which combined generate 4MW of power. Each solar array has ESA?s monitoring system installed and uses Advanced Energy?s inverters. Read more

TransCanada to buy 86MW PV project portfolio from Canadian Solar unit for CAN$470 million

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 21:58 (PV-Tech)

Canadian Solar?s subsidiary, Canadian Solar Solutions (CSSI), executed a sales agreement with TransCanada, which will see TransCanada buy 86MW of Canadian Solar?s project portfolio for nearly CAN$470 million.  The agreement calls for CSSI to provide TransCanada with nine fully-operational and commissioned utility-scale solar projects across the Ontario province. The projects are all anticipated to begin service between late 2012 and mid-2013. Read more

Aide Solar receives UL certification for PV modules

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 21:42 (PV-Tech)

Aide Solar advised that Underwriter Laboratories (UL) Shanghai unit has successfully completed all testing requirements on samples of three different series of the company?s 72 cell high-power PV modules. Aide Solar noted that the UL testing will help it meets its goal to bring residential, commercial and utility customers a better solar module portfolio. Read more

Prologis, SCE, Kimberly-Clark announce installation of a 4.9 megawatt (DC) rooftop PV system at California distribution center

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 20:09 (Solarserver)

Prologis Inc. (Denver, Colorado), Southern California Edison (SCE; Rosemead, California) and Kimberly-Clark Corporation (Irving, Texas, U.S.) on December 15th, 2011 announced that Kimberly-Clark's Redlands, Calif. distribution center has received one of the largest single rooftop solar power installations in the country. Read more

Hybrid solar water heating: solar thermal system to be installed at Seattle Brewery

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 20:08 (Solarserver)

On December 16th, 2011, Net Zero Impact LLC (Seattle, Washington, US) announced that it is building a hybrid solar-thermal system at Hale's Ales, Seattle. The new hybrid solar-thermal system will help Hale's Ales save about USD 15,000 per year on natural gas costs. The system will supply 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of solar-heated water per day for various brewing processes, radiant heating for the building and use by the adjoining Hale's Pub. Read more

Gehrlicher Solar starts work on 34MW PV project

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 15:54 (PV-Tech)

Gehrlicher Solar has commenced building work on its largest PV project to date, the Perleberg Airport Solar Park. The system, located in Brandenburg, northwest Germany, has a capacity of 34MW and is scheduled to come online next May. Read more

Value of CSP Increases Substantially at High Solar Penetration

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

With the cost of solar photovoltaic projects declining steadily and cost reductions in concentrating solar power (CSP) projects falling at a slower pace, some are calling 2011 the year that PV killed CSP. In the last year and a half, roughly 3,000 MW of CSP projects in the U.S. have been converted to PV. Read more

Oerlikon Solar prepping launch of 2nd generation ?ThinFab? line with further production costs

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 12:58 (PV-Tech)

The rapid decline in conventional crystalline silicon module production costs has wiped-out a significant part of the cost advantage once benefiting thin film module producers. As falling polysilicon prices continue to find their way through to volume producers in 2012, the pressure on thin film cost reduction intensifies. To compete, Oerlikon Solar is prepping the launch of its 2nd generation ?ThinFab? line that claims a module cost of around US$0.5/Wp (?0.35/Wp), compared to its previously claimed cost of US$0.64 (?0.50/Wp) of the original turnkey system launched in September, 2010 at EU PVSEC. Read more

Oerlikon Solar prepping launch of second generation ?ThinFab? line with further production costs

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 12:58 (PV-Tech)

The rapid decline in conventional crystalline silicon module production costs has wiped-out a significant part of the cost advantage once benefiting thin film module producers. As falling polysilicon prices continue to find their way through to volume producers in 2012, the pressure on thin film cost reduction intensifies. To compete, Oerlikon Solar is prepping the launch of its 2nd generation ?ThinFab? line that claims a module cost of around US$0.5/Wp (?0.35/Wp), compared to its previously claimed cost of US$0.64 (?0.50/Wp) of the original turnkey system launched in September, 2010 at EU PVSEC. Read more

Solarbuzz: PV companies to shift from focus on market share growth to profitability in 2012; Market growth to dislocate from Europe

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 10:53 (Solarserver)

Financial challenges are forcing solar photovoltaic (PV) companies to shift focus from seeking market share to instead prioritizing a return to profitability, finds NPD Solarbuzz?s latest "Solarbuzz Quarterly" report issued on December 19th, 2011. Global demand is projected to grow 6% in 2012, so market declines in Europe will be offset by 43% growth outside that region. Therefore, solar companies will face the challenge of re-building margins during a period of increasing diversity in end solar market mix, Solarbuzz (San Francisco, Calif.) states. Read more

Recurrent Energy secures USD 250 million financing for 200 MW of solar PV projects in Ontario, Canada

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 10:46 (Solarserver)

Recurrent Energy (San Francisco, Calif.) on December 19th, 2011 announced that it has secured a four-year construction revolver credit facility of USD 250 million from Mizuho Corporate Bank. The facility will support the construction of 20 solar photovoltaic (PV) projects throughout the province of Ontario, Canada. The credit facility is one of the largest non-recourse solar financings for a solar PV portfolio in North America. Mizuho Corporate Bank was the lead arranger and administration agent for this financing agreement. Read more

PV in China: ReneSola commissions 20 MW solar power plant in Qinghai

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 10:39 (Solarserver)

ReneSola Ltd. (Jiashan, China) on December 19th, 2011 announced the completion and grid connection of the Company's 20 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Wulan County in Qinghai, with the Company providing all 20 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. The solar power plant is the first of its kind for ReneSola. Read more

New BRIDGE TO INDIA solar market report projects phenomenal growth: Installed capacity of 33.4 GW expected by 2022

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 9:38 (Solarserver)

According to the INDIA SOLAR HANDBOOK, the latest publication of consulting firm BRIDGE TO INDIA (Mumbai), installed capacity of solar power in India is projected to be 33.4GW by the year 2022. This projection includes grid as well as off-grid market potential. BRIDGE TO INDIA analysis projects that the solar targets for India will be well overshot by 2022. The Indian National Solar Mission (NSM) that targets to achieve 20GW of installed capacity by 2022 is only one part of the Indian solar story. According to the report, a huge part of the market is the unexplored off-grid opportunity in India. Read more

Legal challenge over FiT cuts goes to court

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 5:00 (Solarpowerportal)

The High Court is set to hear legal challenges by Friends of the Earth, Homesun and Solarcentury over the Government’s plans to cut the feed-in tariff for solar PV today. Read more

Working with National Lab, AWS Truepower Makes Headway on Forecasting Improvement Project

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

AWS Truepower, LLC and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), this week released findings from a multi-phase wind forecasting research project they hope will lead to better wind power generation forecasts, particularly those in the short-term and extreme-event arena. Read more

Hydropower Outlook 2012: Continued Large-scale Development in North America

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) develops an outlook for international energy markets every year. The most recent report, the International Energy Outlook 2011 (IEO2011), released in September 2011, projects markets through 2035. As part of its assessment of these markets, EIA analyzes policies and incentives intended to support generation sources such as hydropower. Here's a look at the potential future of hydro generation in North America and how current policies could drive or stall growth of this resource. Read more

KKR, Google buy Sacramento-area 81MW PV project portfolio from Recurrent Energy

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 21:33 (PV-Tech)

It was revealed that Google recently partnered with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) to invest in Recurrent Energy?s portfolio of PV facilities serving the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). VentureBeat reports that the investment totals US$94 million, which was financed through a combination of debt and equity from Google and KKR?s newly formed SunTap Energy. Read more

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to attend World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 20:10 (Solarserver)

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will be attending the 5th annual World Future Energy Summit (WFES) that will be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from January 16th ? 19th at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Regarded as the leading figure responsible for China?s economic policy - which embraces innovation, sustainable redevelopment and renewable energy as core drivers ? Premier Wen will deliver the keynote speech at WFES. The visit by the Premier underscores the growing role the UAE and Abu Dhabi are playing in promoting innovation and investment opportunities in renewable energy and clean technologies. Read more

Facebook, Greenpeace to collaborate on renewable energy

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 20:08 (Solarserver)

On December 15th, 2011, Facebook, the popular social networking website, announced that it plans to use renewable energy to power its operations. The social networking giant has signed a partnership agreement with Greenpeace to collaborate on clean and renewable projects. Read more

Natcore to commercialize Black Silicon cells in 2012

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 17:59 (PV-Tech)

The U.S. Department of Energy?s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has given an exclusive patent licence to equipment specialist, Natcore Technology to use its diffused emitter technology ?Black Silicon? with Natcore?s liquid phase deposition (LPD) technology. The black silicon process has been claimed by Natcore scientists and NREL researchers to reduce average reflectivity to less than 1.5%, compared to current advanced antireflective coatings that are said to reduce the average reflectivity to approximately 6%. The aim is to commercialize the technology in 2012. Read more

Natcore to commercialize ?Black Silicon? cells in 2012

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 17:59 (PV-Tech)

The U.S. Department of Energy?s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has given an exclusive patent licence to equipment specialist, Natcore Technology to use its diffused emitter technology ?Black Silicon? with Natcore?s liquid phase deposition (LPD) technology. The black silicon process has been claimed by Natcore scientists and NREL researchers to reduce average reflectivity to less than 1.5%, compared to current advanced antireflective coatings that are said to reduce the average reflectivity to approximately 6%. The aim is to commercialize the technology in 2012. Read more

Project Finance in a Post Stimulus World

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 15:01 (Renewable Energy World)

In the aftermath of the financial crisis in 2008, the United States and other countries took historic measures to promote investment and financing across chosen sectors of the economy. In the United States, the renewable energy industry was delighted to receive the benefit of several federal programs designed specifically to restore financing to the sector ? these included the Treasury 1603 cash grant program and revitalized loan guarantee programs administered by the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture. The renewable energy industry also benefitted from the significant efforts made globally to restore confidence in financial institutions, including direct Read more

Project Finance in a Post-stimulus World

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 15:01 (Renewable Energy World)

In the aftermath of the financial crisis in 2008, the United States and other countries took historic measures to promote investment and financing across chosen sectors of the economy. In the United States, the renewable energy industry was delighted to receive the benefit of several federal programs designed specifically to restore financing to the sector ? these included the Treasury 1603 cash grant program and revitalized loan guarantee programs administered by the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture. The renewable energy industry also benefitted from the significant efforts made globally to restore confidence in financial institutions, including direct Read more

Only One Week Left ? Submit Your Nomination for the 2012 Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards!

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/awards/2012 Read more

France projects ?4.3 billion public electricity expenditure for 2012

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 13:56 (PV-Tech)

France?s energy regulator, CRE, has released information on projected electricity charges for 2012. Read more

Barker heckled at Micropower Council?s Christmas drinks

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 13:41 (Solarpowerportal)

The Micropower Council Christmas drinks saw an audience of renewable energy professionals assemble at Westminster. However, according to Edie.net, Gregory Barker, the Minister for Energy and Climate Change – a guest speaker at the event – was heckled throughout his speech. Read more

SunEnergy Europe builds 1.2 MW PV plant on the site of former gas power plant in Thuringia, Germany

Tuesday, 12.20.2011 - 10:19 (Solarserver)

Since December 9th, 2011 the Thuringian city of Gera (Germany) produces electricity from solar power almost in the city centre. On the former premises of a gas power plant now more than 4,900 solar PV modules quietly produce clean energy. The installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity of 1.2 megawatts (MWp) will cover the annual electricity need of 370 households, SunEnergy Europe GmbH (Hamburg, Germany) reports in a press release. Project developer Energieversorgung Gera GmbH called for expression of interest for the 2.1 Million Euro investment. Among 21 competitors, SunEnergy Europe GmbH won the pitch and acted as general contractor for the project. Read more