Targray signs long-term, multiregion deal with Giga Solar to distribute solar cell aluminum paste

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 21:02 (PV-Tech)

Targray Technology International was selected by Giga Solar Materials as the global distributor for its back surface aluminum paste. The long-term agreement will see Targray distributed the solar cell aluminum paste throughout Europe, North America and India for mono- and multicrystalline silicon solar cells. The paste is said to be designed to for high efficiency, low-bowing, high material compatibility. Read more

Emcore wins contract to manufacture PV cells, panels for ATK for Orbital Sciences? Cygnus spacecraft

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 20:44 (PV-Tech)

Emcore recently signed on with ATK for a solar panel manufacturing contract, which will see Emcore use ZTJ solar cells in ATK?s new Ultraflex solar arrays. The solar panels will be used to power cargo delivery spacecraft for Orbital Sciences Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) missions to the International Space Station (ISS). ATK recently received the US$20 million contract from Orbital Sciences to power Orbital?s Cygnus cargo logistics space vehicle and will see the company provide disk-shaped UltraFlex solar arrays that measure over 11 feet in diameter. Read more

Emcore wins contract to manufacture PV cells, panels to ATK for Orbital Sciences? Cygnus spacecraft

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 20:44 (PV-Tech)

Emcore recently signed on with ATK for a solar panel manufacturing contract, which will see Emcore use ZTJ solar cells in ATK?s new Ultraflex solar arrays. The solar panels will be used to power cargo delivery spacecraft for Orbital Sciences Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) missions to the International Space Station (ISS). ATK recently received the US$20 million contract from Orbital Sciences to power Orbital?s Cygnus cargo logistics space vehicle and will see the company provide disk-shaped UltraFlex solar arrays that measure over 11 feet in diameter. Read more

Amphenol introduces first UL certified grounding component for PV plants

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 20:42 (Solarserver)

On December 1st, 2011, Amphenol Industrial (Sidney, New York, U.S.) announced that it has introduced its first grounding lug that meets the solar industry's specific UL 2703 certification. The new "HelioLug" is used by solar integrators, installers and EPC firms for grounding solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in residential, commercial and utility solar projects. Due to the producer it is easy to install and simplifies grounding requirements. Read more

Fraunhofer ISE certifies record 9.8% efficiency for Heliatek organic PV test cell

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 20:27 (PV-Tech)

Fraunhofer ISE CalLab certified 9.8% cell efficiency for Heliatek?s 1.1 cm² tandem organic solar cell, which was created with a low temperature deposition process. The company?s in-house measurements have demonstrated that scaling up its record-breaking cells to a panel with a size factor >120 produces efficiency over 9% for the active module area. Heliatek notes that its new record is the third in a row that it has set for efficiency in OPV. Read more

Enphase begins shipping PV microinverters in France and Benelux countries

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 20:08 (PV-Tech)

Enphase Energy advised that its Enphase Microinverter System is now available in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands through the company?s authorized distributors. The announcement comes a few weeks after Enphase?s M215 Series microinverters were VDE certified to conform to European safety standards and received approval for grid connectivity in the countries. Read more

Riello UPS brings Aros inverters to the UK

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 18:34 (Solarpowerportal)

Riello UPS has announced a partnership with Aros solar technology to offer their Sirio solar inverter product range to the UK market for the first time. Read more

Roth & Rau achieve 20.14% efficiency on 156mm wafer

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 17:32 (PV-Tech)

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems has verified that Roth & Rau?s solar cells have achieved 20.14% efficiency. Based on heterojunction technology (HJT), the 156mm monocrystalline wafers were first presented at the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition in Hamburg at the beginning of September this year, at an efficiency rating of 20%. Read more

Roth & Rau achieve 21% efficiency on 156mm wafer

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 17:32 (PV-Tech)

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems has verified that Roth & Rau?s solar cells have achieved 21% efficiency. Based on heterojunction technology (HJT), the 156mm monocrystalline wafers were first presented at the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition in Hamburg at the beginning of September this year, at an efficiency rating of 20%. Read more

DOE announces Sunshot rooftop PV challenge winners

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 15:08 (Solarserver)

On December 1st, 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy announced USD 12 million in funding for the awardees of the Rooftop Solar Challenge as part of its SunShot Initiative. The Rooftop Solar Challenge supports 22 regional teams to spur solar power deployment by cutting red tape - streamlining and standardizing permitting, zoning, metering, and connection processes - and improving finance options to reduce barriers and lower costs for residential and small commercial rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Read more

SCE&G commissions 2.6 MW rooftop PV plant at Boeing facility in South Carolina

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 12:46 (Solarserver)

On December 4th, 2011 South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE&G, Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.) and the Boeing Company (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.) celebrated the commissioning of a 2.6 MW-DC solar photovoltaic (PV) plant on the roof of a Boeing jet airline manufacturing facility in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The 4 hectare PV plant is the largest operational PV system in the U.S. Deep South region, which stretches from South Carolina to Louisiana and possesses some of the least developed PV markets and industries in the United States. Read more

Xunlight teams with Trina Solar to install 220KW flexible thin-film PV system in China

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 20:55 (PV-Tech)

Xunlight and Trina Solar?s 220kW solar demonstration project in China has reached completion. Xunlight, through its subsidiary in Kunshan, China, provided Trina Solar with 220kW of its flexible thin-film silicon solar modules, which had been assembled using its triple-junction thin-film solar cells manufactured at its 25MW solar cell facility in Ohio. Read more

Santerno supplies solar inverters for 200 MW PV plant in Qinghai, China

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 20:54 (Solarserver)

Elettronica Santerno SpA (Imola, Italy) has announced that it supplied 20 of its Sunway inverters to China Guodian Corporation (Beijing, China) for a 200 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in China's Qinghai province. According to Santerno, the first 20 MW phase has already been built, an additional 30 MW will soon be installed, and a third 50 MW phase is scheduled to start in 2012. Guodian plans to build the final 100 MW by 2015. Read more

New off-grid PV solution for Africa: Econet Solar launches home power station

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 20:50 (Solarserver)

Econet Solar (Durban, South Africa), a company which designs and sells a range of solar-powered electronic and lighting products, unveiled the Home Power Station, a standalone solar electricity solution designed for areas without access to the grid or a source of sustainable, reliable power - around 70% of Africa. Read more

Canadian Solar supplies PV modules for 9 MW plant in Spain

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 20:31 (Solarserver)

On November 30th, 2011 Canadian Solar (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) announced that it has supplied solar modules for a 9-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power project in Spain, extending its presence in Southern Europe. The PV facility, located in the town of Ablitas in the Spanish region of Navarra, is scheduled for commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2011. The solar power plant is owned by OPDE Group. Read more

CPUC increases California Solar Initiative?s budget

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 18:04 (PV-Tech)

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has injected a further US$200 million into the California Solar Initiative (CSI) programme to help cover a budget shortfall. Read more

Solar judicial review dismissed

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 16:42 (Solarpowerportal)

A High Court ruling has rejected permission for Friends of the Earth, Solarcentury and Homesun to mount a legal challenge over the Government’s proposal to cut the feed-in tariff. The parties involved in the legal challenge believe that the disparity between the enforcement date of the proposed measures and the end of the consultation period are illegal. However, the High Court has moved to reject the legal challenge... Read more

OSM, LDK sign module distribution agreement

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 16:12 (PV-Tech)

OSM Solarform has signed a PV module supply and distribution agreement with LDK Solar. Under the terms of the contract, OSM will manufacture and distribute 20MW of LDK-certificated modules from its Ontario plant. Read more

JA Solar completes purchase of Solar Silicon Valley

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 15:15 (Solarserver)

On December 1st, 2011, JA Solar Holdings Company Ltd. (Shanghai, China) announced that it has completed its acquisition of Solar Silicon Valley Electronic Science and Technology Company Ltd. (Langfang, China). JA Solar acquired Solar Silicon Valley through the purchase of Silver Age Holdings Limited (British Virgin Islands). JA Solar has issued 30.9 million ordinary shares to the sellers, including Jinglong Group Company Ltd., for a total value of USD 180 million. Read more

Reliance Power secures US$48 million development bank loan for 40MW Jaisalmer project

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 14:09 (PV-Tech)

The Asian Development Bank has awarded Reliance Power a US$48 million loan for its 40MW Dahanu Solar Power Project located in Jaisalmer, India. Read more

U.S. International Trade Commission votes to continue investigation of Chinese solar subsidies

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 13:06 (Solarserver)

On December 2nd, 2011 the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) unanimously approved a decision to continue an investigation into Chinese subsidies for solar photovoltaic (PV) products and their impacts on the U.S. PV manufacturing industry. As a result of the vote, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) will continue countervailing duty and anti-dumping investigations, with preliminary rulings expected around January 12th, 2012 and March 22nd, 2012, respectively. The move was applauded by SolarWorld Industries Americas Inc. (Hillsboro, Oregon, U.S.) and criticized by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, which has opened an investigation on U.S. subsidies of it's one for Read more

India?s NSM auction drives tariffs to record lows

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 12:46 (PV-Tech)

India?s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has awarded PV project contracts worth 350MW to 28 developers in its latest National Solar Mission (NSM) auction. Projects in batch II of phase II were allotted by a reverse bidding process and have an initial completion deadline of March 2013. Read more

Colorado PUC: More Wind Means Better Rates for Consumers

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 18:05 (Renewable Energy World)

Noting that the contract would be cost effective for consumers, even in an environment of low natural gas prices, the Colorado Public Utility Commission (CPUC) approved a 25-year, 200-MW power purchase agreement (PPA) between Xcel Energy subsidiary Public Service Co. of Colorado and NextEra Energy for the power coming from NextEra's Limon Wind 2 project. Read more

South Carolina Electric & Gas and Boeing open 2.6MW installation

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 15:53 (PV-Tech)

South Carolina Electric & Gas and Boeing have completed a single rooftop solar installation with one of the largest production capacities in the US. Construction started in May this year with the installation capable of generating 2.6MW for the site ? enough to power approximately 250 homes. All power generated will stay within the Boeing site. Read more

Navigating the Clean and Bloody Streets of Europe

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 15:40 (Renewable Energy World)

Baron Rothschild was an 18th century British nobleman who supposedly originated the phrase "Buy when there's blood in the streets, even if the blood is your own." Although accounts differ, Rothschild was a successful banker, and supposedly made a fortune buying in the panic that followed the Battle of Waterloo against Napoleon. Read more

FirstEnergy signs PPA for output of 20 MW Maryland PV plant

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 12:38 (Solarserver)

On December 1st, 2011 FirstEnergy Corporation (Akron, Ohio, U.S.) announced that a subsidiary has signed an agreement to purchase the electricity produced by the Maryland Solar Farm, a 20 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant planned for Hagerstown in the U.S. state of Maryland. FirstEnergy notes that the 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Maryland Solar LLC, is a critical step for the plant to obtain financing. FirstEnergy will also purchase the renewable energy credits associated with the plant. Read more

W2 Energy begins work on engines of CAES system to accompany PV generation at test site

Monday, 12.5.2011 - 12:33 (Solarserver)

On December 1st, 2011 W2 Energy Inc. (Guelph, Canada) announced that it is begun work on an engine system to accompany a compressed air storage system (CAES), which will be deployed to study the integration of energy storage and solar photovoltaic (PV) power for the Arizona Research Institute for Solar Energy (AzRISE, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.). The CAES system will connect to a 1.6 MW PV plant built by Solon Corporation (Tucson, Arizona, U.S.) at the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park in Tucson, Arizona, United States. W2 Energy notes a delay in deploying the system, and states that it is building and inventing a new technology set with AzRISE. Read more