IMS Research: PV Inverter revenues, shipments fell in 3Q 2011 as prices stabilized

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 12:39 (Solarserver)

In the release of its latest quarterly report on the global market for inverters to accompany solar photovoltaic (PV) generation, IMS Research (Wellingborough, U.K.) estimates that aggregate global inverter revenues fell 20% in the third quarter of 2011 over the third quarter of 2010. The company states that this decline in revenues is primarily due to a "lethargic" German market. IMS Research's "PV Inverters Supply & Demand Quarterly 3Q 2011" also notes that prices have stabilized during the quarter, but remain 15% lower than in 2010. Read more

20 MW PV plant at Illinois airport gets DOE, FAA approval

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 12:38 (Solarserver)

On December 7th, 2011 New Generation Power LLC (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.) announced that its joint venture with Wanxiang America Corporation (Elgin, Illinois, U.S.) has received approval from U.S. federal agencies to build a 20 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant at the Chicago-Rockford International Airport in the U.S. state of Illinois. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a "Finding of No Significant Impact" for the 20 MW PV plant, which will be larger than any currently operational PV plant in the U.S. Midwest region. Joint venture Rockford Solar Partners has plans to increase the project to 62 MW at a future date. Read more

MCS database collapses under weight of traffic

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 11:23 (Solarpowerportal)

The MCS installation database has buckled under the pressure of installers rushing to register systems before December 12, when the axe falls on the current 43.3p/kWh feed-in tariff rate, cutting it by more than half, down to 21.0p/kWh. Read more

South Africa chooses developers for 632MW of PV, 150MW of CSP

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 10:21 (Solarserver)

On December 7th, 2011 South Africa's Department of Energy (DoE) announced preferred bidders to develop 632 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) and 150 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants as the first round of its Renewable Energy Independent Procurement Program. Included in the 632 MW of PV, the DoE selected Soitec SA (Bernin, France) to build a 36MW concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) Plant in Touwsrivier in South Africa's Western Cape region. The DoE also chose Abengoa SA (Seville, Spain) to develop all 150 MW of CSP in two projects, a 50 MW solar power tower project and a 100 MW parabolic trough plant. Read more

Westinghouse Solar names Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mark Kalow to board

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 22:55 (PV-Tech)

Westinghouse Solar has expanded its board of director to eight members with the recently announced addition of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mark Kalow. Kennedy is chief prosecuting attorney for Hudson Riverkeeper, president of Waterkeeper Alliance, clinical professor and supervising attorney at Pace University?s School of Law?s Environmental Litigation Clinic and venture partner in and senior advisor to VantagePoint Capital Partners. Read more

Arizona Public Service brings Solon-built 17MW Cotton Center Solar Plant online in Gila Bend

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 22:26 (PV-Tech)

Arizona Public Service?s (APS) Cotton Center solar plant has officially come online in Gila Bend, Arizona. The 17MW facility was developed and constructed by Solon and brings APS? total renewable portfolio to 930MW. Constructed on 145 acres, and using over 93,000 single-axis tracking PV panels that were placed in 1,662 rows, the project is expected to fulfill the energy needs of over 4,000 APS customers. Read more

Arizona Western College opens 5MW multitechnology PV power plant/testbed in Yuma

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 22:11 (PV-Tech)

A 5MW solar installation at Arizona Western College (AWC) was officially commissioned today as representatives from Main Street Power Company, MS Solar Solutions, PPA Partners, Arizona Public Service and Rosendin Electric joined Governor Jan Brewer at the 23-acre site. Main Street Power will own and operate the system as part of its long-term financing program with MS Solar Solutions. The 5MW project includes demonstration systems for each technology used with access available to students and researchers. Read more

Scheuten Solar supplies BIPV modules for Australian sports stadium

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 18:57 (PV-Tech)

Scheuten Solar has supplied 600 of its custom-made building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) modules for a 220kW installation at the Carrara Stadium on Australia?s Gold Coast. Read more

MEMC Restructures In A Big Way Amid Solar Market Downturn

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 17:54 (Renewable Energy World)

MEMC is hurting. The silicon wafer and solar project developer is undergoing some big restructuring that includes laying off 20 percent of its workforce and idling ? or possibly closing ? a polysilicon factory, the company said Thursday. Read more

BayWa, Wirsol team up to build 70MW system in southern Spain

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 17:11 (PV-Tech)

BayWa and Wirsol are joining forces to build a 70MW solar park in southern Spain. The system will cost an estimated ?150 million and be located 70km northwest of Alicante. Read more

MEMC cuts workforce by 20%, idles 6,000MT poly plant in Merano, Italy indefinitely

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 16:30 (PV-Tech)

An attempt to regain lost revenue has led to MEMC Electronic Materials? decision to cut its global workforce by 20%, or over 1,300 employees. The cuts, only 250 of which will be from its US workforce, will see the company?s solar materials staff reduced by approximately 47% and its semiconductor segment by 41%. Among other activities, the company will also idle its 6,000MT Merano, Italy polysilicon facility, which it says it will close unless ?dramatic feedstock, power and other cost reductions are achieved? in the near future. Read more

UK Government could face legal action from European Commission over FiT cut

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 16:14 (Solarpowerportal)

The European Commission has confirmed that the UK could face legal action over its plans to more than halve subsidies for solar on December 12. Read more

BELECTRIC once again leading the global EPC market for solar PV systems

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 14:01 (Solarserver)

In 2011, BELECTRIC (Kolitzheim, Germany) is once again the global market leader in development and construction (EPC) of ground-mounted solar power plants and roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) systems. For the second year in a row, BELECTRIC has installed more photovoltaic power around the world than any other company in the industry. This is the result of an analysis of the photovoltaic market conducted by Solarpraxis AG in collaboration with the iSuppli market research company ('photovoltaic' magazine 12/2011). Read more

Small Cumbrian village embraces solar

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 13:27 (Solarpowerportal)

The tiny village of Garrigill, Cumbria, which houses less than 200 residents, has embraced solar technology, with at least half a dozen residents installing a solar PV system from Eco Environments. Read more

Q-Cells appoints Clemens Jargon as head of global sales

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 12:37 (Solarserver)

On December 7th, 2011 Q-Cells SE (Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany) announced that it has appointed Clemens Jargon to lead its global sales efforts, with responsibility for Sales Products & Systems, Marketing and Product Management. Q-Cells cites Jargon's "profound" knowledge of the solar industry and PV markets in Europe, Asia and North America. The company further notes that Jargon's last position was as head of an international PV company, where he was responsible for markets in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Read more

MiaSolé?s CIGS modules to kit US Ex-Im Bank-funded 2MW project in Gujarat

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 12:37 (PV-Tech)

The up-and-coming solar market of India has received a boost with the news that the US Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) has agreed to fund a 2MW solar PV project in Gujarat. CIGS module manufacturer MiaSolé will supply the project, being developed by Universal Solar Systems, with modules for the park, which will bring India?s National Solar Mission (NSM) a step closer to its aim of establishing 20GW of grid-connected solar capacity by 2022. Read more

U.S. Navy Fuels "Green Strike Force" with $12 Million Biofuels Contract

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 23:07 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.S. Navy is moving forward with plans to create a "Green Strike Force" by purchasing 450,000 gallons of drop-in biofuel to be used on jets and vessels. The contract was signed with Dynamic Fuels, a joint partnership between Tyson Foods and Syntroleum Corp. that creates fuel from repurposed cooking oil. Dynamic Fuels signed a subcontract with Solazyme, which makes algae-based fuels, for 100,000 gallons to fill the order. Read more

Wind Wins: FERC Rules BPA Curtailment of Wind Power "Discriminatory"

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 22:59 (Renewable Energy World)

In May 2011, after record snowmelt caused a surge in cheap hydropower for Bonneville Power Association (BPA), the utility made a bold move and decided that it would not accept wind power from wind farms with which it had signed power purchase agreements. Read more

Wind Energy Outlook 2012: An Uncertain Forecast

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 15:22 (Renewable Energy World)

Onshore wind power is in a good place, at least through the end of 2012. Wind power has made up 35 percent of all new generating capacity added to the U.S. grid since 2007. That's twice what coal and nuclear combined have added in the last five years, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). And as U.S. developers take advantage of federal tax credits for renewables through the end of 2012, it's possible that 2012 may result in the largest number of wind projects completed in one year. Read more

Ontility kicks off online spot market price bid platform for PV module

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 23:07 (PV-Tech)

Ontility is advising that it is helping its customers take advantage of the current market solar module oversupply with its launch of BidaMod, a module bidding platform for solar module buyers and installers. By sending Ontility one?s panel spec requirements and preferred price, the company advises that its purchasing team will match a buyer?s solar module needs with the latest competitive offers from module manufacturers. Read more

OUC activates Duke Energy-owned/operated 5.9MW PV system in Orange County, Florida

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 22:38 (PV-Tech)

Officials from The Reliable One (OUC) were joined by city and county officials to celebrate the completion of what is described as the first solar farm in Orange County, Florida. The 5.9MW Stanton Solar farm, located at OUC?s Curtis H. Stanton Energy Center is owned and operated by Duke Energy Renewables. The project was built by Regenesis Power with OUC purchasing the power produced from the array for the next 20 years. Read more

Moser Baer invests US$1 billion in project pipeline expansion

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 15:54 (PV-Tech)

India?s Moser Baer Clean Energy is preparing to invest US$1 billion in installing projects totalling 300MW in 2012. Half of these developments will be in the Indian states of Gujarat, Orissa, West Bengal and Rajasthan, while the other half will be in overseas markets such as Germany, Italy and the UK. Read more

Bloomberg New Energy Finance: Clean energy investment passes USD 1 trillion

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 12:38 (Solarserver)

On December 6th, 2011 Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF, New York, New York, U.S.) announced that global investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency and smart grid technologies have reached USD 1 trillion dollars since 2004. The company also notes that annual clean energy investment has increased nearly five-fold in that time, from USD 52 billion in 2004 to USD 243 billion in 2010, at a compound annual growth rate of 29%. Read more

Soitec?s 50MW CPV system approved by South African government

Thursday, 12.8.2011 - 10:59 (PV-Tech)

South Africa?s Department of Energy has approved Soitec Energy as one of the preferred bidders under the country?s independent power producer (IPP) programme. Soitec?s first installation under this programme will be a 50MW CPV system next to the Aquila Private Game Reserve in Touwsrivier on the Western Cape. Read more