Photovoltaics and How to Avoid the Fall of Icarus

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 22:08 (Renewable Energy World)

The PV industry is a huge success story today, with new companies shooting up like mushrooms and big companies shifting their gears towards this Holy Land of dollars. One could say that the large demand on the PV market is to be attributed to the need to solve the energy problem. A crucial factor enabling this 2-digit yearly growth is the incentives of European countries and, in particular, of the German government. Read more

BTU International signs licensing agreement for DuPont?s catalytic oxidation technology

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 16:46 (PV-Tech)

BTU International has signed a worldwide licensing agreement to use DuPont Packaging Graphics? catalytic oxidation technology. Developed to block volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the technology can be used in tandem with BTU?s Tritan metallization firing systems and is expected to lower the cost per watt of solar cells. Read more

Eco Environments to supply Sharp solar modules

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 16:04 (Solarpowerportal)

Solar power manufacturer Sharp has formed a partnership with Eco Environments, adding the company to its global list of solar module suppliers.  Read more

Varian Semiconductor reveals more details about DOE-backed advanced solar cells development project

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 2:12 (PV-Tech)

Just days after the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) revealed that Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates was a grant recipient in its SunShot program for the development of U.S solar technologies, the company has expounded on the research and development that it is conducting, which led to the US$4.8 million award by the DOE. Read more

Hertz commits to 16 solar installations across U.S. with help from Samba Energy and Martifer Solar

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 23:45 (PV-Tech)

The travel industry will become a little more ?green? as Hertz has announced its solar initiative, which aims to install 2.3MW with sixteen solar systems at their facilities located in: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania by Q3 2011. The first project in the initiative, a 235kW solar electric system at the Denver International Airport, has already been completed and is anticipated to generate 342,766kWh of AC output. Read more

jms Solar Handel opens UK office

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 17:01 (Solarpowerportal)

jms Solar Handel, the Bavarian PV specialist, has expanded its European network of branch offices by opening of its first branch in Portishead, Bristol. The newly founded subsidiary jms UK Solar Trade Ltd. is initially planning to concentrate on the south-east part of the country and to gradually expand its distribution network. Read more

Sainsbury?s & British Gas to deliver a trolley load of solar power

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 14:05 (Solarpowerportal)

As of this week Sainsbury's customers can add solar panels to the shopping list thanks to the supermarket’s latest partnership with British Gas, Sainsbury’s Energy. The new joint venture, which has been signed for a period of five years, will offer customers access to new energy technologies, energy deals, information, and energy saving advice in a place that's convenient for them with trained energy experts also available in selected stores.  Read more

Upsolar gains CSTB certification in partnership with Soleos Solar, Oxysoleil

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 13:10 (PV-Tech)

Upsolar has obtained certification ? in partnership with mounting structure manufacturers Soleos Solar and Oxysoleil ? from the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CSTB), which ensures the quality and safety of sustainable construction through research, assessment and evaluation. Additional certifications are also in process with Mecosun and Renusol. Read more

FiT review will ?kill the renewable industry?

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 11:18 (Solarpowerportal)

The Solar Trade Association has voiced its reaction towards the Government’s recent announcement, stating that an earlier than expected feed-in tariff review will “kill the renewable industry”. Read more

Green-Job Search Advice: How to Maximize Your Opportunities

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 6:21 (Renewable Energy World)

Getting a job in the clean energy industry (or, in my experience, the solar industry) isn’t necessarily easy. Most technology-heavy firms tend to have one or two business people for every dozen engineers. So in the interest of helping out those non-engineers who are trying to break in, I wanted to share a few things I learned.  My interest in energy didn’t start until relatively late. I started out studying math in college, and then spent four years in management consulting. I went to business school with the hopes of finding a career to focus in. I decided pretty early in grad school that I wanted to do energy, and took an internship with Abound Solar. Read more

Texas and Georgia rooftop solar installations incorporate Solyndra modules

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 1:44 (PV-Tech)

Two new solar installations in different U.S. states have chosen Solyndra?s CIGS panels for their rooftop solar power systems. In Texas, GridPoint was chosen by Irving Independent School District to design, engineer and install a 582kW solar system on the roof of Lady Bird Johnson Middle School. Using Solyndra?s panels, the new middle is set to open this August and is claimed to be the largest net zero-energy school in the U.S. Read more

Mark Roe named VP of operations at SolarCity

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 1:16 (PV-Tech)

Mark Roe, formerly of Apple, has joined SolarCity as its new vice president of operations. During his time at Apple Roe was senior director of worldwide service; a position which saw him manage global service operations for new product introduction, technical training, field support and feedback, service engineering and Apple Retail service among other functions. Read more

ECD sees revenue growth, reduced costs in Uni-Solar business, but falls short of profitability

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 1:05 (PV-Tech)

Flexible thin-film solar provider Energy Conversion Devices reported higher revenues and improved gross margins for the second fiscal quarter of 2011, although the company again fell short of profitability. ECD is guiding lower third-quarter revenues, but expects sales to grow sharply in the final quarter of the fiscal year. Read more

Amtech scores record revenue and backlog while continuing to see strong order momentum

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 0:52 (PV-Tech)

Amtech Systems has posted its fiscal 2011 first quarter outcome, ending December 31, 2010, showing record making revenue and backlog results. Total orders during the first quarter were posted at US$137 million, US$127 million coming from solar operations. The order numbers illustrate a 176% increase from the preceding quarter, which finished with US$49.6 million in total orders. Read more

Challenges for Biofuels: Not Just Technical Hurdles To Overcome

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 21:36 (Renewable Energy World)

A combination of rising costs, shrinking supplies, and concerns about global climate change are spurring the development of alternatives to the burning of fossil fuels to meet our transportation energy needs. Scientific studies have shown the most promising of possible alternatives to be liquid fuels derived from cellulosic biomass. These advanced new biofuels have the potential to be clean-burning, carbon-neutral and renewable. Some could also be delivered through existing pipelines and used in today's engines, replacing gasoline on a gallon-for-gallon basis with no loss of performance. Read more

American Ethanol and RCR Racing Partner on No. 33 Chevrolet

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 0:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Today American Ethanol announced it has entered into a sponsor partnership with Richard Childress Racing and its No. 33 Chevrolet driver, Clint Bowyer, for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Read more

Oversupply Causes Drop in Wind Turbine Prices

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 21:12 (Renewable Energy World)

Wind energy, it appears, has never been so competitive. Prices for wind turbines last year dropped below ?1 million ($1.36 million) per megawatt for the first time since 2005, due largely to over-capacity, greater manufacturing efficiency and increased scale, according to the market researcher Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Read more

NHA Commemorates Niagara Power Project's 50th Anniversary

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 23:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The following is a statement from National Hydropower Association Executive Director Linda Church Ciocci celebrating the contributions and benefits provided by the Niagara Power Project, owned and operated by the New York Power Authority (NYPA): Read more

Sundog Energy hires Bill Roberts as managing director

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 15:41 (PV-Tech)

Integrated U.K. PV firm Sundog Energy has hired Bill Roberts as its new managing director and reshuffled the rest of its management team. Roberts will take over the managing director role from Sundog?s founder Martin Cotterell, who has moved into the role of chairman and technical director. Read more

Sundog Energy appoints new Managing Director

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 13:29 (Solarpowerportal)

UK solar energy company Sundog Energy has made several recruitment alterations, including the appointment of Bill Roberts as Managing Director and shareholder in the company. Read more

Community energy projects under threat

Thursday, 2.10.2011 - 11:43 (Solarpowerportal)

Reacting to the recently-launched feed-in tariff review, community-owned energy companies across the UK have come together to express their thoughts on the announcement as well as to discuss how to move forward past Energy Minister Chris Huhne’s decision to evaluate the FiT for systems above 50kW. Read more