Sunways preliminary financial results higher than expected

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 16:54 (PV-Tech)

Preliminary annual financial results from Sunways were higher than the company expected for 2010. Sales for the PV systems supplier and manufacturer reached ?222.7 million, up 25% of the previous year. Sunways had expected annual sales of ?215 to 225 million and an EBIT margin of approximately 6%. Read more

Q-Cells CIGS, multicrystalline modules don?t buckle under Australian desert conditions

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 2:18 (PV-Tech)

At a test field in Alice Springs, Australia, Q-Cells recently found that its solar modules tested with peak performances, delivering significant power output in some of the driest weather conditions in Central Australia. The company?s Q.Smart solar module, of CIGS thin-film technology, and a prototype of its Q.Pro and Q.Base, of polysilicon technology, were tested over the past few months at the Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre (DKASC) alongside other similarly sized systems. Read more

H.B. Fuller receives UL certification for back-rail adhesive for PV modules

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 0:22 (PV-Tech)

H.B. Fuller has been awarded Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 746C QOQW2 Polymeric Adhesive Systems Electrical Equipment-Component for its back-rail polymeric bond adhesive used in the production of solar panels. The company?s PV-RH75 is a patent pending adhesive that is formulated to attach back-rails to solar modules. Read more

SolarCity Makes Major East Coast Acquisition

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 16:53 (Renewable Energy World)

It's been a big month for leading solar-services company SolarCity. Weeks after closing a $40 million fund with Citi to expand residential installation/financing options, the company acquired the residential solar business of top East Coast installer groSolar. Read more

First Solar completes 238MW German manufacturing facility

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 16:34 (PV-Tech)

First Solar has moved a step closer to doubling its production capacity in Germany by completing work on its new factory in Frankfurt, Brandenburg. Construction work on the manufacturing facility cost ?173 million, took just 12 months to complete and has boosted First Solar?s overall annual module capacity to 477MW. Read more

groSolar Expands Solar Distribution and Commercial Business

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 15:30 (Renewable Energy World)

groSolar today announced the expansion of its solar distribution and large-scale commercial business, positioning the company for future growth. To facilitate this, groSolar announced today that it has sold its residential division to SolarCity, the nation's largest residential solar service provider. Read more

Cornwall Council pushes ahead with plans for 5MW solar park

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 13:47 (Solarpowerportal)

Despite the recently launched feed-in tariff review, Cornwall Council is pushing ahead with plans for the first council-owned solar farm in the UK, Kernow Solar Park. Cornwall Council has reportedly submitted a planning application to its own officers, regardless of the fact that the Government has scared many investors away... Read more

CA Biomass Plants Fined for Air Violations

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 22:30 (Renewable Energy World)

A pair of biomass power plants touted for the clean energy they would provide California's Central Valley will pay some hefty fines for polluting the region's air, regulators said this week. Read more

Second Wind more than doubles its presence in Australian and New Zealand wind energy markets with surge in 2010 Triton sales

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 18:25 (Renewable Energy World)

Second Wind's presence in the growing Australian and New Zealand wind energy markets more than doubled in 2010 as developers bought more Triton Sonic Wind Profilers and used the company's SkyServe satellite wind data service to view and analyze wind information. Read more

Why Community Wind Should Be Part of a Utility's Portfolio

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 2:31 (Renewable Energy World)

The production tax credit for renewable energy is set to expire at the end of 2012, which means that to take advantage of the incentive a project has to be "commercially operable" by that time. Since it can take two years or longer for a wind farm to be up and running, utilities that don't already have a project in development should be thinking about initiating one, and fast. But in their rush, utilities should not overlook the additional benefits in speed and local good will that can be had through Community Wind. Read more

Ormat No Longer Stands Alone

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 1:55 (Renewable Energy World)

In my October 2010 profile of geothermal industry leader Ormat Technologies (ORA), I quoted a conversation I'd had with a Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) representative in 2006, where she told me that Ormat stood head and shoulders above all the other geothermal players. Read more

Trojan Battery sponsors NABCEP certification & knowledge assessment programs for Renewable Energy Professionals

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 20:43 (Renewable Energy World)

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The Interview: Renaissance Time

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 6:31 (Renewable Energy World)

A November Ernst & Young LLP analysis found that U.S. venture capital investment in cleantech companies in Q3-2010 dropped to $575.6 million in 53 financing rounds, a 55 percent decrease in capital and a 22 percent decrease in deals compared to Q3-2009. In the Energy/Electricity Generation segment, deals were up 27 percent to 14 rounds, although capital invested fell 39 percent to $203.9 million. Read more

The Green Jobs Policy Colorado Needs

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 1:59 (Renewable Energy World)

Should small renewable energy producers get the same deal as big corporate energy producers? The Clean Local Energy/Feed-in Tariff (FiT) policy is designed to do just that by insuring a fair financial return to investors in local, decentralized rooftop PV, wind and other renewable energy. Read more

US Republicans Propose "Inexplicable" Cuts to Renewable Energy

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 1:44 (Renewable Energy World)

The Republican House Majority has begun their opening salvo on budget cutting. And if done honestly and equitably, I would have nothing to write about. But here's the recent proposal of cuts in the proposed FY'2011 Budget Continuing Resolution (CR) for the US Department of Energy: Read more

DOE Requests $3.2 Billion for Renewable Energy, Efficiency in FY 2012

Thursday, 2.17.2011 - 1:10 (Renewable Energy World)

President Obama unveiled on February 14 a $29.5 billion budget request for DOE covering fiscal year (FY) 2012, including $3.2 billion for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The budget request for EERE represents a 44% increase over the current FY 2010 appropriation of about $2.2 billion. Read more