Changing the Power Game in the UK

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The cost of generating power from solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has steadily fallen over the last 10 years ? a PV system now costs about half of what it did in 1998 ? while the projected costs of constructing new nuclear plants have ballooned. Read more

CIGS PV firm SoloPower lands conditional DOE loan guarantee of $197 million to fund production ramp

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 3:18 (PV-Tech)

CIGS thin-film photovoltaics manufacturer SoloPower has received a conditional commitment for a $197 million loan guarantee from the US. Department of Energy Loan Programs office. The company said the funds will support construction of a flexible thin-film module manufacturing facility in Wilsonville, OR, that, when completed and at full capacity, is expected to have an annual capacity of approximately 400MW. Read more

JA Solar unveils high-power multicrystalline silicon solar cell with 18.2% conversion efficiency

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 2:21 (PV-Tech)

JA Solar Holdings? R&D team has developed and revealed its new high-power multicrystalline solar cell that is claimed to sport a conversion efficiency of 18.2%. Using its new ?maple? technology, the company states that its maple cells feature silicon crystals that are broader, flatter and have less grain boundaries than traditional multicrystalline silicon. This new technology is said to allow for less energy waste and better conversion efficiency. Read more

FREE Solar Seminar at US Solar Institute

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 21:39 (Renewable Energy World)

US Solar Institute will be hosting a free seminar featuring Mike Holt on Thursday, March 3rd from 7 to 9pm at our Davie campus. Read more

OPEL Solar International Inc. Designated a Member of the 2011 TSX Venture 50

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 18:36 (Renewable Energy World)

OPEL Solar International Inc. ("OPEL Solar") (TSX VENTURE:OPL), a leading global developer and supplier of high concentration photovoltaic ("HCPV") solar panels and other solar products, including ground-based and rooftop tracker systems, announced that it has been selected a member of the "2011 TSX Venture 50", a ranking of strong performing companies listed on TSX Venture Exchange. Read more

Order Focus: DEK Solar places wafer alignment camera order with CyberOptics

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 18:14 (PV-Tech)

CyberOptics said that it had recently received a significant order for PV equipment supplier, DEK Solar for wafer alignment camera?s. DEK Solar uses the technology in its new Eclipse metallization line. CyberOptics sales in the PV equipment market are growing on the back of capacity expansion plans of PV manufacturers, especially in Asia, where DEK has its strongest customer base. Read more

Order Focus: S.A.G. Solarstrom secures module supply agreement with Canadian Solar

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 15:35 (PV-Tech)

S.A.G. Solarstrom has secured a 60MW polycrystalline module supply deal with Canadian Solar. The modules are intended for planned projects in both Germany and Italy this year. Financial terms were not disclosed. Read more

Solar Solar and Energy Storage: A Perfect Match

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 11:07 (Renewable Energy World)

Advancements in grid technologies as well as the quest for cleaner, longer-lasting alternatives to fossil fuels are driving the implementation of the smart grid. In fact, with renewables and the electrical grid, the ongoing challenge of balancing intermittent renewable energy, load leveling, back-up power as well as grid regulation and line efficiencies are the perfect storm for energy storage. Because of the intermittent nature of renewable power as more renewable sources such as solar are integrated into the smart grid, managing and storing energy are essential. Read more

Semilab buys PV inspection/metrology tool company Tordivel Solar

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 4:17 (PV-Tech)

Semilab has recently completed its acquisition of Tordivel Solar, an inspection/metrology tool company. Financial terms were not released, but Tordivel advised that a majority of the Tordivel employees will continue on with Semilab. Tordivel Solar?s recipe and yield management software was already being used by Semilab for in-line thickness, sheet resistivity and lifetime measurement systems. Read more

CNT-based electrode material developer C3Nano closes US$3.2 million Series A funding round

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 4:02 (PV-Tech)

C3Nano completed its Series A funding round with US$3.2 million from GSR Ventures. The company looks forward to the funding allowing them to progress its technology, form joint development programs with customers and create strategic channel partnerships. C3Nano is the developer of a hybrid carbon nanotube (CNT) based off of transparent electrode ink and film that can be used for touch screens, OLED devices, PV solar panels and flexible displays. Read more

AES Solar buys Tessera Solar?s Imperial Valley project with intent to turn CSP into PV

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 3:21 (PV-Tech)

First, Tessera Solar sold its 850MW Calico Solar project to K Road Sun in late December and now the company has announced that its 709MW Imperial Valley solar project has been bought by AES Solar, who, like K Road, intends to convert the CSP project into a PV installation. Read more

SolarCity expands to Northeastern U.S. with acquisition of groSolar

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 2:39 (PV-Tech)

SolarCity will be expanding its reach to the U.S. East Coast with it purchase of residential solar installer groSolar. By buying the company?s residential solar installation division, SolarCity will be able to bring its SolarLease program to the Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania markets. The solar lease and solar purchase options will become available to homeowners and businesses in the new U.S. regions by early March with energy efficiency services started later this year. Read more

SunPower sees quarterly results fuel late-year surge, as annual revenues push past $2.2 billion

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 2:09 (PV-Tech)

Fueled by fourth-quarter sales of $937 million, SunPower saw its fiscal 2010 revenues exceed $2.2 billion and net income come in at more than $178 million?a better-than-fivefold improvement over its FY2009 income result.  The solar company said it exceeded its 2010 plan in both its residential/commercial and utility and power plant business units, recognizing 546MW in installed capacity. As a result, revenues for 2011 are now guiding close to $3 billion. Read more

ISET signs joint collaboration MOU with Korea?s K&K Solar and Yeungnam University

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 1:56 (PV-Tech)

International Solar Electric Technology (ISET) will be jointly collaborating with Korea-based K&K Solar and the Yeungnam University of Korea. Although no specific collaboration details or financial terms were released, ISET commented that the signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) was aimed towards technology commercialization and advanced development, allowing ISET to continue the advancement of its thin-film CIGS solar panels. Read more

Patent Enforcement at the International Trade Commission: Is It Worth It?

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 7:33 (Renewable Energy World)

A lot of press has been generated over the past year regarding a dispute between General Electric (GE) and Mitsubishi. In 2008, GE filed suit at the International Trade Commission (ITC) against Mitsubishi for infringing three U.S. patents held by GE. The impetus of the lawsuit centers around Mistubishi's 2.4 MW wind turbine, which Mitsubishi planned to import and later manufacture in the U.S. In January 2010, the ITC concluded its roughly two-year investigation and determined that Mitsubishi had not violated GE's patents. A month later, GE filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, once again accusing Mistubishi of infringing the same GE patents. Read more

Wind Power: Crisis, What Crisis?

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 6:10 (Renewable Energy World)

Until last year, wind power appeared immune to the worst ravages of an economic storm sweeping the globe. Then the world's biggest manufacturer of wind turbines took an axe to 3000 jobs in its native northern Europe. Did it signify not just a readjustment to a single producer's business model but a threat to the technology's continuing worldwide deployment? Or, as some believe, are fears of a decline in the sector's fortunes simply overblown? Read more

Wind Power: Crisis: What Crisis?

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 6:10 (Renewable Energy World)

Until last year, wind power appeared immune to the worst ravages of an economic storm sweeping the globe. Then the world's biggest manufacturer of wind turbines took an axe to 3000 jobs in its native northern Europe. Did it signify not just a readjustment to a single producer's business model but a threat to the technology's continuing worldwide deployment? Or, as some believe, are fears of a decline in the sector's fortunes simply overblown? Read more

Yingli Green reports record revenue and shipments: PANDA cells at 19.89% efficiency

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 13:09 (PV-Tech)

Yingli Green exceeded financial guidance for its fourth quarter and full-year results. PV module shipments increased by 102.1% year over year to 1,061.6MW, exceeding guidance previously given of 1,020MW to 1,040MW. Total net revenues for 2010 were US$1,893.9 million. Read more

Yingli Green reports record revenue and shipments: Panda cells at 19.89% efficiency

Friday, 2.18.2011 - 13:09 (PV-Tech)

Yingli Green exceeded financial guidance for its fourth quarter and full-year results. PV module shipments increased by 102.1% year over year to 1,061.6MW, exceeding guidance previously given of 1,020MW to 1,040MW. Total net revenues for 2010 were US$1,893.9 million.The company also announced it has achieved commercial production efficiencies of 19.89% on its advanced Panda cells. Read more