NanoMarkets report claims ?smart coatings? could see US$500 million market by 2016

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 22:15 (PV-Tech)

In the recently published report by NanoMarkets, Smart Coatings in Photovoltaics, which looks into self-cleaning, self-healing, electrochromic and thermochromic coatings used in the PV industry over the next eight years, the claim is made that by 2016, sales of smart coatings to the PV market will be US$504 million and grow to US$847 million by 2018. NanoMarkets points out that smart coatings offer solar panel makers the ability to increase efficiency, lower costs and produce higher value-added products, all of which are determining factors in the increased success of the smart coatings industry. Read more

Ceradyne acquires minority interest in Yamanaka EP; raises 2011 guidance figures

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 18:24 (PV-Tech)

Ceradyne has acquired a minority interest in Japanese advanced technical materials firm Yamanaka EP for an undisclosed amount. Read more

French FiT fiasco continues with further cuts

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 17:56 (PV-Tech)

Photovoltaic systems with a capacity of over 100kW in France will now receive a reduced feed-in tariff rate according to the country?s environment minister. Nathalie Kosciuso-Morizet has revealed the new rate of ?0.12 per kWh, which will come into effect today and apply to all systems regardless of whether they are installed on a roof or open-space. Read more

Ceradyne raises 2011 guidance figures

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 17:24 (PV-Tech)

Ceradyne is adjusting its 2011 guidance to a range of US$2.35 per fully diluted share to approximately US$2.70. The company also adjusted its 2011 sales figure from US$505 million to US$560 million. Read more

Soitec technology to power Tenaska?s ISEC West CPV plant

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 13:41 (PV-Tech)

Tenaska Solar Ventures has chosen Soitec?s Concentrix concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology to power its new Imperial Solar Energy Center (ISEC) West plant in southern California. Read more

Ontario PV Market to Grow 270% To Reach 455 MW in 2011

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 6:35 (Renewable Energy World)

Despite ongoing political and regulatory uncertainty, Ontario's PV market will continue it's growth in 2011 and in total we expect there to be 455MW of new installations in 2011, up from 169MW in 2010. Our forecast shows that Ontario's Photovoltaic (PV) market is expected to reach cumulative installations of 2,650 MW by 2015. This includes demand from the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program, and non-FIT program sources such as the RESOP and the Korean Consortium agreement. Read more

Fraunhofer ISE produces prototypes of largest screen-printed dye-solar-cell PV module

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 23:38 (PV-Tech)

Over the past few years, Fraunhofer ISE has been working on the development of dye solar cells, with an ultimate goal of being able to fully integrate the solar modules into the face of a building. One of the main challenges the researchers have faced is bringing the technology out of the lab and putting it into the industrial field. Lately, Fraunhofer ISE researchers have started to overcome this dilemma, specifically with the production of a 60 x 100cm² dye solar cell module on a continuous substrate material. Read more

EnPower Systems, Inc. Acquires Sierra Solar Systems & Plan It Solar

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 22:39 (Renewable Energy World)

EnPower Systems, Inc is pleased to announce their acquisition of Plan It Solar, Inc, a leading solar systems provider based in Penn Valley, CA. Read more

EPG Solar signs LOI with Unique Capital for US$200 million in financing for solar projects

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 20:55 (PV-Tech)

EPG Solar has signed of a letter of intent with Unique Capital for financing totaling up to US$200 million. EPG Solar will put the funds towards the development and construction of 50MW of its solar projects in the east coast market. CFO of EPG Solar Michael Borkowski said ?given the tight capital markets for renewable energy projects, this agreement provides our site hosts and energy off takers with additional security that projects will be completed in a timely manner.? Read more

CME builds 3.5MW system in southern Spain

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 18:15 (PV-Tech)

Portugal?s CME Construção e Manutenção Electromecânica will install a 3.5MW solar farm in southern Spain. Construction of the system, located near Vilanueva de Córdova in Andalusia, began in February and grid connection is penciled in for mid-June. Read more

JA Solar to build 3GW manufacturing facility in Hefei, China

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 16:53 (PV-Tech)

JA Solar has signed a strategic investment agreement with the city of Hefei, China to build a 3GW PV manufacturing facility. Building work on the factory, which is to be located in Hefei?s high-tech industrial development zone and will produce cells and other solar equipment, is set to begin this year and end sometime in 2012. Read more

Solarbuzz: fourth quarter ?PV Book-to-Bill? ratio above parity at 1.10

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 16:46 (PV-Tech)

Continued capacity expansions, especially at the Tier 1 PV module manufacturers has kept the fourth quarter 2010 PV Book-to-Bill ratio above parity at 1.10, according to the latest Solarbuzz ?PV Equipment Quarterly report.? A PV Book-to-Bill ratio of 1.10 for Q4?10 means that US$110 of orders was received by PV equipment suppliers for every US$100 of product shipped. Read more

Solarbuzz: fourth-quarter ?PV book-to-bill? ratio above parity at 1.10

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 16:46 (PV-Tech)

Continued capacity expansions, especially at the Tier 1 PV module manufacturers, have kept the fourth-quarter 2010 PV book-to-bill ratio above parity at 1.10, according to the latest Solarbuzz ?PV Equipment Quarterly report.? A PV book-to-bill ratio of 1.10 for Q4?10 means that US$110 of orders were received by PV equipment suppliers for every US$100 of product shipped. Read more

Canadian Solar reports 2010 revenue of US$1.5 billion: module shipments of 803MW

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 16:23 (PV-Tech)

Canadian Solar saw revenue jump 137% to US$1.5 billion in 2010, while module shipments reached 803MW, an increase of 159%, compared to the previous year. Net revenues for the fourth quarter were US$452.7 million, compared to net revenues of US$377.2 million for the third quarter of 2010. Canadian Solar said that it expects shipments of approximately 1,200MW to 1,300 MW in 2011, inline with previous guidance. Read more

Solar installations in U.S. double to 878MW in 2010: doubling again this year

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 14:31 (PV-Tech)

According to the latest report from SEIA and GTM Research, photovoltaic installations in the U.S. reached 878MW in 2010, more than double those from the previous year. The total market value of installations increased 67% from US$3.6 billion in 2009 to US$6.0 billion in 2010, according to the report, entitled ?U.S. Solar Market Insight: Year-in-Review 2010? Read more

Soitec CPV technology to power Tenaska?s 150MW ISEC West solar plant

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 13:41 (PV-Tech)

Tenaska Solar Ventures has chosen Soitec?s Concentrix concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology to power its new 150MW Imperial Solar Energy Center (ISEC) West plant in Southern California, with local utility SDG&E agreeing to buy the power generated from the site under a 25-year PPA. The company also announced plans to build a 200MW capacity CPV module manufacturing facility in the San Diego area. The ISEC West project has applied for a DOE loan guarantee as well. Read more

Camden County Municipal Utility Authority Selects HelioSage for Solar Project

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The Camden County Municipal Utility Authority (CCMUA) announced that it has selected HelioSage as its partner for a solar powered future. Following a public Request For Proposal, the Authority chose HelioSage, a developer of solar projects in the mid-Atlantic, to finance, build, operate and maintain a large scale PV array at the Camden County Wastewater Treatment Plant, one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the state of New Jersey. Read more

BTU International ships 3000th thermal processing system from Shanghai plant

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 1:14 (PV-Tech)

BTU International?s Shanghai, China manufacturing plant has shipped its 3000th thermal processing unit since its opening in February of 2004. During the seven years the plant has been in operation, it has gone through several modifications and expansions, including a 2008 addition of a solar application lab. The plant earned ISO 9001:2008 certification for its observance of high quality standards in 2009. Read more

Prudent Energy wins CPUC grant to build solar energy storage system with SunPower

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 0:36 (PV-Tech)

Prudent Energy is the recipient of a grant from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which will go towards the construction and operation of a Vanadium Redox Battery Energy Storage System (VRB-ESS) with SunPower?s PV systems. The grant and construction of the system will be completed in cooperation with SunPower, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), KEMA and Sandia National Laboratories of the U.S Department of Energy (DOE). Read more

REC Solar completes 1MW solar installation at City of Hayward water pollution control facility

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 0:14 (PV-Tech)

As part of its Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the City of Hayward has welcomed the completion of a 1MW solar energy system at its water pollution control facility (WPCF) by REC Solar. Anticipated to produce 1.95MWh of energy per year, the system will compensate 24% of WPCF?s energy needs.REC Solar managed the design and installation of the systems, which extends over eight acres and uses ground-mounted, single-axis trackers with 5,152 REC 225PE solar panels. Read more

Second Wind expands sales, staff and partnerships in European wind energy market

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 18:08 (Renewable Energy World)

New sales, strategic partnerships, and membership in the European Union's wind energy association signal a growing presence for Second Wind in Europe's wind energy market. Read more

EPA Chief Jackson's Comments Couldn't Come at a Better Time

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 18:45 (Renewable Energy World)

Growth Energy welcomed the testimony of EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson today that laid out a timeframe of "the next few months" for introduction of new rules for labeling pumps that will carry E15, following EPA approval of Growth Energy's Green Jobs Waiver. Read more

Bisol signs module supply contract with GDF Suez

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 15:14 (PV-Tech)

Bisol has signed a framework agreement to supply its modules to the French energy company GDF Suez. The contract was signed in the presence of the Slovene Prime Minister, Borut Pahor, and France?s Minister of industry, energy and digital economy, Éric Besson. Read more

Renewable Heat Incentive revealed today

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 11:49 (Solarpowerportal)

Finally, after months of anticipation, the UK Government has revealed what the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will look like. After waiting on tenterhooks all morning, the country’s renewable energy industry will now know what kind of payment can be received for generating environmentally-friendly heat. Read more

2011 Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards -- Innovation

Thursday, 3.10.2011 - 6:53 (Renewable Energy World)

In any emerging industry innovation plays a key role in bringing about the mainstream adoption of the technology in question. Within the field of renewable energy, researchers are constantly seeking ways to increase the efficiency and lower the costs associated with generating power from renewable sources. Read more