Centrosolar to distribute Zep compatible solar modules in Europe under new license agreement

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 23:02 (PV-Tech)

Centrosolar and mounting solutions provider Zep Solar have signed a license agreement that will see Centrosolar manufacture Zep compatible module at its Wismar, Germany plant. The signed agreement also calls for the distribution of Zep products throughout Europe by Centrosolar. The companies note that they have mutually modified Zep?s standard frame profile specifically for Centrosolar so that it conforms to European roof application requirements. Read more

CPV technology looking good as long as cost reduction goals achieved, says GTM Research

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 19:26 (PV-Tech)

The cost competitive position of Concentrating Photovoltaic (CPV) technologies, especially since polysilicon prices have continued to fall from the heights of 2008 have constrained more widespread adoption. However, a new detailed report from GTM Research, highlights a brighter future for the sector should CPV companies achieve their cost reduction roadmaps. In particular, the installed cost of a CPV systems need to be reduced by more than 30% over the next 4 years for CPV installations to reach a healthy 1GW per annum by 2015. Read more

Solectria Renewables Expands Sales Force to Meet Growing Demand from Customers for Grid-Tied PV Inverters

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 18:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Lawrence, MA ? May 19, 2011 ? Solectria Renewables, LLC, the leading U.S. PV inverter manufacturer, announced today that it has opened two new sales offices in Florida and Colorado to support the expanding North American solar market as part of its ongoing growth strategy. Solectria Renewables has also expanded its California office which is a strategic center for sales and customer service. Read more

KUKA automated assembly lines to outfit 120MW PV factory in Ontario

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 16:17 (Solarserver)

KUKA Systems North America (Sterling Heights, MI) has made a successful entry into the burgeoning Canadian solar photovoltaic (PV) panel manufacturing sector, demonstrating in the process how it can adapt its extensive suite of automated production solutions to a panel maker's unique requirements. For its first Canadian customer, KUKA Systems is installing three partially automated, post-lamination framing lines for trimming, framing, testing and packout of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, a USD 12 million contract. Read more

U.S. football team Seattle Seahawks to install Solyndra photovoltaic system on stadium, largest PV array in the state of Washington

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 16:03 (Solarserver)

The Seattle Seahawks, Sounders FC and First and Goal Inc. (FGI) on May 17th, 2011 announced they will install the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) array to date in the state of Washington on the roof of Qwest Field Event Center. The project will consist of 3,750 individual solar panels manufactured in the United States by California based Solyndra. Read more

Oder Focus: KUKA Systems wins first automated module production contract in Canada

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 15:05 (PV-Tech)

Several PV manufacturers are establishing module assembly plants in Ontario, Canada to benefit from local content rules, including China-based Canadian Solar. KUKA Systems North America has also benefited from the local content rules with the announcement that the robotics specialist has been contracted to the tune of US$12 million. KUKA will be installing three partially automated, post-lamination framing lines for trimming, framing, testing and packout of photovoltaic panels. The installation began in the first quarter of 2011, according to KUKA. Read more

Order Focus: KUKA Systems wins first automated module production contract in Canada

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 15:05 (PV-Tech)

Several PV manufacturers are establishing module assembly plants in Ontario, Canada to benefit from local content rules, including China-based Canadian Solar. KUKA Systems North America has also benefited from the local content rules with the announcement that the robotics specialist has been contracted to the tune of US$12 million. KUKA will be installing three partially automated, post-lamination framing lines for trimming, framing, testing and packout of photovoltaic panels. The installation began in the first quarter of 2011, according to KUKA. Read more

Spire to Hold Live Annual Meeting of Stockholders Webcast Tomorrow, May 19, 2011

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 14:53 (Renewable Energy World)

Spire Corporation (Nasdaq: SPIR), a global solar company providing capital equipment and turn-key manufacturing lines to produce photovoltaic (PV) modules and engineering, procurement and construction integration services for solar systems, announced today that it will broadcast the presentation of its Annual Meeting of Stockholders tomorrow, May 19, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). Read more

Western Australia FiT chopped in half

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 13:18 (PV-Tech)

Less than a week after the shock closure of the feed-in tariff scheme in New South Wales, the Government of Western Australia has cut the subsidy rate for new residential applications submitted after June 30. The state will also be subject to a cap on installations, putting a halt to progress just one year after the scheme was introduced. Read more

Concentrating photovoltaics: SDG&E and Soitec sign PPAs for 125MW of CPV

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 12:51 (Solarserver)

On May 18th, 2011, San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E, San Diego, California, U.S.) announced that it has signed two 25-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Soitec S.A. (Bernin, France) for electricity from 125MW of concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) plants. The new proposed projects will be located in San Diego County near SDG&E substations, as is also the case with CPV plants proposed in contracts signed by the two companies in April 2011 for an additional 30MW of electricity. Read more

Power-One presents two new three-phase PV inverters, redesigned single-phase inverter

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 12:29 (Solarserver)

On May 17th, 2011, Power-One Inc. (Camarillo, California, U.S.) unveiled two new three-phase string solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters and announced the redesign of its Aurora UNO-2.0 single phase inverter. Power-One says its two new three-phase inverters, the Aurora TRIO 27.6-TL and 20.0-TL, provide a bridge between its 10.0kW and 12.5kW three-phase inverters and its smallest central inverters. Read more

Siliken opens 50MW solar module production facility in Ontario

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 0:02 (PV-Tech)

Siliken celebrated the ribbon cutting of its new 50MW solar module production facility in Ontario with government and company officials on hand to commemorate the site?s grand opening. This is the second North American manufacturing facility that Siliken has opened, following its San Diego, California site, which was initiated in 2008. Read more

Du Pont Apollo to provide thin-film PV modules for Wipro EcoEnergy?s solar projects

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 23:16 (PV-Tech)

Du Pont Apollo has agreed upon a strategic supply agreement with India?s Wipro EcoEnergy, which will see Du Pont Apollo provide its silicon-based thin-film tandem PV modules for future Wipro EcoEnergy grid-based solar projects. Although no financial details were revealed, the companies stated that the first phase of the agreement would be carried out by the first quarter of 2012. Read more

DuPont Apollo to provide thin-film PV modules for Wipro EcoEnergy?s solar projects

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 23:16 (PV-Tech)

DuPont Apollo has agreed upon a strategic supply agreement with India?s Wipro EcoEnergy, which will see DuPont Apollo provide its silicon-based thin-film tandem PV modules for future Wipro EcoEnergy grid-based solar projects. Although no financial details were revealed, the companies stated that the first phase of the agreement would be carried out by the first quarter of 2012. Read more

IBC Solar begins construction on its 11MW solar park in Sukow, Germany

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 22:06 (PV-Tech)

The Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Germany was on site with IBC Solar to celebrate the groundbreaking of the company?s new Sukow Solar Park. Set to be built across 76.6-acres of the former Sukow landfill, the 11MWp solar installation is expected to be completed in August and use 48,000 PV modules to generate 10,500,000kWh of solar electricity every year. Read more

SolarCraft Completes Solar for Meadow Club

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 18:44 (Renewable Energy World)

Novato and Sonoma-based SolarCraft announced the completion of a solar electric installation at The Meadow Club in Fairfax, CA. The famed Marin County Golf Course's maintenance operations are now powered by clean, renewable energy. Read more

DEGERenergie, Solar Inverters Pty Ltd. realize showcase PV project in Australia

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 15:55 (Solarserver)

Solar Inverters Pty Ltd. (URUNGA, New South Wales, Australia) and DEGERenergie (Horb, Germany) are currently establishing a solar PV showcase project in New South Wales. With immediate effect Solar Inverters Pty Ltd., a renowned wholesaler of photovoltaic components and primary distributor of ?Power One? inverters in Australia, is an authorized DEGERenergie distributor. Read more

Morocco invests euro 8 billon in renewable energies and Germany suites euro 43 million

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 14:48 (Renewable Energy World)

By 2020, the Moroccan Government will invest euro 8 billion into renewable energies. In addition, the German Government supports the so called solarplan with more than euro 43 million. Against this backdrop the National Federation of Electricity & Electronics, Fenelec, in close cooperation with the trade fair specialists fairtrade from Heidelberg, Germany, organises the exhibition EneR Event for the first time. The International Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Trade Fair is scheduled for 22 - 26 November 2011 at the International Fairgrounds of Casablanca, Morocco. Read more

Schueco UK presents new integrated solar product

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 14:38 (Solarpowerportal)

Building-integrated photovoltaics specialist Schueco UK has launched the SCC60 with ProSolar TF cladding system, which can be installed into the side of buildings and other structures. Designed specifically for use with ProSolar TF thin-film modules, the ventilated façade can provide weather protection, insulation and sustainable energy production. Read more

Tioga Energy to build 3.4MW New Jersey solar portfolio

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 14:00 (PV-Tech)

Tioga Energy has started building work on its 3.4MW portfolio of solar systems for local government agencies in Union County, New Jersey. Read more

OCI orders USD 228 million in polysilicon production equipment from GT Solar

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 13:20 (Solarserver)

On May 18th, 2011, GT Solar International Inc. (Merrimack, New Hampshire, U.S.) reported a USD 228 million order for polysilicon production equipment and technology from OCI Company Ltd. (Seoul, South Korea). The order is GT Solar's largest to date for polysilicon equipment. The equipment supplied will be incorporated into OCI's new Phase 4 production facility. Read more

Australian Solar Energy Society holds rally to demand re-opening of New South Wales feed-in tariff

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 12:43 (Solarserver)

On May 18th, 2011, the Australian Solar Energy Society (AuSES) organized a rally in Sydney, Australia to ask the New South Wales (NSW) Government to re-open its Solar Bonus program. The NSW Government has announced that it will not accept applications to the program filed after April 28th, 2011, and has reduced the existing feed-in tariff level for the highest tier. Read more

ET Solar doubles length of module warranty

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 10:46 (PV-Tech)

China?s ET Solar has doubled the length of its module warranty. Under the terms of the new product commitment, which came into force at the start of May, ET Solar has extended its coverage for defects relating to workmanship and material quality from five to 10 years. Read more

Solarion breaks ground on its new 20MW CIGS thin-film PV factory in Germany

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 0:49 (PV-Tech)

Solarion hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its CIGS thin-film solar cell and module factory in Saxon, Germany. The event was attended by company and state officials who noted that this is the company?s first production facility for mass manufacturing of its thin-film PV technology. The ?40 million project will house a 129,167 square foot production facility on a 7.4-acre site at the Zwenkau-South industrial park, with a 20MW production volume at its inception in 2012. Read more

First Financial Instrument to Hedge Wind Power Variability Risk Now Available

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 23:54 (Renewable Energy World)

3TIER®, a global leader in renewable energy risk analysis, and Galileo, a global leader in weather risk management, announced today their collaboration in offering the first financial products designed to assist the wind power industry in hedging the financial risk of wind variability. Galileo's WindLockTM product will provide on-site settlements based on 3TIER's wind resource data, enabling wind project developers and financiers to mitigate the risk of project underperformance. The joint effort creates an entirely new global market for financial wind risk management products designed to ease financing pressure on wind projects, where the cost of financing often includes Read more

China Seeks Big Wind in a Push to Standardize Project Size

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 19:38 (Renewable Energy World)

The Chinese government is now working on new procedures that will standardize the inspection and approval process for wind power projects in a move to address the wind power grid connection and operation security issues that dog the sector's development. Read more

China Seeks Big Wind in a Push To Standardize Project Size

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 19:38 (Renewable Energy World)

The Chinese government is now working on new procedures that will standardize the inspection and approval process for wind power projects in a move to address the wind power grid connection and operation security issues that dog the sector's development. Read more

The Power Grid and the Wind Industry in China: An Update

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 16:10 (Renewable Energy World)

With the March, 2011 issuance of yet another spectacular progress report on wind power development in China and the April 2011 release by the State Grid Company of a white paper on its role in facilitating the growth of wind power in China, this is an opportune time to provide an update on how grid build-out is mobilizing to support rapid renewable energy growth in China. Read more

Wind Farm Contracting and Financing

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 11:55 (Renewable Energy World)

In this time of ongoing technical, economic and political change, investors and lenders continue to take a cautious approach to determining whether to provide financing for a U.S. wind project. One key to the profitable development of wind projects is the efficient negotiation of financeable project documents. Read more

Parker unveils revolutionary two-phase cooling technology power rack for wind turbine systems at WindPower 2011 -- Booth#3179

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 0:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Parker Hannifin Corporation, the leader in motion and control technologies, unveiled today at WindPower 2011, a revolutionary new precision cooled rack for cooling critical wind turbine systems. The precision-cooled rack solution features Parker's proven and patented two-phase evaporative cooling technology, which uses non-corrosive, non-conductive fluid, as it vaporizes and cools hot surfaces on contact. Parker's Precision-Cooled Rack Solution can be used to cool critical wind turbine systems, including power conversion electronics, the generator and the gear box, and also provides an efficient solution in a smaller, lighter footprint than racks using alternative thermal Read more

China on Track to Increase Geothermal Energy Development and Utilization

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 17:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Guan Fengjun, head of the Geological Environment department at the Ministry of Land and Resources said that China will start a geothermal energy exploration and development project over the next five years, with the intention of promoting the utilization of geothermal energy across the country. Usage is expected to reach 68.8 million tons of standard coal equivalent [in terms of generation, that's equal to about 560,000 GWh of electricity*] by 2015, accounting for 1.7 percent in the country's overall energy consumption. Read more

Ontario Seeks Clean Air in the Water-energy Nexus

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 17:06 (Renewable Energy World)

In just three years, all coal-fired power plants here will be decommissioned through a government commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocols. Read more

DOE to commit USD 25 million to support joint U.S.-India clean energy research

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 16:09 (Solarserver)

On May 16th, 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it will commit USD 25 million over the next five years to support the U.S.-India Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center (JCERDC). Universities, national labs and private companies are eligible to apply for awards through the program, which will focus on three research areas, including solar energy. Read more

Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy to build facility in Boston

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 12:35 (Solarserver)

On May 17th, 2011, the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE) announced that it will develop a sustainable energy and building innovation center in Boston. The USD 20 million, 4,600 square meter research facility will house Fraunhofer's technical research and development laboratories, and support start-up companies through the TechBridge start-up accelerator group. Read more

Colexon Energy opens UK warehouse & showroom in Rye

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 11:43 (Solarpowerportal)

Leading international solar power engineering, contracting and distribution company Colexon Energy is opening a UK-based solar warehouse and showroom in Rye, East Sussex. Introducing its Colexon Flex kit series, featuring premium components including First Solar panels, SMA inverters and Würth mounting systems, the company firmly enters the UK solar market. Read more

Ontario Seeks Clean Air in the Water-Energy Nexus

Thursday, 5.19.2011 - 11:06 (Renewable Energy World)

In just three years, all coal-fired power plants here will be decommissioned through a government commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocols. Read more