Italy's New Feed-in Tariff Rates Create High Demand for Already Constructed Photovoltaic Plants

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 18:06 (Renewable Energy World)

Polaris Energy, a Luxembourg-based private equity company operating in Italy, has decided to focus on acquiring already constructed solar power plants in response to the recently modified 2011 Feed-in Tariff rates in Italy. Read more

Panel: EVs Key to Canada's Smart Grid

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 16:49 (Renewable Energy World)

Electric vehicles will soon hit Canada's roads, but they already play a role in the smart grid as the country modernizes its electric system in pursuit of clean air targets. Read more

No EU ban on cadmium-based solar modules

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 16:14 (PV-Tech)

A cloud that had been hanging over thin-film PV manufacturers that use cadmium in the fabrication of solar modules has been lifted with the European Union exempting the hazardous substance from a ban due to the EU?s renewable energy targets. Read more

ET Solar launches Zero-Rack solar modules

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 15:24 (PV-Tech)

ET Solar Group has unveiled its new range of residential and rooftop solar modules, the Zero-Rack. The modules have been certified to meet the UL1703 standard and are already available to North American customers. Read more

A Profitable Smart Grid Penny Stock Aims for a NASDAQ Listing

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Ambient Corp. (ABTG.OB) offers an Internet Protocol (IP) smart grid communications platform to electric utilities. So far, they have exactly one customer: Duke Energy (DUK). Duke selected Ambient's X-series communication node solution, which flexibly gathers data from multiple smart meters and relays it to the utility. For instance, in some cases Duke is using Ambient's nodes to gather data from both Echelon Corporation's (ELON) smart meters using data over powerline technology, and Badger Meter's (BMI) smart gas meters which use a wireless mesh to deliver data. Read more

Record Efficiency of 18.7% for Flexible CIGS Solar Cells

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Scientists at Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, have further boosted the energy conversion efficiency of flexible solar cells made of copper indium gallium (di)selenide (also known as CIGS) to a new world record of 18.7% ? a significant improvement over the previous record of 17.6% achieved by the same team in June 2010. The measurements have been independently certified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, Germany. Read more

TÜV SÜD America receives additional PV testing certification

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 14:27 (Solarserver)

On May 25th, 2011, TÜV SÜD America Inc. (Peabody, Massachusetts, U.S.) announced that it has received an additional accreditation regarding safety for flat-plate panels in Canada through its partnership with the Renewable Energy Test Center (RETC) LLC. The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) awarded TÜV SÜD with ULC/ORD C-1703-01 accreditation as part of RETC's acquisition of ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, which applies to all IEC and UL test standards required for solar photovoltaic (PV) certification. Read more

KEMA says test of smart grid successful

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 14:23 (Solarserver)

In May 2011, KEMA (Arnhem, the Netherlands) stated that a trail involving 25 households in the Dutch city of Groningen has demonstrated that it is possible to create a smart grid with inter-customer power exchanges using existing technologies. The company states that this is the first time in Europe that the results of a live smart grid community have been released at its scale. Read more

IMS Research: Global PV inverter sales slump 39% in 1Q 2011

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 12:56 (Solarserver)

On May 26th, 2011, IMS Research (Wellingborough, U.K.) reported that global PV inverter shipments have declined to 4 GW in the first quarter of 2011, 39% lower than the previous quarter, but 31% higher than the first quarter of 2010. The company's latest quarterly report on the global solar photovoltaic (PV) inverter industry states that rising channel inventories in Germany, Italy and France contributed to the quarter-to-quarter decline. Read more

Sanyo increases HIT module guarantee to 10 years

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 12:51 (Solarpowerportal)

MCS accredited solar panel manufacturer Sanyo has now extended the guarantee period for its HIT solar modules to 10 years. This increased assurance comes after only 50 modules out of more than two million were returned to the Hungary-based manufacturing facility by the end of March this year. Read more

M+W Group surpasses 10 GW of PV factories built

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 12:51 (Solarserver)

On May 25th, 2011, M+W Group GmbH (Stuttgart, Germany) stated that it has set a new record for the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, designing and constructing PV manufacturing plants with a cumulative annual capacity of over 10 GW. M+W Group met the landmark with a new contract for a PV cell plant in Asia, with an annual capacity of over 1 GW. Read more

Fraunhofer ISE finds that Rasirc Steamer promotes 20.2% efficiency in back contact c-Si solar cells

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 0:23 (PV-Tech)

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) has found that by using the Rasirc Steamer efficiency in the production of back contact silicon solar cells reached 20.2%. Fraunhofer used the steamer system to provide ultrapure water vapor for its metal wrap through (MWT) and passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) solar cell manufacturing processes. Read more

Contractors sought for £54m solar program in Wales

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 17:17 (Solarpowerportal)

Boosting the amount of solar power in Wales, the United Welsh Housing Association and Torfaen County Borough Council have formed a purchasing consortium to let a one-year framework contract for the design, supply and installation of solar photovoltaic systems in the country. Read more

Order Focus: LDK Solar signs 45MW module supply contract with Italian firm

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 16:07 (PV-Tech)

LDK Solar has signed a module supply agreement with a leading Italian system integrator. Under the terms of the contract, LDK will provide 45MW of modules to the unnamed client, with monthly shipping likely to begin in June. Read more

Samsung shuffles solar business into another subsidiary

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 15:48 (PV-Tech)

The nascent solar arm of electronics giant, Samsung has been shuffled into subsidiary, Samsung SDI, known originally for flat panel display manufacturing but more recently for lithium ion battery manufacturing. Samsung said that the transaction, valued at approximately US$148 million was to ?manage the company?s resources more efficiently and focus more on its key businesses.?Samsung SDI will take over the solar cell business on July 1, 2011. Read more

Canadian Solar announces 15 MW sales agreement with Spanish PV intergrator Isolux for three UK solar PV farms

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 14:52 (Solarserver)

Canadian Solar Inc., one of the world's largest solar companies, on May 26th, 2011 announced a further expansion of its activities in the UK solar photovoltaic (PV) market. Under the agreement, Canadian Solar will supply 15 MW of solar modules for three UK solar farms, constructed by Spanish renewable energy project company Isolux. These three PV systems, over 15 MW in total, are located in Churchtown, East Langford and Manor Farm, and use Canadian Solar's high quality and high-performing CS6P solar modules. The projects are expected to be completed this June. Read more

Case Western Reserve to develop "rustbelt" iron-based flow battery to accompany wind, solar generation

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 14:49 (Solarserver)

On May 25th, 2011, a team of chemical engineering professors at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.) announced that they are developing an iron-based flow battery to accompany wind and solar plants. The professors have begun a three-year project to build a working model proving the technology, which they say will be cheaper and more efficient than current battery technologies. Read more

Solar Days attract half a million Europeans

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 14:47 (Solarserver)

The 4th edition of the European Solar Days campaign has drawn massive support for solar energy throughout the entire continent. Over the course of two weeks (1-15 May 2011) more than 8,000 events were organized in 18 countries throughout Europe, attracting half a million people in an attempt to demonstrate that solar energy constitutes a viable alternative energy source, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) and the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) report. Read more

Grape Solar adds four modules to its Platinum series

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 13:09 (PV-Tech)

Grape Solar has added four new Platinum series modules to its ever-expanding solar portfolio. The modules, which have all been UL certified, range from 395W to 410W in size and outperform conventional 230W modules by up to 70%. Read more

Suntech to supply German systems intergrator Solarhybrid with up to 190 MW of PV modules

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 12:53 (Solarserver)

On May 26th, 2011, Suntech Power Holdings Company Ltd. (Wuxi, China) announced that it will supply up to 190 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to Solarhybrid AG (Brilon, Germany) in 2011 through a new strategic partnership between the two companies. Under the terms of the agreement Suntech will supply PV modules for the majority of Solarhybrid's PV project pipeline in 2011, including five German PV plants totaling 172 MW of capacity, and PV plants in Italy and Slovakia totaling 16 MW. Read more

LDK to supply 45 MW of PV modules to Italian solar integrator

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 12:48 (Solarserver)

On May 26th, 2011, LDK Solar Company Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) announced that it has signed a contract to supply 45 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to an un-named Italian solar systems integrator, beginning in June 2011. LDK states that the modules will be shipped on a monthly basis. Read more

FPL to offer cash rebates for solar installations starting June 21st, 2011

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 12:46 (Solarserver)

Florida Power and Light Company (FPL, Juno Beach, Florida, U.S.) has announced that it will begin offering cash rebates to customers who install solar water heating or solar photovoltaic (PV) systems starting June 21st, 2011. The rebates are part of a five-year pilot program approved by the Florida Public Service Commission, and are available for both homes and businesses. Read more

Germany Expands Wind Research and Forms Network of Experts

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES) has joined forces with the ForWind wind energy research center to form the National Wind Energy Research Association. Read more

Can the UK Attract Offshore Wind Turbine Makers?

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

With 1341 MW installed, the UK is the world leader in offshore wind but with many more turbines still to be built and deployed, where they will be built remains a key question. Read more

Ernst & Young Releases Quarterly Country Attractiveness Report

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 15:05 (Renewable Energy World)

Global consultant group Ernst & Young has just released its latest Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices, which numerically rank the top 30 global renewable energy markets by their investment strategies and infrastructures. The indices are updated quarterly. Read more

Capgemini/Platts survey: some North American utilities still attached to shale gas, nuclear power

Friday, 5.27.2011 - 14:25 (Solarserver)

In a new survey of executives in the United States and Canadian electricity and natural gas industries, Capgemini S.A. (Paris, France) and Platts (New York, New York, U.S.) noted that these leaders see environmental regulation as the most critical challenge facing the North American industry. However, some executives surveyed continued to express a dependence upon sources of power that present significant safety, health and environmental risks, including shale gas and nuclear power. Read more