ESA Renewables enters into negotiations for 65MW of U.S. PV plants

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 18:48 (Solarserver)

On July 19th, 2011, ESA Renewables LLC (Lake Mary, Florida, U.S.) announced that it is engaged in contract negotiations for up to 65MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) plants across the United States, as the result of relationships developed during the recent Intersolar North America 2011 trade show. The company also unveiled a web-based PV monitoring system during the show, which it says allows for simplified, centralized and secure data management for PV plants. Read more

UCSD study finds that PV modules help keep roofs cool

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 18:36 (Solarserver)

On July 18th, 2011, the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) announced a new study by a team of its researchers which finds that solar photovoltaic (PV) modules provide significant cooling benefits to buildings. Using thermal imaging, the team led by UCSD Professor of Environmental Engineering Jan Kleissl found that a building's ceiling was 2.8 degrees Celsius cooler during the day under PV modules than an exposed roof. The study will be released in an upcoming issue of the journal "Solar Energy". Read more

Grupo Clavijo completes France's largest PV plant at 33MW

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 10:53 (Solarserver)

Grupo Clavijo SL (Viana, Spain) has announced that it has completed the installation of fixed structures on a 33MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Curbans in the Provence-Alps-Côte d'Azur region of France. The plant is the largest to date in the nation, and was constructed over 15 months by 80 workers. The plant represents a total investment of EUR 80 million (USD 110 million) and covers an area of 130 hectares. Read more

Q-Cells completes 9MW first phase of Zerbst PV plant

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 10:33 (Solarserver)

On July 20th, 2011, Q-Cells SE (Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany) announced that it has completed the first 9MW phase of a 46MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Zerbst, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Also on July 20th, 2011, Q-Cells announced that it has sold the second, 12MW phase of the plant to MCG Management Capital Group GmbH (Berlin, Germany). This phase is still under development. Read more

Promens warehouse in Suffolk sports new 1.65MW rooftop solar installation, endorsed as largest in UK

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 23:46 (PV-Tech)

Lightsource Renewable Energy and Octopus Investments are claiming that the newly installed 1.65MW rooftop project at the Promens warehouse in Beccles, Suffolk is the largest of its kind in the UK. Developed by Lightsource and constructed by Grupotec, the solar installation was financed by hundreds of investors throughout the UK. Read more

Report: BP Solar to close down historic Maryland site

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 23:18 (PV-Tech)

Gazette.net is reporting that BP Solar?s Frederick, Maryland facility will close by the end of the first quarter 2012 citing costs and a change in company focus as the main factors for the plants closure. In March 2010, the company cut 320 jobs at the Maryland facility after 140 employees had already been let go in 2009. Read more

SolarWorld panels selected for wind turbine company Vestas new Portland headquarters

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 23:04 (PV-Tech)

A specialist in wind power systems, Vestas will be venturing into solar as the design for its new North American headquarters in Portland, Oregon revealed a 112kW rooftop PV system that will power 12% of the company?s new building. SolarWorld will provide panels for the Vestas? headquarters, a historic building, which is expected to pursue LEED Platinum certification once various environmentally friendly features are completed. Read more

NADB signs US$77.4 million loan with Imperial Valley Solar for 23MW plant in California

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 22:29 (PV-Tech)

Imperial Valley Solar Company 1, a subsidiary of SunPeak Solar, received a US$77.4 million loan agreement from the North American Development Bank (NADB), which will go towards the construction of a 23MW solar power plant in Niland, California. Fixed-tilt polycrystalline silicon PV modules will be installed over a 123 acres located in the Imperial Irrigation District (IID).  The Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) certified the solar project on June 6. Read more

Solarbuzz report sees Europe?s stellar PV market growth in 2010 facing challenges in 2011, beyond

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 22:05 (PV-Tech)

According to the new European PV Markets report by Solarbuzz, faltering prices during the first half of 2011 have led to the European PV market inability to find stable ground.  June seemed to bring a glimmer of promise to the EU market, but after Germany announced its cancellation of the mid-year incentive tariff reduction, the market has been struggling to regain its ground. Read more

SunMaxx Solars ThermoPower VHP 30 Evacuated Tubes at the Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 20:55 (Renewable Energy World)

Cornell Plantations continues on a green path using of SunMaxx Solar collectors. Read more

3TIER Solar Anomaly Map Shows Correlation with Australian Floods

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 19:08 (Renewable Energy World)

3TIER®, a global leader in renewable energy risk analysis, today released a solar performance map of Australia illustrating a substantial drop in the country's typically abundant solar resource during December 2010. This anomaly correlates with the widespread flooding experienced during January 2011 and demonstrates the importance of using long-term reference data for determining solar project feasibility. Read more

Sistema de Energia Renovavel to install 600MW of solar capacity in Brazil by 2020

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 17:37 (PV-Tech)

A new green initiative in Brazil, titled Sistema de Energia Renovavel (SER), is planning to install 600MW of solar capacity throughout the country by 2020. SER hopes that within six years the new systems, the first of which is scheduled to come online next year, will provide electricity at prices comparable to rival energy sources. Read more

Report Signals Weakening European Solar Market

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 15:38 (Renewable Energy World)

Rapidly falling prices in the first half of 2011 have been unable to stimulate the faltering European PV market, according to a Solarbuzz European PV Markets Report released this week. Read more

PG&E decides on project developers for its 50MW Californian solar portfolio

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 11:48 (PV-Tech)

US utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has chosen the three project developers charged with installing its 50MW Californian solar portfolio. Building work on the systems is scheduled to begin in February 2013 and when completed they will contribute towards PG&E?s five-year effort to add 250MW of utility-owned generation. Read more

LDK solar to supply Juwi with 15MW of PV modules

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 10:37 (Solarserver)

On July 19th, 2011, LDK Solar Company Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) announced that it has signed a contract to supply Juwi Solar GmbH (Wörrstadt, Germany) with 15MW of polycrystalline silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. Under the terms of the agreement, LDK Solar will supply the modules from August to November 2011, with the option to deliver an additional 15MW immediately. Read more

Solar Frontier?s CIS modules earn MCS certification for UK market

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 0:32 (PV-Tech)

Solar Frontier?s SF130-150 series CIS modules have been newly minted with Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certification, which was bestowed upon them through BRE Global. MCS certification is a requirement for solar modules to be worthy of feed-in tariffs for PV installations below 50kWp capacity. The MCS certification, combined with IEC 61646, IEC 61739 and UL 1703 certification allows for Solar Frontier?s modules to be carried throughout the UK. Read more

Podcast interview with Carlos Eduardo Cavalcanti, Head of Biofuels Department at BNDES

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 12:42 (Renewable Energy World)

Interview with Carlos Eduardo Cavalcanti, Head of Biofuels Department, BNDES - Carlos will be speaking on the Finance and Investment session at World Biofuels Markets Brazil Read more

Black & Veatch delivers best-in-class wind energy assessments

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 18:33 (Renewable Energy World)

Black & Veatch, using cutting-edge data and tools from WindSim and 3TIER, provides sophisticated measurement and analysis for potential wind energy projects. The company's Advanced Wind Resource Assessment service uses the optimal combination of data collection methods to provide clients with a more accurate, detailed view of their sites. Read more

Yingli Green modules ranked second in TÜV Rheinland yield test

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 16:02 (PV-Tech)

Yingli Green Energy?s multicrystalline PV module has come through TÜV Rheinland?s 2010 Energy Yield Test with flying colours, ranking second amongst the thirteen modules tested. The Yingli module generated an energy yield 1.4% above the average level and just 0.3% less than the highest-ranked performer. Read more

It's Time to Redefine Canada's Energy Future

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 15:21 (Renewable Energy World)

Energy has been a dynamic topic for many years and will continue to keep the spotlight into the foreseeable future. Renewable energy, oil prices, energy security, climate change as well as a large repertoire of other related topics are constantly flooding our ears. But are the important facts reaching individuals and creating a greater understanding of the energy dilemma that Canadians and the rest of the world are facing? Growing populations and rising standards of living result in rising energy demand -- global electricity demand will double by 2030 and energy demand in general by 2050. Read more

China Emerges as Early-stage Investor, Not Just Manufacturer, of Cleantech

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 14:08 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.S. is extraordinarily good at nurturing entrepreneurship and invention, but not as good at building industries around those inventions. Case in point: While America leads in venture capital investments in clean energy, it has ceded leadership in manufacturing and deployment to European and Asian countries. Read more

Acciona Energy activates 50MW Palma del Río CSP system

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 12:14 (PV-Tech)

Acciona Energy has activated its new Palma del Río I solar thermal plant in Cordoba, Spain. The 50MW system is comprised of 792 solar collectors spanning 135 hectares and takes Acciona?s CSP portfolio in Spain to 200MW. Read more

Government pledges £15m for green heat incentive

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 11:40 (Solarpowerportal)

Government has today revealed a £15 million scheme to encourage households across the UK to go green. The ‘Renewable Heat Premium’, which will run from August 1 this year until March 2012, will support up to 25,000 installations countrywide. Read more

Government pledges £15m for green heat installations

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 11:40 (Solarpowerportal)

Government has today revealed a £15 million scheme to encourage households across the UK to go green. The ‘Renewable Heat Premium’, which will run from August 1 this year until March 2012, will support up to 25,000 installations countrywide. Read more

Executive Program a Launching Pad for Innovation

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 11:20 (Renewable Energy World)

When the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) launched the Executive Energy Leadership Program in 2007, the goal was to inform private and public decision-makers about renewable energy and energy efficiency as well as inspire them to adopt clean energy technologies. Read more

India's MNRE calls for greater cooperation with U.S. on renewables

Thursday, 7.21.2011 - 10:46 (Solarserver)

On July 19th, 2011, the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) called for an extension of existing cooperation in the field of renewable energy with the United States, at a meeting with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in New Delhi, India. The MNRE emphasized technology transfer and storage to accompany renewable energy generation among areas of desired future cooperation between the nations. Read more