Work begins on 3.26 MW PV project for Arizona public school district

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 21:55 (Solarserver)

On July 20th, 2011, REgeneration Finance LLC (Harrison, New York, U.S.) announced that construction has begun on a 3.26 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) project at seven sites for Buckeye Elementary School District in Buckeye, Arizona, U.S. GV Enterprises (Glendale, Arizona, U.S.), CORE Construction Services of Arizona Inc. (Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.) and Natural Power & Energy LLC (Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.) had already started work on the project's ground-mounted and rooftop PV installations at the time of the announcement. Read more

German PV producer SOLON discloses key points of restructuring program

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 18:27 (Solarserver)

The Management Board of SOLON SE (Berlin, Germay) is currently developing a concept for the financial and operational restructuring of the company with the assistance of restructuring experts from the renowned consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal. The concept will entail several measures SOLON reports. SOLON?s marketing strategy is meant to focus more attention on the industrial and commercial roofs segment with its tremendous growth potentials. To this end, SOLON has expanded its range of solar photovoltaic (PV) roof solutions with several innovative products that are optimally designed for the special requirements of these types of roofs. Read more

New GSE figures: Italy reaches almost 7.8 GW of PV plants

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 18:26 (Solarserver)

An interactive online atlas created by Italy's Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) reports that the nation has reached almost 7.80 GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) plants. The region of Puglia in Southern Italy has reached the greatest reported installed capacity, at 1.29 GW. The majority of capacity comes from plants larger than 50 kW, which total 6.22 GW of capacity across the nation. Read more

NADB loans USD 77.4 million for 23 MW PV plant

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 13:00 (Solarserver)

On July 20th, 2011, the North American Development Bank (NADB, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.) announced that it has signed a USD 77.4 million loan agreement to support the construction of a 23 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in California's Imperial Valley. A subsidiary of SunPeak Solar LLC (Palm Desert, California, U.S.) will develop the plant and sell the majority of the electricity generated to the Imperial Irrigation District (IID, Imperial, California, U.S.). Read more

PV tool supplier Roth & Rau cuts Q2 expectations, rescinds 2011 forecast, as customers cancel orders

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 4:34 (PV-Tech)

Citing the ?deterioration in the overall industry climate as well as delays in the recognition of sales and earnings for projects currently under way,? Roth & Rau has cut expectations for the second half of 2011 and withdrawn its forecast guidance for the year.  ?Given the reduction in demand for solar modules,? the company stated, ?some customers have reviewed their investment projects intended to expand their production capacities and postponed the agreed delivery dates.? Read more

Solar, Wind Projects Could Benefit From New Grid Regulations

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 20:10 (Renewable Energy World)

Solar and wind industry leaders are hailing interstate transmission line regulations adopted Friday by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as a move that could boost renewable developments across the rural parts of the U.S. Read more

Bosch opens ?530 million solar PV competence center in Arnstadt, Germany

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 19:46 (PV-Tech)

The Bosch Group has inaugurated its new ?530 million photovoltaics competence center in Arnstadt, Germany. The facility includes the company?s solar division headquarters as well as R&D, PV cell and module production, and a training center under one roof. Read more

Centrosolar slashes annual forecast by tens of millions of Euro, blames reduced market prices for PV

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 19:10 (PV-Tech)

Centrosolar is the latest PV company to slash its 2011 revenue forecast, reducing its guidance for the year from ?420 million??450 million to ?330 million??380 million (though remaining EBIT positive). The German firm said the main reason for the adjustment is reduced market pricing, which has fallen more sharply than anticipated. Read more

FRV-led consortium wins bid to build 150MW Australian solar plant

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 16:21 (PV-Tech)

A consortium led by Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) has won a bid to develop Australia?s largest solar power plant. The tender ? launched by the Australian government ? is for a 150MW system near the town of Moree in New South Wales. Read more

Solar Frontier earns MCS certification for its CIS modules

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 15:42 (Solarpowerportal)

Thin-film solar company Solar Frontier has received Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation for its SF130-150 series CIS modules. Delivered by BRE Global 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

Seaward aids solar installer client handover with new software system

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 15:25 (Solarpowerportal)

Seaward has developed a new dedicated software program for the solar PV industry, helping system installers to produce all electrical test documentation for client handover packs quickly and easily. The Seaward SolarCert Elements software is designed to aid installers in when generating comprehensive folders of system information including customised test certification and inspection reports, installation layout diagrams, photographs and any other information relevant to PV installation. Read more

Solektra?s Croatian solar park equipped with DEGERenergie trackers

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 15:22 (PV-Tech)

Solektra has received the first shipment of DEGERenergie?s MLD tracking systems for its 30kW PV plant in Kri?opotje, Croatia. The development is the first to use dual-axis tracking in Croatia and is comprised of four smaller systems equipped with DEGERtraker 7000NT systems. Read more

Bournemouth Council plans to extend its solar ambition

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 15:07 (Solarpowerportal)

Bournemouth Council housing is all set for a solar makeover as a proposal to install photovoltaic panels on 200 homes receives positive feedback. Following the successful roll-out of a number of solar systems in the area over the past two months, Cabinet members are being asked to extend the area’s renewable ambition. Read more

Italy Passes 7,000 MW of Total Installed Solar PV

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 14:33 (Renewable Energy World)

The interactive web page Atlasole created by Italy's Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) indicates that the country surpassed 7,000 MW of total installed solar photovoltaics (solar PV) from nearly one-quarter million systems sometime mid-year. Read more

Solarbuzz: European PV markets to decline in 2011 despite PV price decreases

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 13:22 (Solarserver)

On July 21st, 2011, Solarbuzz Inc. (San Francisco, California, U.S.) announced a new report which states that collapsing solar photovoltaic (PV) prices did not make up for weakness in major European PV markets during the first half of 2011. "European PV Markets Report" predicts that the aggregate European PV market will contract 14% in 2011 from 2010 levels, and that Italy will replace Germany as the continent's largest market by 2015. Read more

UK?s largest rooftop project is now complete

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 12:18 (Solarpowerportal)

Lightsource Renewable Energy and Octopus Investments have now completed what is thought to be the largest solar rooftop in the UK. At 1.65MW the project, installed at the Promens warehouse in Beccles, Suffolk, trumps the previous 1.16MW record. Developed by Lightsource and constructed by Grupotec, the solar installation was financed by hundreds of investors throughout the UK. Read more

Capstone unveils 20MW SunPower-built solar park in Amherstburg, Canada

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 11:04 (PV-Tech)

Capstone Infrastructure Corporation and SunPower have officially unveiled their new 20MW solar system in Amherstburg, Ontario. Although the system has been operational since June 30, it was only formally opened on Thursday when Capstone and SunPower employees and town politicians officially dedicated the 220-acre site. Read more

Farms of the Future: Bio-oil, Biochar from Biomass

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 14:41 (Renewable Energy World)

Rural landscapes of the future might have pyrolysis plants instead of grain elevators on every horizon ? processing centers where farmers would bring bulky crops such as switchgrass to be made into crude oil. Read more

Statement from the American Wind Energy Association on the revised draft of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wind Energy Guidelines

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 22:24 (Renewable Energy World)

Read more

It Takes a Community To Raise a Wind Farm

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

While much has been made about the challenges that arise with large-scale power plants attempting to connect to the U.S. power grid through transmission and substations, relatively little has been said when it comes to smaller-scale renewable energy projects, such as community wind projects, trying to do the same. Read more

Green Stock Experts, Part 2: Eight Great Values

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 15:43 (Renewable Energy World)

Earlier this week, I published "Money Managers See Value in Clean Energy Sector, but Hesitate to Call the Bottom" based on my correspondence with Rafael Coven, manager of the Cleantech Index (^CTIUS), Garvin Jabusch, manager of the Sierra Club Green Alpha Portfolio, and Sam Healy, a portfolio manager at Lamassu Capital. Read more

EPA Emissions Decision Puts Climate and Human Health at Risk

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 15:14 (Renewable Energy World)

Dogwood Alliance, an organization focused on protecting Southern forests, called on utility companies, investors, and federal, state, and local governments to halt the further expansion of large-scale bioenergy projects, including burning whole trees in existing coal-fired power plants while the EPA studies the environmental impacts. This comes in response to the agency's recently announced decision to allow biomass-burning facilities to avoid regulation of carbon emissions for the next three years. Read more

Blue Chip Energy files for insolvency

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 14:34 (PV-Tech)

Solar cell manufacturer Blue Chip Energy has filed for insolvency. The company informed a court in Eisenstadt about its financial state on Thursday and production was abandoned with immediate effect. Read more

Acciona Energy commissions 50 MW CSP plant in Cordoba, Spain

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 13:22 (Solarserver)

On July 19th, 2011, Acciona Energy (Madrid, Spain) announced that it has commissioned the 50 MW Palma Del Río 1 concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in the province of Cordoba, Spain. The plant represents an investment of EUR 247 million (USD 356 million) and is the fourth CSP plant that the company has commissioned in Spain, for a total of 200 MW and 23.5% of the nation's CSP capacity. Read more

Lark Energy completes1 U.K. PV plant before FIT cut deadline

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 12:59 (Solarserver)

On July 18th, 2011, Lark Energy Ltd. (Bourne, U.K.) announced the commissioning of a1 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Marston, U.K., one of the largest PV plants in the nation. The completion of the Marston PV plant comes closely after the completion of the Hawton PV plant, at 4.9 MW July 13th, 2011. These two plants are among a handful of 4-5 MW PV plants that will be completed before cuts to the nation's feed-in tariff (FIT) come into effect on August 1st, 2011. Read more

Natural Power establishes global network of ZephIR Trusted Service Providers

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 12:48 (Renewable Energy World)

Leading renewable energy consultancy group, Natural Power, has made access to quality, affordable lidar data easier than ever before by establishing a global network of ZephIR 'Trusted Service Providers' which includes fellow industry leaders GL Garrad Hassan, AWS Truepower and DNV as well as local consultancy / engineering firms such as New Energy Scout (Switzerland), Oldbaum Services (UK) and Beijing New Energy Technology Co. (China). Leading technical and research groups such as Risø DTU (Denmark) and CRES (Greece) are also signed up to providing in-country ZephIR services to clients. Read more

Southeast European Green Market Development

Friday, 7.22.2011 - 10:18 (Renewable Energy World)

Read more