Chinese PV producer Astronergy and Munich Re agree on crystalline module insurance

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 19:57 (Solarserver)

Astronergy (Chint Solar; Hangzhou, China) on July 1st, 2011 announced that they have signed an agreement and insurance with Munich Re, one of the world's leading reinsurers. This agreement will cover all crystalline solar photovoltaic (PV) modules sold by Astronergy as of January 1st, 2011 and will back up the performance warranties provided by Astronergy against excessive power loss within the next 25 years. Read more

Tarapacá region, Chile approves 275 MW of PV plants

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 13:18 (Solarserver)

On June 30th, 2011, the Comisión de Evaluación Ambiental (CEA) of the Tarapacá region of Chile approved environmental impact statements for the construction of 275 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, including a 250 MW PV plant. The agency expects the Parque Fotovoltaico Atacama Solar to be completed in the next five years. The plant will be larger than any PV plant currently in operation in the world. Read more

Spanish Government freezes feed-in tariff payments for 360 PV plants

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 13:16 (Solarserver)

On June 29th, 2011, Spain's Comisión Nacional de Energía (CNE) suspended feed-in tariff payments for 360 solar photovoltaic (PV) plants whose owners did not supply documentation that they had the necessary equipment to produce electricity by September 30th, 2008. The CNE states that with this order it has finalized its analysis of installations, and has completed its suspension of payments to owners of non-compliant PV plants, as required by a 2010 decree. Read more

Tritec opens UK branch office in Hampshire

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 12:03 (Solarpowerportal)

Swiss photovoltaic specialist Tritec has entered the UK solar market, opening a new branch office in Eastleigh, Hampshire. Although the office has just officially opened, the international wholesaler and PV competence partner has been advising UK specialist tradesmen, roof owners and investors in planning, designing and implementing their photovoltaic systems since May 2011. Read more

ACT small-scale feed-in tariff is revived

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 10:50 (PV-Tech)

Australia?s Capital Territory will go through yet more feed-in tariff policy changes as the ACT Greens and Canberra Liberals push through a Bill to allow new connections of small-scale home solar power systems to receive the same rate as the medium generator category. This move comes just one month after Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development Simon Corbell closed the scheme to new microgeneration connections. Read more

India claims worlds' highest efficiency solar thermal cooling system

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 19:57 (Solarserver)

The Indian Minister of New & Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, on July 1st, 2011 inaugurated a solar thermal cooling system at the Solar Energy Centre in Gurgaon in Haryana. Minister of Power, Shri Sushilkumar Shinde, was also present at inauguration of the solar cooling system for which India claims the world?s highest efficiency. Read more

PowerFilm gives live demo of roll to roll flexible electronics technology based on solar PV production technology

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 19:56 (Solarserver)

PowerFilm, Inc. (Ames, Iowa), a developer and manufacturer of thin flexible solar panels and flexible electronics, on July 1st, 2011 announced that it gave a live demonstration of its roll to roll flexible electronics technology for government officials earlier in the week. The flexible display demonstration due to PowerFilm, featured the world's first and only backplane array technology for a flexible display made using a full roll to roll process integrated with a front plane driver to create the full working display. Read more

BLM to continue protection of Solar Energy Zones from other uses

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 19:56 (Solarserver)

On June 29th, 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it will segregate areas pre-selected for potential solar development from mining claims and other appropriations for a further two years. The decision extends a two-year exclusion of 24 "Solar Energy Zones" covering a total of 2,740 square kilometers, established in 2009. The ruling applies to the filing of new mining claims and does not affect existing rights. Read more

Donauer Solartechnik signs module distribution contract with Bosch Solar Energy

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 18:01 (PV-Tech)

Donauer Solartechnik has consolidated its position as a premium solar module supplier by signing a distribution contract with Bosch Solar Energy. The specialist wholesaler now joins a select band of companies distributing Bosch modules, with the ranges on offer including monocrystalline modules such as the Bosch c-Si M60. Read more

Siemens to equip 50MW Termosolar Olivenza CSP plant

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 16:48 (PV-Tech)

Siemens has signed an agreement to supply the equipment for UTE Termosolar Olivenza?s planned 50MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in the Extremadura region of Spain. The system is expected o be operational by the end of 2012 and when completed it will be fitted with Siemens? solar receivers and 123 loops of parabolic trough collectors. Read more

Hendra Holiday Park switches on to solar power

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 15:53 (Solarpowerportal)

Yet another of the UK’s large-scale solar projects is due to be switched on this Friday as preparations are made for completion in Newquay. The 1.15MW facility will provide more than 50% of the power to what is one of Cornwall’s biggest holiday facilities. Read more

Tritec opens UK office

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 15:08 (PV-Tech)

Swiss solar firm Tritec has increased its presence within the UK solar industry by opening a new office in Eastleigh, Hampshire, reports Solar Power Portal. The office has only opened recently, although Tritec has been advising the UK?s tradesmen, roof owners and investors about system planning, design and installation since May. Read more

Suntech, MEMC cancel 10-year solar wafer supply agreement

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 13:38 (Solarserver)

On July 1st, 2011, Suntech Power Holdings Company Ltd. (Wuxi, China) announced that it and MEMC Electronic Materials (St. Peters, Missouri, U.S.) have mutually decided to terminate a silicon wafer supply agreement entered into in 2006, which was to last through 2016. The company also announced that it will discontinue subsidiary CSG Solar AG's (Thalheim, Germany) research and development operations, and incur a one-time USD 24 million expense for doing so. CSG Solar had focused on crystalline silicon thin film technology. Read more

JA Solar to acquire wafer producer Solar Silicon Valley, expansion of JA Solar's internal wafer capacity by 485MW

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 13:38 (Solarserver)

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd., (Shanghai, China), manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and solar power products, on July 1st, 2011 announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% ownership interest in Silver Age Holdings Limited, a British Virgin Islands company that owns 100% of Solar Silicon Valley Electronic Science and Technology Co., Ltd., a producer of solar wafers based in China, in a transaction that values Solar Silicon Valley at approximately USD 180 million. Read more

GTM Research report: Balance of system costs will become the majority of expenses for solar PV plants by 2012

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 13:21 (Solarserver)

On June 27th, 2011, Greentech Media Research (Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.) announced the release of a new report which states that balance of system (BOS) costs will exceed module costs, to become the majority of costs for solar photovoltaic (PV) plants by 2012. "Solar PV Balance of Systems: Technologies and Markets" also predicts that BOS costs will decline an average of USD 0.29/watt between 2010 and 2013. Read more

EEG amendment agreed: German Bundestag concludes on phasing out of nuclear energy by 2022. Solar funding will be changed as planned and own consumption of PV electricity restricted

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 13:13 (Solarserver)

In a historic decision which fell in the afternoon of July 1st, 2011, the German Bundestag determined the final exit from nuclear energy in Germany. All nuclear power plants are to be switched off step by step by 2022. Only one nuclear power plant should remain in reserve. In addition to this decision, in a heated and intense debate further changes in laws were decided on to drive Germany toward a new energy era, EuPD Research (Bonn) reports. Among other things, an amendment of the German Renewable Energies law, Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz (EEG), was also agreed on that will come into effect on January 1st, 2012. Despite massive objections raised by opposition parties, the Read more

Solarbuzz: PV shipments fall 22% in 2Q 2011, module inventories increase to 8.6 GW

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 9:39 (Solarserver)

On June 30th, 2011 Solarbuzz Inc. (San Francisco, California, U.S.) released a report which estimates that global solar photovoltaic (PV) shipments fell by 22% quarter-to-quarter in the second quarter of 2011, even as demand rose 79%. The company's latest "Solarbuzz Quarterly" states that despite production falling 20%, supply still outstripped demand, and the company estimates that global PV cell and module inventories increased 559 MW to 8.6 GW during the quarter. Read more

Mark W. Bachman joins Avian Securities

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 19:48 (PV-Tech)

Veteran semiconductor and renewable energy financial analyst and frequent guest blogger at PV-Tech has joined Avian Securities as a Senior Research Analyst covering renewable technology stocks. Joining Bachman from Auriga USA is Robert Spandau as a Senior Research Analyst for Avian Securities within its equity research platform into renewable energy research. Read more

Ofgem fines British Gas £1m

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 12:22 (Solarpowerportal)

British Gas has been landed with a £1 million fine for misreporting how much renewable electricity it supplied to non-domestic customers under the Renewable Obligation. The error was made over seven years by British Gas Business, which supplies the company’s business customers. Read more

SunPower appoints six new board members

Monday, 7.4.2011 - 11:48 (PV-Tech)

SunPower has appointed six members to its board of directors as a result of the successful completion of Total?s tender offer. Among the new additions are Arnaud Chaperon, Bernard Clement and Denis Giorno, all senior figures in Total?s gas and power division, whose appointments swell the board?s numbers to 11. Read more