Falling prices cause further drop in PV inverter revenues

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 19:12 (PV-Tech)

A sharp decline in factory-gate prices has resulted in a further fall in revenue for PV inverter suppliers, according to IMS Research?s latest quarterly report. Despite shipments in the first half of the year totalling close to 10GW, a 20% drop in factory-gate prices led to Q2 year-on-year revenues decreasing by 1.3%, and IMS?s quarterly PV Inverter Supply & Demand report is predicting further price declines in the second half of the year. Read more

Building a Community Wind Project: A Landowner's Perspective

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 16:39 (Renewable Energy World)

My family has been on our land for 77 years ? my dad rented it, and eventually my brother David and I bought it along with some surrounding land. Besides farming, we've been in the commercial fertilizing and spraying business for 30 years and have spent many, many hours sitting around waiting for the wind to die down so that we could spray. Read more

Magnolia Solar presents high-voltage solar cells, designed to improve performance of photovoltaic modules, at SPIE Solar Energy and Technology Conference

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 12:52 (Solarserver)

Magnolia Solar Corporation (Wobrun, MA and Albay, NY) announces that its wholly owned subsidiary, Magnolia Solar, Inc., has demonstrated high-voltage InGaAs quantum well waveguide solar cells, a unique structure capable of improving the performance of photovoltaic modules. Dr. Roger E. Welser, Magnolia's Chief Technical Officer, summarized the latest technical results at the Solar Energy and Technology Conference in San Diego, CA on August 21, 2011. Read more

Madico expands Performance Analysis Lab for PV backsheet testing

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 12:28 (Solarserver)

On August 22nd, 2011, Madico Inc. (Woburn, Massachusetts, U.S.) announced that it has expanded its internal Performance Analysis Lab for solar photovoltaic (PV) backsheet testing at its headquarters in Woburn. The company has added a climate chamber to conduct accelerated aging tests, a device to measure moisture transmission rates and a vacuum laminator to allow Madico to produce small modules. Read more

Solar Cell & Module segment of centrotherm photovoltaics to be transferred to subsidiary

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 12:06 (PV-Tech)

PV equipment and technology supplier centrotherm photovoltaics is to pass control of its Solar Cell & Module division to a subsidiary company. Read more

Cathartes, Nexamp to build MW PV plant in Massachusetts

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 12:05 (Solarserver)

On August 22nd, 2011, Nexamp Inc. (North Andover, Massachusetts, U.S.) and partner Cathartes Private Investments (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.) announced that they will build a MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Westford, Massachusetts. Construction is expected to begin this fall on the USD 23 million plant, which will be the state's largest privately owned PV plant. Read more

Hanwha reports decrease in revenues, shipments for Q2 2011

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 23:38 (PV-Tech)

Hanwha SolarOne advised upon the release of its second quarter 2011 financial results that it had seen a decrease in its net revenues and PV module shipments on a quarter-over-quarter basis. Revenues for Q2 2011 were finalized at US$277.1 million, down 18.4% from US$335.2 million in Q1 2011. Although revenues were up 2.2% when compared to Q2 2010 results, Hanwha noted that the lower results quarter-over-quarter for fiscal 2011 were due to lower shipments and ASP. Read more

Fulham FC scores first solar energy sponsor

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 18:50 (Solarpowerportal)

One of the world’s largest solar companies, Canadian Solar, has become the official solar energy sponsor of Fulham Football Club. The two-year deal extends Canadian Solar’s support of sports teams globally, including top European football teams Hannover 96 and 1. FC Nuremberg. Read more

JinkoSolar opens European office in Zug, Switzerland

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 17:23 (PV-Tech)

JinkoSolar has increased its presence within the European solar industry by opening a new office in Zug, Switzerland. The Zug branch, which has been operational since the start of August, will be responsible for expanding JinkoSolar?s local operational capabilities to better service its growing customer base in Europe. Read more

Dundee Councillors agree to solar panel scheme

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 15:45 (Solarpowerportal)

Councillors in Dundee have approved plans that could see solar panels installed across thousands of council buildings, including homes. The Council is now in the process of acquiring a commercial partner to install and maintain the systems over 25 years. Read more

Solar Frontier?s thin-film modules pass TÜV ammonia and salt mist tests

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 13:41 (PV-Tech)

Solar Frontier?s copper-indium-selenium (CIS) thin-film modules have been certified for salt mist and ammonia resistance by TÜV Rheinland. Exposure to high levels of both salt and ammonia neither affected the modules? operation nor resulted in early aging. Read more

SolarPlaza: Italy could become #1 PV market in 2011

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 12:47 (Solarserver)

On August 17th, 2011, SolarPlaza released an overview of the world's largest solar photovoltaic (PV) markets, stating that Italy is "on its way" to becoming the world's largest PV market in 2011. While the company estimates that more than three times as much PV was installed in Germany than in Italy in 2010, it also states that 2011 cumulative German market volume is 40% smaller this year than it was a year ago this time. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne announces Mr. Tai Seng PNG as new COO

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 12:37 (Solarserver)

Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd., a vertically integrated manufacturer of silicon ingots, wafers and photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules in China, on August 23rd, 2011 announced that the Company's Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Tai Seng PNG as its new chief operating officer (COO). Mr. PNG's appointment will become effective immediately. Read more

Trina Solar shipments, revenues grow in 2Q 2011

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 12:18 (Solarserver)

On August 23rd, 2011, Trina Solar Ltd. (Changzhou, China) released second quarter 2011 results, reporting an 24% increase in shipments over the first quarter of 2011 to 396 MW and a 5% increase in revenues to USD 579 million. The company is also retaining a positive operating margin of 5.7% and earned a net income of USD 11.8 million, both accomplishments in the most difficult quarter the PV industry has seen in years. Read more

Solar Frontier begins production of 155 watt CIS modules, TUEV certifies PV panels for salt mist and ammonia resistance

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 12:01 (Solarserver)

Solar Frontier (Tokyo, Japan) on August 22nd, 2011 announced that its CIS (copper, indium, selenium) thin-film PV modules have passed all salt mist and ammonia resistance tests devised by TÜV Rheinland (Cologne, Germany) and received the relevant certifications proving this. It is a distinction few PV manufacturers have. Read more

Swindon Council invests in over 300kW of solar power

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 10:19 (Solarpowerportal)

Swindon Commercial Services Limited (SCS) has installed solar panels on its office, warehouse and bus depot roof as part of Swindon Borough Council’s Sustainable Energy Framework. By installing photovoltaics across the building rooftops, the Council hopes to reduce its carbon footprint as well as its rising energy bills. Read more

In U.S., Offshore Wind Realizing The Power of a Plan

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 17:39 (Renewable Energy World)

It’s been a decade since Cape Wind left jaws agape with its plan for a 420-megawatt offshore wind development in Nantucket Sound. While the plan in the backyard of the rich and famous hasn’t yet led to the nation’s first offshore wind farm, the Massachusetts project has made it easier for other developers warm up for a game that has yet to start. What the countless lawsuits, political posturing and fits and starts have done is define some clarity for who’s in charge and who will lead the process forward. So even without a tangible project in the water, it was still heartening for those who back wind energy to see Interior Secretary Ken Salazar touring Read more

U.S. Offshore Wind Realizing the Power of a Plan

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 17:39 (Renewable Energy World)

It’s been a decade since Cape Wind left jaws agape with its plan for a 420-megawatt offshore wind development in Nantucket Sound. While the plan in the backyard of the rich and famous hasn’t yet led to the nation’s first offshore wind farm, the Massachusetts project has made it easier for other developers to warm up for a game that has yet to start. What the countless lawsuits, political posturing and fits have done is define some clarity for who’s in charge and who will lead the process forward. So even without a tangible project in the water, it was still heartening for those who back wind energy to see Interior Secretary Ken Salazar touring the Read more

Djibouti asks for assistance from India to harness its renewable energy sources

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 12:32 (Solarserver)

On August 23rd, 2011 Dr. Fouad Ahmed Aye, Minister of Energy, Water and Natural Resources, Republic of Djibouti, held bilateral discussions with Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Minister of New and Renewable Energy, in New Delhi today. Both leaders held detailed discussions about possible cooperation between the two countries in the field of Renewable Energy. Dr. Fouad Ahmed Aye informed that Djibouti has vast potential in the areas of Geothermal Energy, Solar Energy and Wind Energy but needs Indian assistance in exploiting these sources. Read more

8minutenergy, Gestamp sign interconnection agreements for 355 MW of PV in Southern California

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 12:23 (Solarserver)

On August 22nd, 2011, 8minutenergy Renewables LLC (El Dorado Hills, California, U.S.) and partner Gestamp Solar (Madrid, Spain) announced that they have signed generation interconnection agreements (GIA) with the Imperial Irrigation District IID (Imperial, California, U.S.) for five solar photovoltaic (PV) projects totaling 355 MW. The first joint project of the two companies will be the 50 MW Chocolate Mountains PV plant. The companies note that the agreements will also set in motion a USD 250 million upgrade of the IID power network. Read more

Ontario Power Authority reaches 274 MW of operational PV in 2Q 2011, allows relocation of constrained microFIT projects

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 12:11 (Solarserver)

On August 19th, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA, Toronto, Canada) released a report which states that Ontario has reached a total of 274 MW of operational PV capacity at the end of the second quarter of 2011. Also on August 19th, 2011, the OPA announced that renewable energy developers under its microFIT program who have been unable to connect their plants to the grid will be allowed to relocate the projects. Read more

Solarcentury tackles fuel poverty and climate change with £130,000 donation

Wednesday, 8.24.2011 - 11:17 (Solarpowerportal)

UK-based solar energy company Solarcentury has donated a total of £130,000 worth of solar panels and money to SolarAid – the charity founded by Solarcentury to tackle fuel poverty and climate change with solar power. Read more