First Solar modules receive ?Made in EU? certification qualifying them for Italian FiT program

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 21:08 (PV-Tech)

Upon the completion of the German Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies? (VDE) official factory inspection certification, First Solar modules manufactured in the company?s Frankfurt, Germany plant, qualify as ?Made in the European Union? and for a 10% FiT premium in Italy. The certification was completed under guidelines that were set forth by the Italian government as part of its Conto Energia 4 FiT program, which looks to reward projects that use at least 60% local content with a 10% premium over normal FiT rates. Read more

Sonnedix completing PV projects using REC, Trina Solar and First Solar modules

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 17:08 (PV-Tech)

Independent solar power producer, Sonnedix has completed and grid connected two PV power plants in Italy before the September cut-off period for compliance with FiT changes implemented under the Conto Energia IV. Read more

Bosch solar modules comply with Italian FiT benefits

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 16:49 (PV-Tech)

TÜV Rheinland has verified Bosch solar modules are in compliance with Conto Energia IV standards, which provide ?Made in Europe? PV modules receive extra FiT payment in Italy. TÜV Rheinland has recently developed a certificate in cooperation with the Italian energy agency GSE which verifies by means of regular inspections that at least 60% of a module or its system components are manufactured in Europe. Read more

Order Focus: DuPont secures two new metallization paste customers in Europe

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 13:56 (PV-Tech)

Sunways and Heckert Solar have integrated DuPont Microcircuit Materials (MCM) ?Solamet PV17x? photovoltaic metallization pastes into their production lines to produce higher efficiency solar cells and modules. Having introduced the new metallization paste earlier this year, MCM claims that the material is responsible for 10% lower material consumption while enabling higher cell efficiencies and process reliability. Read more

IMS Research: Chinese PV module suppliers on top in Q2 as consolidation continues; global shipments expected to reach over 22 GW in total for the full year

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 13:03 (Solarserver)

The three largest suppliers of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in Q2?11 were all Chinese according to the latest industry report from IMS Research (Wellingborough, UK). Suntech, Yingli and Trina Solar collectively grew their shipments by almost 20% over the previous quarter despite difficult market conditions, increasing their market share and furthering China?s growing dominance in this market, IMS reports. Read more

Photovoltaikforum becomes international; photovoltaicboard.com goes online

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 12:57 (Solarserver)

An international version of the Europe-wide largest board regarding photovoltaics (PV) is going online at the domain www.photovoltiacboard.com. The pendant of the German board ? supervised by international specialists ? will be available from September 1st, 2011. Read more

Eaton acquires IE Power?s inverter technology

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 11:23 (PV-Tech)

Eaton Corporation has acquired the assets of IE Power, adding the Canadian company?s inverter technology to its own range of electrical solutions. IE Power provides high-power inverters for applications including solar and wind, up to tens of megawatts. Eaton, who is a diversified power management company, did not disclose the terms of the deal. Read more

Upsolar extends solar module warranty to 10 years

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 0:27 (PV-Tech)

Upsolar modules installed around the world are eligible for the company?s newly extended warranty for its standard solar module. The extension, which doubles the previous coverage from 5 years to 10 years, covers customers? modules for defects in materials or workmanship. Read more

Field study shows Enphase microinverter installations outperform PVWatts estimates

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 0:01 (PV-Tech)

Enphase Energy recently conducted a field performance study, which the company states has resulted in its installations performing, on average, 8% higher than the PVWatts calculator?s predictions. The study looked at energy production from over 143 Enphase systems installations by Real Goods Solar, Solar Universe and Astrum Solar located in California and the Eastern US. Read more

SunSi Energies ships first international trichlorosilane order to Nitol Solar

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 21:48 (PV-Tech)

SunSi Energies advised that it had shipped 117 metric tons of trichlorosilane (TCS) from its Wendeng facility in China to Russia-based Nitol Solar. This is the first SunSi TCS order that has been bought and shipped outside of China. SunSi is in the midst of a production expansion at its Wendeng facility so that it can better accommodate large orders like the one from Nitol. The company noted that it is expecting future orders from companies outside of China as its management has been in discussions for TCS procurement with companies based in the US, Europe and Taiwan. Read more

KMSA begins technology drive program for commercial, R&D PV companies in US

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 21:34 (PV-Tech)

Konica Minolta Sensing Americas (KMSA) initially launched their Technology Test Drive Program this past July at InterSolar North America in San Francisco with the company recently advising that the program is available for all US-based commercial and R&D solar companies. The program originally sought to give educational institutions equipment like solar spectroradiometers for a one week evaluation period so that new PV industry technology could be tested by leading researchers in the industry. Read more

NRG Solar?s 20MW Roadrunner solar facility begins energy production

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 21:19 (PV-Tech)

Sitting on 210-acres of privately owned land near Santa Teresa, Mexico, NRG Solar?s, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, 20MW (AC) Roadrunner Solar Generating Facility has officially begun to produce electricity. The company noted that this is the second-largest PV plant in New Mexico and the third large-scale solar plant NRG has brought online. Solar power produced by the Roadrunner plant will be sold to El Paso Electric under a 20-year PPA. Read more

First Solar, Verve Energy, GE commence work on 10 MW-AC PV plant; First utility-scale project in Australia

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 20:56 (Solarserver)

First Solar, Inc. (Tempe, Ariz.), Verve Energy (Perth, Western Australia) and GE unit GE Energy Financial Services (Stamford, Connecticut) on August 31st, 2011 announced that Australia?s first utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power project is under way. Output from the 10-megawatt AC project on 80 hectares of cleared land 50km southeast of Geraldton will contribute to offsetting the energy requirements of the Southern Seawater Desalination Plant. Read more

PV system provider MAGE Solar to expand to Central America, South America, Caribbean

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 20:46 (Solarserver)

MAGE SOLAR (Dublin, Georgia), part of the globally operating MAGE GROUP, on August 31st, 2011 announced the expansion of its American operations into the southern and central parts of the continent as well as to the Caribbean Islands. A new sales team with special focus on this region will provide support and service to customers from Mexico to Brazil. Read more

Sol Systems launches solar project financing platform with USD 350 million in available funding

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 20:39 (Solarserver)

Sol Systems (Washington D.C.) on August 31st, 2011 announced the launch of SolMarket, a new financing platform to catalyze investment in solar energy projects nationwide by transforming how solar projects are financed. SolMarket on own account launches with over USD 350 million of committed partner funds, actively seeking solar projects in need of financing. Read more

solarhybrid starts 60.2MW expansion of FinowTower PV power plant using Suntech modules

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 17:33 (PV-Tech)

Making it the largest PV power plant under construction in Europe, solarhybrid has started construction of the second phase of a plant at the former Eberswalde/Finowfurt military airport in the district of Schorfheide, northeast of Berlin. An additional 60.2MW of modules will be added, which is expected to result in a total capacity of 84.5MW. The contract for the expansion given to solarhybrid is worth approximately ?111.5 million. FinowTower II, is expected to be on line in late December, 2011. Read more

Sharp Solar competition winner walks away with installer certification under his tool belt

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 14:17 (Solarpowerportal)

After fending off competition from almost 200 keen applicants, Sharp Solar’s installer competition winner has now completed his training. Walking away as a competent solar photovoltaics installer, Matthew Hawkins of Pembrokeshire, Wales now plans to complete his Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation in order to begin bringing solar power to UK homes. Read more

Applied Materials unveils new PV cell production system to drive the next wave of solar manufacturing

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 13:42 (Solarserver)

Applied Materials, Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif.) on August 31st, 2011 announced its new Applied Baccini Pegaso solar photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturing platform that enables customers to bring their novel, high-efficiency cell designs into mass production. The Pegaso platform fabricates electrical circuits on both sides of a solar cell - a process that includes multiple screen-printed metallization steps, metrology and sorting, the technology provider explains. Read more

PV manufacturer Solyndra suspends production, files for chapter 11 bankruptcy

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 12:57 (Solarserver)

On August 31st, 2011, Solyndra LLC (Fremont, California, U.S.) announced that it will suspend manufacturing operations and file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing global economic and solar industry market conditions. The company will also immediately lay off roughly 1,100 full-time and temporary employees. Read more

NLP Solar Sales Training Webinar September 14th & 15th

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 0:50 (Renewable Energy World)

Read more

LanzaTech, Virent, RTI Land DOE Grants for Drop-in Biofuels

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 16:20 (Renewable Energy World)

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced up to $12 million to fund three small-scale projects in Illinois, Wisconsin, and North Carolina that aim to commercialize novel conversion technologies to accelerate the development of advanced, drop-in biofuels and other valuable bio-based chemicals. Read more

Testing the Water for Bioenergy Crops

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Energy researchers and environmental advocates are excited about the prospect of gaining more efficient large-scale biofuel production by using large grasses like miscanthus or switchgrass rather than corn. Read more

Energy storage: ZBB Energy forms JV to enter Chinese energy storage market

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 20:34 (Solarserver)

On August 30th, 2011, ZBB Energy Corporation (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.) announced that it will form a joint venture (JV) to produce its products in China for sale in China and Taiwan. The new company will build a manufacturing facility in Wuhu City, China, which will being operations in early 2012. Read more

Ameresco (AMRC): Clean Energy One-stop Shop

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 18:59 (Renewable Energy World)

Contrary to common belief, the greatest barrier to the adoption of clean energy is not the cost. In many cases, cost is not a barrier at all: it's an advantage. That's because energy efficiency measures are usually so cost-effective that they not only pay for themselves, they can often pay for the addition of flashier clean energy technologies such as solar and wind. Read more

Good Energy will source one third of its energy from the sun

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 18:42 (Solarpowerportal)

After committing to freeze its electricity prices until 2012 renewable electricity supplier Good Energy has stepped up its commitment to solar energy, aiming to source one third of its electricity from the power of the sun. This news marks a major milestone for the industry, as solar previously represented less than 1% of the company’s output. Read more

Largest trial of home energy management systems kicks off in the UK

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 13:22 (Solarpowerportal)

Today the largest trial of home energy management systems kicks off in the UK as Climate Energy launches SmartHomes2020. The pilot scheme will see 5,000 homeowners receive a free solar photovoltaics installation combined with a home energy management system from PassivSystems. Read more

Sustainable Energy reports revenue, product shipment growth in most recent quarter

Thursday, 9.1.2011 - 12:57 (Solarserver)

On August 30th, 2011, Sustainable Energy Technologies Ltd. (Toronto, Canada) released financial results for the nine month period ending June 30th, 2011, reporting product sales of USD 2.82 million, more than double its revenues for the same period one year prior. The company reported USD 1.1 million in revenues in its most recent quarter, a 40% increase over the previous quarter. The company also reported a 45% increase in product shipments over the previous quarter, as well as an 81% increase over the prior quarter. Read more