Ledico to sell Yingli Solar modules in Israel

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 22:02 (PV-Tech)

Yingli Green Energy has signed an agreement with Ledico in order to make the company its exclusive sales partner in Israel. Under the terms of the agreement, Ledico will sell and promote Yingli Solar modules in Israel. ?We are pleased to select Ledico as our exclusive sales partner in Israel,? said Liansheng Miao, chairman and chief executive officer of Yingli Green Energy. ?We are confident that this partnership will facilitate our sales expansion in Israel by delivering our high quality products and comprehensive services to local customers.? Read more

Canadian Solar modules awarded CSA1000V certification

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

CSA International has confirmed that Canadian Solar modules are able to receive 1000V of maximum system voltage under the newly issued CSA1000V certification.  CSA International tests products for compliance to national and international standards with its certification marks ensuring the product complies with standards written or administered by the ANSI, UL, CSA, NSF and other institutions. Read more

Heraeus offers words of wisdom to EU discouraging anti-dumping charges against China

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 16:53 (PV-Tech)

Heraeus has joined the SolarWorld mêlée offering words of wisdom its to peers. The Hanau, Germany-based precious metals and technology group, believes the European Union should reject the recently-filed complaint by SolarWorld that seeks the introduction of import duties on solar modules manufactured in China. Read more

German PV project developer GP JOULE continues to grow in 1H 2012

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 15:33 (Solarserver)

On August 3rd, 2012, solar photovoltaic (PV) project developer GP JOULE (Reußenköge, Germany) announced that it has continued to grow in the first half of 2012. The company states that it is overseeing the construction of power plants with a total output of nearly 75 MW in the current year (14 MW wind and 61 MW solar energy capacity) at sites in Germany and abroad. Despite an overall poor year for the solar industry, this figure is a record for the company, GP JOULE emphasizes. Read more

Suntech delivers more than 1 GW of PV modules to the Americas

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 15:21 (Solarserver)

Suntech Power Holdings Company Ltd. (Wuxi, China) has announced that during July 2012 it reached a cumulative total of more than 1 GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules delivered to customers throughout North and South America. Suntech's U.S. subsidiary was founded in 2007, and in 2010 the company opened a PV module production facility in Goodyear in the U.S. state of Arizona, with an annual production capacity of 30 MW. This has since expanded to 50 MW. Globally, the company estimates that it has shipped roughly 7 GW of PV modules to customers in more than 80 nations. Read more

SDG&E receives award for smart grid deployment program

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 15:16 (Solarserver)

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E, San Diego, California, U.S.) announced that it has received the 2012 POWER Smart Grid Award from ?POWER magazine? for its smart grid deployment program. SDG&E's smart grid deployment plan calls for an investment of USD 3.5 billion from 2006 through 2020, which will result in between USD 3.8 and USD 7.1 billion in related benefits and newfound efficiencies. Read more

Helios supplies Dynalectric with 1.7 MW of large-format PV modules

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 12:38 (Solarserver)

Helios Solar Works (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.) has supplied Dynalectric Company San Diego (San Diego, California, U.S.) with 1.7 MW of its 410 and 415 W 9T6 series monocrystalline solar photovoltaic (PV) modules for a plant at the Marine Corp Recruiting Depot (MCRD) in San Diego. Helios supplied PV modules produced at its factory in Milwaukee in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, and states that these large-format modules provided both cost and time savings. The ground-mounted PV plant was commissioned on July 9th, 2012. Read more

Deputy prime minister promises UK will not be ?left behind? in renewables revolution

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 11:53 (PV-Tech)

The UK?s deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, has reiterated the coalition?s commitment to driving the uptake of renewables in the UK during his opening speech at the Government?s British Business Embassy on Energy at Lancaster House on August 6. Read more

RenuEn obtains 50 MW PV project in Pakistan

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 10:12 (Solarserver)

RenuEn Corporation (Union, New Jersey, U.S.) has announced that is has obtained a 50 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Pakistan through its pending acquisition of Team Energy Inc. (St. Cloud, Florida, U.S.). The project will be managed by a foreign operating subsidiary, which is joining RenuEn upon closing of the acquisition. The USD 200 million project already holds a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Government of Pakistan. Read more

Blue Earth to build 3.5 MW of PV in Hawaii

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 10:07 (Solarserver)

Blue Earth Inc. (Henderson, Nevada, U.S.) has acquired the rights to build seven solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in the U.S. state of Hawaii for a combined capacity of 3.5 MW-DC. The company states that the projects, located on the island of Oahu, are valued at roughly USD 15 million. Blue Earth expects to begin construction on two projects in the third quarter of 2012 and the remaining five in the fourth quarter of 2012, and to complete all seven by the end of the first quarter of 2013. Read more

Suntech Power Holdings delivers more than 1GW of solar panels to the Americas

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 22:15 (PV-Tech)

Suntech Power Holdings revealed that in July 2012 it had achieved the milestone of delivering more than 1GW of solar panels to customers in North and South America. The company noted that it is one of the first global solar companies with a 1GW delivery record for the region. Worldwide, Suntech has shipped more than 7GW of its solar panels to over 1,000 customers in more than 80 countries. Read more

Conergy completes 1.8MW Aqua Pickering Solar Farm installation

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 21:54 (PV-Tech)

Conergy has successfully completed the installation of its 1.8MW solar project at Aqua Pennsylvania?s Pickering water treatment facility. The Aqua Pickering Solar Farm produces 2.3kWh of peak-time energy per year and is expected to generate nearly 50,0000MWh of solar electricity over its lifetime. Read more

Order Focus: JA Solar signs 47MW supply agreement with UK?s A Shade Greener

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

JA Solar Holdings advised that it had recently entered into a supply agreement with UK-based PV installer A Shade Greener, which will see the company deliver 47MW of its crystalline solar modules. Shipments are expected to begin this month. Read more

SolarWorld celebrates fifth year anniversary in Hillsboro, US, plant

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 19:15 (PV-Tech)

It appears the waivered salary of 2011 from Frank Asbeck, CEO for SolarWorld, was not wasted. The company has invested a total of US$27million to upgrade and replace several factory systems at its Hillsboro, Oregan, US plant. This particular facility was considered to be one of the ?last plants standing? in September 2011 because production lines were shuttered in Germany and throughout the US. The Hillsboro location also houses a demonstration park to debut technological advances, it hopes will boost the power output of its high-performance solar panels. The new initiatives push SolarWorld?s total capital investment in Hillsboro to more than US$600 million. Read more

Trio joins forces for 5MW Bahrain solar project

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 19:02 (PV-Tech)

Petra Solar, Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) and the National Oil & Gas Authority (NOGA) have come together to collaborate on a 5MW smart solar energy project. The announcement has been particularly welcomed by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB). Read more

20MW Argentine solar project gets the go-ahead

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 18:10 (PV-Tech)

Argentina?s energy department has given the thumbs up to a 20MW solar project in the western province of the country?s wine capital Mendoza, the director of energy for the province, Alejandro Burlot, tells Photon. Read more

SPI Solar?s 6.4MW total Greek facilities complete

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 17:49 (PV-Tech)

With PPAs signed in April this year between Thermi-Taneo Venture Capital Fund and SPI Solar, the construction and connection of two solar facilities in Greece has been announced. A 2MW development in Evros and a 4.4MW plant in Orestiada are both providing power to the Greek Public Power Corporation through 20-year PPAs. Read more

GCL-Poly to construct 973MW solar projects in China

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 16:45 (PV-Tech)

GCL-Poly Energy Holdings, a supplier of polysilicon, has signed a cooperative letter of intent with China Merchants New Energy to join forces to invest, develop and construct 973MW PV solar projects in China. Furthermore, GCL-Poly has also agreed to jointly develop new PV projects overseas. Read more

Mole Valley Farmers installs 180kWp across six stores

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 16:23 (Solarpowerportal)

South West retailer, Mole Valley Farmers (MVF), has installed solar arrays on six of its nine stores across the region. In partnership with local installer, Source Renewable, 180kWp of solar capacity was installed on MVF?s suitable store estate. Read more

Freewatt set to extend Lincolnshire solar farm

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 16:04 (Solarpowerportal)

Stow-based solar specialist, Freewatt has announced plans to add another 8,300 solar modules to its 1.14MW solar development at its Danes Farm development. Read more

Wind and Solar Developers Get Access to U.S. Land Used by Pentagon

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 15:49 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.S. will give wind- and solar- energy companies access to 16 million acres of federal land previously set aside for military testing and training. Read more

SunPower introduces Solar Science Academy at school districts in California and Arizona

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 15:27 (Solarserver)

On August 2nd, 2012, SunPower Corp. (San Jose, California, U.S.) announced that it has introduced its Solar Science Academy to more than 140 students from six K-12 school districts in California and Arizona. Each week-long program features solar-focused curriculum with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), blending lectures and field trips with problem-solving discussions and practical applications of knowledge, the company says. Read more

JA Solar to supply 47 MW of PV modules to A Shade Greener in the U.K.

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 15:25 (Solarserver)

JA Solar Holdings Company Ltd. (Shanghai, China) has signed an agreement to supply 47 MW of its crystalline silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to A Shade Greener (ASG, Barnsley, U.K.) for installations in the United Kingdom. Shipments of the modules began in August 2012. ASG describes its service as "free solar panels", which it achieves by leveraging payments made through the nation's feed-in tariff. Read more

Envision Solar to give presentation on solar shaded parking solutions for U.S. Green Building Council

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 15:22 (Solarserver)

On August 2nd, 2012, Envision Solar International Inc. (San Diego, California, U.S.), a designer and developer of solar shaded parking arrays, announced that it has been invited to present the benefits and values of high quality solar shading parking infrastructure to a LEED certified members group of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Read more

Making Projects Happen with Group Net Metering Policies

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Almost every state in the country has net metering laws on the books. But only a few states allow a lesser-known policy that is critical for the expansion of distributed renewables, particularly community-scale solar ? that?s aggregate, virtual, or group net metering.  And there are a lot of good reasons to want to see its expansion. The basic prem Read more

Ascent Solar Technologies to supply BIPV laminates to Foxconn?s new Chinese plant

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 13:16 (PV-Tech)

Ascent Solar Technologies, a developer of flexible thin-film PV modules, has signed an agreement to supply BIPV thin-film laminates to Foxconn. The laminates will be used as part of a pilot installation at Foxconn?s new plant in Zhenzhou City, Henan Province, China. Foxconn is a specialist in the manufacture of electronic devices and produces products such as the iPad and iPhone. Read more

Ascent Solar Technologies to supply BIPV modules to Foxconn?s new Chinese plant

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

Ascent Solar Technologies, a developer of flexible thin-film PV modules, has signed an agreement to supply BIPV solar modules to Foxconn. The modules will be used as part of a pilot installation at Foxconn?s new plant in Zhenzhou City, Henan Province, China. Foxconn is a specialist in the manufacture of electronic devices and produces products such as the iPad and iPhone. Read more

Aleo Solar reports declining revenues, losses in 1H 2012

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 12:34 (Solarserver)

Aleo Solar AG (Prenzlau, Germany) has released financial results for the first six months of 2012 and reports EUR 166 million (USD 206 million) in revenues, a 28% decline over the first six months of 2011. The company also reported a -14% operating margin and a net loss of EUR 24.3 million (USD 30.1 million). Aleo states that it expects a surge in business in Germany in the remainder of 2012. Read more

Solar Summit Freiburg 2012 to be held in October in Germany

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 12:20 (Solarserver)

The International Conference on Highlights and Trends in Solar Energy, Solar Summit Freiburg, will be held at the Konzerthaus conference center in Freiburg, Germany, from October 18th, 2012, through October 19th, 2012. The conference will provide an overview of solar energy conversion technologies. In addition to the latest research and development, discussions will also cover current market and political trends. This year, the focus of the conference is sustainable urban development, under the headline "The Future Sustainable City". Read more

LDK Solar mourns loss of laboratory director professor Rongqiang Cui

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 12:15 (Solarserver)

On August 3rd, 2012, LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) announced that Professor Rongqiang Cui passed away at the age of 71. He was director of the company's laboratory at Shanghai Jiaotong University. Professor Cui joined LDK Solar in September 2005 as the director of laboratory at Shanghai Jiaotong University. He began solar energy research in 1971 and became the head of the solar research institute of Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1997. Read more

Solar installer Co-operative begins Bristol rollout

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 10:41 (Solarpowerportal)

The Bristol Area Solar Installers Co-operative (BASIC) has begun the installation of the first solar panels in its innovative Lockleaze ?Streets of Solar? scheme. The solar scheme marks the first of a potential 300 arrays to be installed across the Lockleaze area of Bristol. Read more

Joju Solar: tariff cuts distract from real solar story

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 9:17 (Solarpowerportal)

London-based solar installer, Joju Solar, has announced that it is unfazed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change?s (DECC) latest round of feed-in tariff cuts which are dominating the headlines. Read more

Are the Batteries Ready? 100% Clean Energy Requires Progress on Storage

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In the long run, there?s no avoiding energy storage for a 100% renewable energy society.  The two major sources of renewable power are wind and sun, and they are either fickle or reliably not available at night. The problem is that the simplest energy storage option for electricity is batteries, and this image from Wikipedia (hat tip to Robert Rapi Read more

GCL-Poly, China Merchants New Energy, China Technology Development Group announces PV projects in the PRC and abroad totaling about 1GW within the next three years

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 10:18 (Solarserver)

On August 2nd, 2012 GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Limited (GCL, Hong Kong) announced that GCL-Poly Investment Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of GCL, China Merchants New Energy Limited and China Technology Development Group Corporation signed a strategic cooperative letter of intent (LOI). The companies will collaborate on the investment, development and construction of solar photovoltaic (PV) power projects in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and abroad of no less than 973MW in the next three years during the period of 2013-2015, based on each party?s comparative advantages. Read more

U.S. military and Interior Department to develop renewable energy projects on military lands

Tuesday, 8.7.2012 - 10:02 (Solarserver)

The United States Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of the Interior have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together to support development of renewable energy projects on public lands set aside for military purposes, as well as other offshore and onshore areas near military installations. DoD installations cover an estimated 110,000 square kilometers, and the DoD notes that about 53,000 square kilometers of this land is in areas high in wind, solar and geothermal resources. Developing this potential will support other DoD goals and initiatives, including a goal for each of the military services to reach 1 GW of renewable energy on or near its installations Read more