Globeleq Generation closes financing for 100 MW of PV plants in South Africa

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 18:58 (Solarserver)

On November 13th, 2012, Globeleq Generation Ltd. (London, United Kingdom) announced that it has reached financial closing for its three renewable energy projects in South Africa, including two 100 megawatt (MW) solar projects. The three projects include: the 50-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in De Aar; the 50-MW solar farm in Droogfontein; and the 138-MW Jeffreys Bay wind farm on the Eastern Cape. Read more

Financial close reached on two 75 MW-DC PV projects in South Africa

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 16:06 (Solarserver)

A consortium consisting of SolarReserve (Santa Monica, California, U.S.), the Kensani Group (Johannesburg, South Africa), and Intikon Energy (South Africa) has successfully closed financing on two 75 MW-DC solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in South Africa. The Letsatasi Project and the Lesedi Project were selected by the South African Department of Energy in the first round of bids under its independent producer renewable energy procurement program. Equity for the projects was provided by the IDEAS Managed Fund, Kensani Capital Investments, GCL-Poly Energy, SolarReserve and Intikon, with Rand Merchant Bank providing share equity. Read more

Qatar National Convention Center installs PV plant in anticipation of COP18

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 10:15 (Solarserver)

On November 3rd, 2012, Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC, Doha, Qatar) announced the installation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant that will provide electricity during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP18/CMP8). The first of its kind in the region, QNCC's design includes 3,500 square meters of solar panels which will cover up to 12.5% of the centre's energy needs across the complex each day during the COP18/CMP8. Read more

Prologis building first to participate in San Francisco's new commercial PACE program

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 10:10 (Solarserver)

San Francisco has launched an energy efficiency and renewable energy financing program for commercial buildings, based on the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) model. The first business to participate in the program will be Prologis Inc. (San Francisco, California, U.S.), which has hired Johnson Controls Inc. (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.) to design and implement an energy retrofit including a 200 kW rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) plant. Read more

Concentrating solar power: European Investment Bank provides USD 50 million for South African CSP project

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 19:16 (Solarserver)

On November 7th, 2012, the European Investment Bank announced that it has agreed to provide EUR 50 million (USD 63.9 million) for the Khi Solar One Project concentrating solar power (CSP) project in South Africa. The 50 megawatt (MW) Khi Solar One project, which is the first large CSP project in sub-Saharan Africa, is located on a 600 hectare site close to Upington, in South Africa's Northern Cape Province. Read more

Solar Frontier, Sustainable Energy Technologies complete residential PV system using Paralex energy optimizing technology

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 19:09 (Solarserver)

On November 13th, 2012, Sustainable Energy Technologies Ltd. (Calgary, Canada) announced that it has completed installation of the first Solar Frontier Americas (Santa Clara, California, U.S.) residential solar photovoltaic (PV) system using Paralex energy optimizing technology. The system was installed in the Alberta foothills, using Solar Frontier's high performance CIS modules with Paralex inverters. Read more

Blackstone launches solar programme for portfolio companies

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 19:03 (PV-Tech)

US investment firm Blackstone has launched a solar programme which aims to improve the environmental performance across its portfolio of companies and real estate assets. Read more

Tariff boosts solar shipments in Japan

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 18:55 (PV-Tech)

The domestic shipment of solar cells and modules rose 80% in the July-September quarter of this year, following the introduction of a feed-in tariff in the country. Read more

SunShot offers US$2.6 million towards solar technology research

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 18:05 (PV-Tech)

Research laboratory SLAC has been awarded over US$2.6 million from the US Department of Energy to undertake three research projects into cheaper materials and manufacturing techniques for solar panels. Read more

REC completes 14.8MW PV plants in Germany

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 17:44 (PV-Tech)

REC, a provider of solar services, has announced it has completed the installation of two PV power plants in Germany ? a 3.8MW PV plant in Schongau and an 11MW PV array in Schependorf. Read more

The Question Day 32: What is the Most Difficult Issue Facing the Solar Industry?

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 17:25 (Renewable Energy World)

It's been a year of both continued expansion and mounting challenges for the global solar industry. RenewableEnergyWorld asked solar industry executives to share their thoughts and insights on one burning question: Read more

Japan Domestic Solar Shipments Rise 80 Percent, JPEA Says

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 17:18 (Renewable Energy World)

Japan's domestic shipments of solar cells and modules rose 80 percent in the July-September quarter after the government started an incentive program for clean energy in the first month of the period. Read more

GT Buys Twin Creeks' Thin Solar Wafer Tech To Move Beyond Solar Market

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 17:04 (Renewable Energy World)

GT Advanced Technologies has bought an ultra-thin silicon wafer technology that it says will help reduce the price of producing solar electricity and creates new markets beyond solar for the company, said GT's CEO, Tom Gutierrez, on Thursday. Read more

Canadian Solar reports success with project pipeline as revenues fall 35% year-over-year

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 16:12 (Solarserver)

Canadian Solar Inc. (Guelph, Canada) has released financial results for the third quarter of 2012, reporting a 35% year-over-year decline in revenues to USD 325 million, a -11% operating margin and a net loss of USD 43.6 million. The company reported an 8.2% year-over-year solar photovoltaic (PV) module shipment increase to 384 MW, however it notes that average sales prices (ASPs) have fallen faster than manufacturing costs. Canadian Solar also reports progress in its project pipeline in multiple nations and increased efficiencies from its ELPS PV cell technology. Read more

Government rifts will ?destroy confidence? in UK solar industry

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 16:03 (PV-Tech)

Apparent attempts by senior government figures to dismantle UK renewable energy commitments will prove ?disastrous? to solar and other clean technologies, leading industry figures have warned. Read more

Canadian Solar expects 50% of business to come from PV projects

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 15:26 (PV-Tech)

Canadian Solar?s CEO expects 50% of its revenue will be generated from its PV power plant project business in the next two years, marking a significant shift in its business model. Read more

Solar Struggle: A Rise Of Poorly Made PV Modules?

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 14:51 (Renewable Energy World)

Has the pressure to compete in a world market beset by an equipment glut and plummeting prices over the past two years led to an increase in poor quality solar panels? Read more

Secret energy film will ?destroy? confidence in solar

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 14:48 (Solarpowerportal)

Apparent attempts by senior government figures to dismantle UK renewable energy commitments will prove ?disastrous? to solar and other clean technologies, leading industry figures have warned. Read more

Flanders PV installed capacity falls by 69.15%

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 14:00 (PV-Tech)

Solar PV installed capacity in Flanders, Belgium, experienced a 69.15% drop this year since 2011. Read more

The Solar Foundation: U.S. solar installations, sales jobs increase as solar manufacturing declines

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 10:05 (Solarserver)

The Solar Foundation (TSF) has released its National Solar Jobs Census 2012, which finds that installation remains the largest sub-sector of U.S. solar jobs, employing over 57,000 Americans, a 17% increase over 2011. Sales and distribution jobs also increased 23% to over 16,000 jobs. The organization previously released overall employment numbers, finding that employment in the solar sector grew 13% in 2012 to 119,000 American workers. Read more

SolarWorld reports heavy losses in the first nine months of 2012

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 9:58 (Solarserver)

SolarWorld AG (Bonn, Germany) has published results for the first nine months of 2012, reporting a 38% year-over-year decline in revenues to EUR 469 million (USD 597 million), despite a 13% increase in solar photovoltaic (PV) module shipments to 431 MW. The company also reported a -40% operating margin and a net loss of EUR 230 million (USD 293 million). The company staes that an increase in shipments was not enough to compensate for an estimated 40% drop in global PV prices since the beginning of 2012. Read more

SPI Solar reports sales increase, negative margins in 3Q 2012

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 9:49 (Solarserver)

SPI Solar Inc. (Roseville, California, U.S.) has released results for the third quarter of 2012, reporting a 5.2% year-over-year increase in revenues to USD 36.2 million, a -14% operating margin and a net loss of USD 7.2 million. The company downgraded its 2012 revenue guidance to between USD 100 and 120 million, which it blames on delays on solar photovoltaic (PV) projects that utilize modules from parent company LDK Solar Inc. (Xinyu City, China) and construction funding from the China Development Bank (Beijing, China). Read more

Harnessing the Winds of Bipartisanship

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 21:57 (Renewable Energy World)

Rare is the occasion when Democrats and Republicans share a common interest to resolve any particular issue. But wind energy has garnered large bipartisan support lately as proponents of the Production Tax Credit fight for its extension before the end of the year, when it is scheduled to expire. Read more

Hot Rock Ltd. May Build 50-Megawatt Geothermal Plant in Peru

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 20:58 (Renewable Energy World)

Japan's domestic shipments of solar cells and modules rose 80 percent in the July-September quarter after the government started an incentive program for clean energy in the first month of the period. Read more

Now Re-elected, President Obama Should Examine US Renewable Rank

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 19:43 (Renewable Energy World)

In his stirring acceptance speech, re-elected President Barack Obama noted that climate change would be on the agenda in his second administration ? despite its marked absence during the campaign. Read more

Clenergy completes 40 MW PV plant in China

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 19:02 (Solarserver)

On November 5th, 2012, Clenergy (Xiamen, China) announced that it has developed a 40 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power project for an unnamed Chinese solar company. The PV system, located in Jiayuguan, China, is an expansion project of an existing 12 MW plant, bringing the total capacity to 52 MW. Read more

Worldwide Energy Savings, No Magic Required: IEA Report

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 15:03 (Renewable Energy World)

Is all this effort to save energy worth it? Consider this. Had we neglected energy efficiency from 1980 to 2010, worldwide energy use would be 35 percent higher. What does this mean? Look at the amount of energy used in the world?s two largest economies ? the United States and China. That?s about how much energy the world saved.  This comes from Wo Read more

Poll: Renewable energy helped swing US election

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 13:55 (PV-Tech)

The electorate in key swing states that voted Democrat in last week?s US election support renewable energy, suggesting the issue was an influential determinant in President Obama?s victory, research claims. Read more

Increasing Interest in Carbon Tax Could Improve Outlook for Renewable Energy

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 13:17 (Renewable Energy World)

Exxon Mobil Corp. is part of a growing coalition backing a carbon tax as an alternative to costly regulation, giving newfound prominence to an idea once anathema in Washington. Read more

Clean Tech Accelerator Funds New Ideas for Global Renewable Energy Applications

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 12:33 (Renewable Energy World)

Scores of clean tech company CEOs pitched their leading-edge ideas to seed capital angels and venture capitalists at this year's Clean Tech Open 2012 Global Forum, in San Jose, California. Held at the Hayes Mansion on November 8 and 9, the meeting is the culmination of numerous regional competitions by the organization, which has helped over 600 companies raise over $660 million in financing since 2006. After a 10-minute business plan pitch heard by over a thousand attendees, company finalists were quizzed by a panel of judges to compete for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in start up capital. Read more

AEG Power Solutions Renewable Energy Solutions revenues fall in 3Q 2012

Thursday, 11.15.2012 - 9:54 (Solarserver)

AEG Power Solutions (Zwanenburg, the Netherlands) has released third quarter 2012 results, reporting a 32% drop in revenue in its Renewable Energy Solutions (RES) business to EUR 42.3 million (USD 53.8 million), which it blames on a decline in sales in its power controller business. AEG warns that 2013 will be challenging for the company, given both macroeconomic issues and challenges in the polysilicon industry. The company has implemented a cost reduction program, including laying off 100 employees in its Energy Efficiency Solutions EES division. Read more