Schneider inverter seals 100MW of Indian business

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 16:59 (PV-Tech)

Energy management company Schneider Electric has secured over 100MW worth of projects in India with its new Conext Core XC Inverter in the three months since its launch. Read more

Bloomberg New Energy Finance study classifies Conergy as a Tier 1 PV module manufacturer

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 16:55 (Solarserver)

In its latest study, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) classified Conergy AG (Hamburg, Germany) as one of the so-called ?Tier 1? manufacturers of crystalline photovoltaic modules. Bankability is the key criterion for tiering: ?In most cases, banks are the strictest party when it comes to verifying the quality of the components and engineering, procurement and construction services providers (EPCs). By ?bankable? we understand manufacturers whose modules would be financed in non-recourse projects by non-development banks. Such modules need to have historically high quality standards," BNEF accentuates. Read more

Solectria launches high-efficiency "smart grid" PV inverter

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 16:49 (Solarserver)

Solectria Renewables LLC (Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S.) has unveiled a new 500 kW smart grid inverter which offers 97.5% CEC efficiency and a peak efficiency of 98.1%. Solectria states that this gives the SGI 500PE the highest efficiency among inverters of its kind. The SGI line offers options including VAR support, voltage and frequency ride-through, controlled ramp rates and real power curtailment. Read more

Mild U.K. feed-in tariff cuts take effect

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 16:40 (Solarserver)

New feed-in tariff rates for solar photovoltaic (PV) generation came into effect in the United Kingdom on November 1st, 2012, as the first round of cuts under a new schedule to reduce rates on a quarterly basis. The new rates will reduce rates for residential PV plants slightly to GBP 0.1544/kWh (USD 0.249/kWh), with commercial rates falling to GBP 0.131/kWh (USD 0.211/kWh), and rates for larger plants remaining at GBP 0.115/kWh (USD 0.185/kWh). Read more

Sharp sees decline in Solar Cell division sales

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 12:56 (Solarserver)

Sharp Corporation (Osaka, Japan) has released results for the six month period ending September 30th, 2012, reporting a 16% decrease in sales in its Solar Cells division to USD 1.16 billion as well as a -13% operating margin in the division. Sharp states that this is mostly due to declining demand in Europe, partially offset by an increase in sales of large PV projects in Japan. Overall, the company saw a 16% decline in revenues to USD 13.8 billion, a -15% operating margin and a net loss of USD 4.84 billion. Read more

Schneider Electric supplies inverters for over 100 MW of Indian PV projects

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 12:54 (Solarserver)

Schneider Electric SA (Rueil-Malmaison, France) has announced that it has won contracts to supply its Conext Core XC inverter to more than 100 megawatt (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in India in the three months since the product's launch. The Conext Core XC Series is a new line of central inverters designed for ground-mounted PV plants and large commercial buildings. The line offers peak efficiencies up to 98.9% and a "fast sweep" maximum power point (MPPT) algorithm. Read more

IMS Research: PV installations in SE Asia to reach 5 GW by 2016

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 9:40 (Solarserver)

IMS Research (Wellingborough, U.K.) has released a new report which predicts that cumulative solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in Southeast Asia will reach 5 GW by 2016. "The PV market in South East Asia" expects PV markets in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines to increase an average of 50% annually over the next five years, exceeding 1 GW by 2015. The report also notes that while Thailand has been the biggest market to date, other markets are expected to grow. Read more

Eurus Energy receives US$108 million loan to build solar plant

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 22:19 (PV-Tech)

Eurus Energy Holdings will receive a loan for ¥8.6 billion (US$108 million) from the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ in order to construct a 30MW solar plant. Read more

Gestamp to create 100MW solar project in India

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 20:58 (PV-Tech)

Reports state that Southern Solar will build a 100MW solar farm, in phases, in Tamil Nadu, India. Read more

Southern Solar to create 100MW solar project in India

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 20:58 (PV-Tech)

Reports state that Southern Solar will build a 100MW solar farm, in phases, in Tamil Nadu, India. Read more

SolarTech, The Solar Foundation release paper on solar industry?s workforce development needs

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 20:44 (PV-Tech)

The Solar Foundation, SolarTech and the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) have collaborated on a new report delving into the solar industry?s workforce development needs. Read more

JFE Holdings to build six solar projects in Japan

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 20:25 (PV-Tech)

Bloomberg has reported that JFE Holdings will develop six solar projects in Japan with a combined 40MW capacity. Read more

Schott Solar delivers 17,000 PTR 70 receivers to project in India

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 20:18 (PV-Tech)

Schott Solar has completed delivery of over 17,000 of its PTR 70 receivers to Godawari Green Energy. Read more

Patrick Markschläger appointed managing director at Schott Solar CSP

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 20:08 (PV-Tech)

Patrick Markschläger, managing director of Schott Solar Thin Film, succeeds Christoph Fark as managing director of Schott Solar CSP. Read more

The Question Day 23: What is the Most Difficult Issue Facing the Solar Industry?

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 18:20 (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

Sonnedix and Yarotek break ground on 12MW solar park in Puerto Rico

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 16:53 (PV-Tech)

PV project developer Sonnedix and Yarotek have broken ground on their 12MW Salinas Solar Park, the first of three proposed solar power projects by the two companies. Joined by government representatives, the companies celebrated at a groundbreaking ceremony in Salinas, Puerto Rico. Read more

Showa Shell Sekiyu, Solar Frontier to develop 2 MW solar system atop Kunitomi plant

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 16:45 (Solarserver)

On October 30th, 2012, Showa Shell Sekiyu (Tokyo, Japan) and Solar Frontier (Tokyo, Japan) announced plans to develop a 2 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant on the rooftop of Solar Frontier's CIS thin-film solar module manufacturing facility in Kunitomi, Japan. Read more

JinkoSolar supplies 5.7 MW of PV modules for plant in Thuringia, Germany

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 16:35 (Solarserver)

JinkoSolar Holding Company Ltd. (Shanghai, China) has supplied 5.7 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules for an 11.6 MW PV plant in the German state of Thuringia. Energiebauern GmbH (Sielenbach, Germany) built the plant on an abandoned strip mine in Starkenberg, Thuringia, as the largest project of its kind in the state. Read more

First Solar back to full-capacity utilisation in Q4

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 16:34 (PV-Tech)

Despite lower Q3 2012 revenue of US$839 million, down from US$957 million in the last quarter, First Solar said that CdTe thin-film module production increased 33% from Q2 levels reaching 490MW. Read more

Tokmak Solar Energy announces 22 MW PV project in Ukraine

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 16:27 (Solarserver)

Tokmak Solar Energy LLC (Zaporizhia region, Ukraine) is to launch the first phase of a 1.5 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant by the end of 2012, according to Tokmak Solar Energy Director Oleksandr Repkin. "The first phase, with a capacity of 1.5 MW will be completed by the end of the year, the plant's total capacity will be 22-23 MW," Repkin said after receiving a five-year license for the supply of electricity at a non-regulated tariff, which was issued by the National Commission for Energy Regulation. Read more

SolarCity to install PV in nine California schools

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 16:08 (PV-Tech)

Installer SolarCity has unveiled plans for a 1.3MW project to bring renewable energy to nine schools in Martinez, California. Read more

US solar jobs increase by 13%

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 16:03 (PV-Tech)

The number of people employed by the US solar power industry increased by over 13% since 2011, according to non-profit solar education and research organisation, the Solar Foundation. Read more

Why the US Solar PV Industry Will Survive and Thrive

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 15:09 (Renewable Energy World)

First ? the photovoltaic industry is global and all regions participate in the good times and the hard times, though, not always at the same time and in the same way. For example, as demand side participants in Europe (installers, system integrators, et al) enjoyed serving the largest market for solar installations, the region's manufacturers steadily lost share. In the U.S., demand has soared (thanks in part to the grant in lieu of ITC, which expired at the end of 2011), while U.S. technology manufacturers are struggling, in some cases failing. Read more

Solar Industry Grows 13.2 Percent, Adds 13K Jobs

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 13:15 (Renewable Energy World)

News of job growth is always a good thing. But when that news just so happens to apply to a segment as beset with challenges as the solar industry, it crosses the line from good to great. Today, The Solar Foundation (TSF) announced encouraging statistics that show despite recent setbacks and reports of layoffs, the U.S. solar industry is expanding at a clip greater than eight times that of the overall economy. Read more

SGI-Mitabu secures funds for 50MW plant in Indonesia

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 12:51 (PV-Tech)

SGI-Mitabu, a company formed by two Australian firms The Solar Guys International and Mitabu Australia, has announced that it has secured the necessary finances to fund the first phase of its planned 250MW PV projects in Indonesia. Read more

Barker once more quotes 22GW by 2020 solar ?ambition?

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 12:42 (Solarpowerportal)

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker has once again publicly declared his desire to see the UK solar market reach 22GW by 2020. Read more

First Solar revenues decline, margins maintained in 3Q 2012 as manufacturing prices fall

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 9:31 (Solarserver)

First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Arizona, U.S.) has released results for the third quarter of 2012, reporting a -17% year-over-year decline in revenues to USD 839 million, a 13% operating margin, and a net income of USD 87.9 million. First Solar states that its decrease in net sales is a reflection to fluctuating project activity, including the completion of the Silver State North solar photovoltaic (PV) plant and reduced construction activity at the Agua Caliente plant. The company's manufacturing costs fell to USD 0.67 per watt during the quarter, excluding its soon-to-be closed factory in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany. Read more

Biofuels: New Capital Structures Needed for New Times?

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 19:49 (Renewable Energy World)

Inevitably ? since Hallowe'en coincides with election time, there has been a lot of talk at ABM around the policy instruments by which renewable fuels might be advanced. Read more

Mexico Aims for 12 GW of Wind Power by 2020

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 20:55 (Renewable Energy World)

Developers familiar with Mexico's rapid installation of wind power projects are predicting that the country can ramp up from 1,000 MW of current capacity to as much as 12 GW by 2020. The prediction was made at 19th Annual Border Energy Forum, organized here last week by the Texas Land Office, by Pablo Gottfried Blackmore, a member of the directors council of the Asociación Mexicana de Energía Eólica, the country's national wind trade group. Others at the forum, including Mannti Cummins, the wind energy director for American Shoreline Inc., also echoed bullish predictions for the country's wind potential. Read more

US-East Africa Geothermal Partnership Moving Forward with Industry Input

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 19:36 (Renewable Energy World)

More than 20 US geothermal industry representatives participated in a September 30 US-East Africa Geothermal Partnership (EAGP) meeting in Reno, NV to provide input and feedback on activities to be included in the EAGP program. Read more

Mayor Mike Bloomberg (and Sandy) Make It Okay to Mention Solar and Climate Change?Again

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 16:00 (Renewable Energy World)

It?s devastating to see my hometown of New York so crippled by Hurricane Sandy. There are so many tragedies from this one event. Not only was there an estimated $50 billion in economic losses, but at least 38 people have died in the city alone. For these and other reasons, New York?s billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg finally brought climate chang Read more

Renewables Take On Fossil Fuels: Last Day to Vote for the Readers' Choice Award

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 14:38 (Renewable Energy World)

Finalists have been chosen for the Projects of the Year Awards, and now it?s time to cast your vote for the Readers? Choice Award. But this year is different.  Not only have we this year opened nominations to a global audience, Renewable Energy World North America is now co-located with Power-Gen International, which is where we will present the aw Read more

Americans concerned about energy policy, Global Warming

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 13:06 (Solarserver)

A recent poll has found that Americans place a higher importance on energy policy than environmental policy when choosing between presidential candidates, with 77% rating energy policy either very important or important, and 67% giving these values to environmental policy. This poll by Harris Interactive follows two polls which find that more Americans are concerned about Global Warming than in previous years, with roughly two-thirds of Americans believing that the earth has been getting warmer over the last few decades. Read more

Panasonic Energy division sales decline, will halt factory expansion plans

Friday, 11.2.2012 - 9:36 (Solarserver)

In its financial results for the six months ending September 30th, 2012, Panasonic Corporation (Osaka, Japan) reported a 5% year-over-year decline in sales in its Energy division to USD 3.65 billion, while achieving a segment profit of USD 35.0 million. Overall, Panasonic reported heavy restructuring costs including impairment of goodwill and assets totaling USD 4.07 billion, as well as losses of USD 8.72 billion, representing 38% of its income in its results for the first half of fiscal year 2013. According to PV-Tech the company has put plans to expand its new PV module plant in Malaysia on hold indefinitely. Read more