Phono Solar modules confirmed for UL1703 standard

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 21:40 (PV-Tech)

Phono Solar?s mono- and polycrystalline solar modules were tested and certified by Intertek for conforming to UL1703 standards. Read more

Conergy to build 21 MW PV plants in Thailand

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 16:30 (Solarserver)

On November 8th, 2012, Conergy AG (Hamburg, Germany) announced that it has received a contract from Thai Solar Energy Co. Ltd. (TSE) to build two solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in Thailand. The solar parks, with a total capacity of 21 megawatts (MW), will be located in Suphanburi Province and in Kanchanaburi Province. The projects will cover almost 500,000 square meters. Read more

ReneSola unveils Indian-made Virtus II PV modules

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 16:26 (Solarserver)

ReneSola Ltd. (Shanghai, China) has introduced its new Virtus II multicrystalline solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to the Indian market at the Renewable Energy India 2012 exposition in New Dehli. ReneSola has started providing locally produced PV modules to the Indian market, with plans to provide 250 MW of these modules over a two-year period. The Indian launch follows the introduction of the Virtus II modules in the United States and Australia. Read more

Renault builds 59 MW of PV at six French factories

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 12:39 (Solarserver)

Renault SA (Boulogne-Billancourt, France) has inaugurated solar photovoltaic (PV) plants at six of its French factories, totaling 59 MW of capacity. The plants cover a total of 40 hectares, which Renault says makes it the largest system of PV plants in the auto industry. The plants are located on delivery and shipping centers and employee parking areas at the six factories. Read more

SMA reports flat revenue growth, warns of 2013 declines, announces pending layoffs

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 9:28 (Solarserver)

SMA Solar Technology AG (Niestetal, Germany) has released financial results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2012. The company reported flat revenue growth at EUR 1.20 billion (USD 1.53 billion), a 10% operating margin and a profit of EUR 81 million (USD 103 million) over the nine-month period. SMA warns of a "severe decline" in 2013 sales to between EUR 0.9 and 1.3 billion (USD 1.1 to 1.7 billion) as well as a possible loss. The company reports that it will gradually lay off 450 employees globally and end the use of 600 temporary employees. Read more

PV producers Suntech, Yingli, Trina condemn ITC tariff ruling

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 9:19 (Solarserver)

Suntech (Wuxi, China), Yingli Green Energy (Baoding, China) and Trina Solar (Changzhou, China) have issued responses to the final decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) approving anti-dumping and countervailing duty (CVD) penalties on imports of Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) products. Suntech and Trina warned that this action will damage the U.S. PV market, but all three expressed their relief that the tariffs will not be retroactive, through the rejection of "critical circumstances". Yingli warned that the PV industry is now in the middle of a "global trade war", and Trina states that it is deciding whether or not to appeal. Read more

Indian state of Kerala launches off-grid PV subsidy program for 2012-2013

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 9:11 (Solarserver)

The Indian state of Kerala has launched a subsidy program for off-grid rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) plants for 2012-2013. Under the Solar Rooftop Power Plants program the state will provide INR 39,000 (USD 720) per 1 KW system, and anticipates an additional central government subsidy of INR 81,000 (USD 1,500) per system. The program will be limited to 10,000 1 KW systems, for a total of 10 MW of PV capacity. Read more

China Sunergy to build 10 MW PV plants in U.K.

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 0:16 (Solarserver)

On November 6th, 2012, China Sunergy Co. Ltd. (Nanjing, China) announced that it plans to build two solar photovoltaic (PV) park projects in the U.K. The PV projects, with a total capacity of about 10 megawatts (MW), will be located in the southwest of Cornwall region. Read more

Greece passes tax on solar power plants

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 22:47 (PV-Tech)

The Greek Parliament passes an austerity package, which included a tax on existing solar power plants. Read more

US surpasses 1GW of installed capacity in large-scale solar farms

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 22:06 (PV-Tech)

Wiki-Solar has announced that according to its data, the US has exceeded the 1GW level of installed capacity for large-scale solar farms. Read more

Canadian Solar supplies modules for Turkey PV project

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 21:30 (PV-Tech)

Canadian Solar has delivered its CS6P-P solar modules for Turkey?s 540kW solar project, which was built at the Izmir airport. Read more

CASE accuses SolarWorld of inaccuracy

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 17:08 (PV-Tech)

The Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) has released a statement to clarify the anti-dumping duties levied on Chinese solar manufacturers. Read more

Kentz wins US$45 million EPC contract for South African PV project

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 16:47 (PV-Tech)

EPC specialist Kentz has been awarded an EPC contract worth US$45 million from Scatec Solar for a 75MWp PV project in the Northern Cape area of South Africa. Read more

The Question Day 28: What is the Most Difficult Issue Facing the Solar Industry?

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 16:25 (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

Denmark to expand solar scheme

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 16:08 (PV-Tech)

Danish Energy Minister Martin Lidegaard has called for the expansion of Denmark?s net-metering scheme, but a cut to the country?s feed-in tariff. Read more

Federal Report Quantifies PV Solar 'Soft Costs'

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 15:34 (Renewable Energy World)

Non-hardware costs make up 41 percent to 50 percent of the expenses of selling and installing a solar electric system, according to a report by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that is set for release within two weeks. Read more

Solar Goes Mobile, Changes Lives in Remote Regions

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

As we've seen over the past year, solar energy use worldwide continues to grow rapidly. While this is certainly a positive trend, we face a challenge in today's energy landscape. In some cases, geographic and economic situations make solar power installation extremely difficult. These situations demonstrate a great need for a new way of utilizing solar power. Read more

Danish domestic solar installations up over 200MW this year

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 14:10 (PV-Tech)

Domestic PV installations in Denmark have grown exponentially in 2012 reaching 223MW this month from just 17.5MW at the end of last year. Read more

Solar power for Gedling Borough Council

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 13:24 (Solarpowerportal)

Gedling Borough Council in Nottingham has fitted one of its largest leisure centres with PV panels by South Yorkshire-based manufacturer Nationwide Solar. Read more

Adept names new Chief Financial Offier

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 13:17 (PV-Tech)

Adept Technology, which makes robotics equipment for the solar and other markets, has appointed Michael Sandrelle as its new Chief Financial Officer. Read more

Solar Green Technology builds 7.8MW rooftop PV projects in Italy

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 12:33 (PV-Tech)

Solar Green Technology (SGT), an Italy-based specialist in the design, installation and construction of PV plants, has designed and built 7.8MW worth of PV projects in Italy. Read more

Ritter to build Germany's largest evacuated tube solar thermal system in Hamburg

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 12:32 (Solarserver)

Hamburg Energie GmbH (Hamburg, Germany) has awarded a contract to Ritter XL Solar GmbH (Karlsbad, Germany) to build a solar thermal system on a former air-raid shelter in Hamburg with a collector area of 1,350 square meters. The plant will utilize evacuated tube collectors, and will be the largest evacuated tube system in Germany. The system will serve to supply district heating to more than 3,000 households over a 1.2 square kilometer area in Wilhelmsburg quarter of Hamburg. Read more

Phoenix Solar signs contracts to build 5 MW of PV in Greece

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 6:55 (Solarserver)

On November 6th, 2012, Phoenix Solar E.P.E, a subsidiary of Phoenix Solar AG (Sulzemoos, Germany), announced that it has signed agreements to build two 2 megawatt (MW) ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in Greece. Read more

S.A.G. Solarstrom AG to build 2 MW PV plant in Chile

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 0:19 (Solarserver)

On November 6th, 2012, S.A.G. Solarstrom AG (Freiburg, Germany) announced that it will build a 2 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Paiguano (Chile). The company plans to develop the PV pilot project in the Chilean region of Coquimbo in the first quarter of 2013. Read more

Vela Solaris launches updated Polysun software version

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 0:10 (Solarserver)

On November 6th, 2012, software provider Vela Solaris (Winterthur, Switzerland) announced that it has released a new version of its solar software Polysun. Polysun allows users to design solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal systems. The new version includes a series of effective regional adjustments; up-to-date reliable worldwide weather data; 12 different languages; European, American and Chinese product databases; and comprehensive databases including schemes from a wide range of providers. Read more

Now That the Cleantech Hype is Gone, the Real Venture Investment Opportunity Begins

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 17:32 (Renewable Energy World)

The bubble has burst. The hype and euphoria of 2008 and 2009 is a distant memory. Fueled in part by the externality of the stimulus handouts from the stimulus package, and the (now fleeting) spike of natural gas and oil prices, cleantech has experienced its own mini dotcom era now followed by a dot bomb phase. Read more

Kior Opens Wood-to-Fuel Plant as Biofuel Companies Seek Scale

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Kior Inc., a producer of transportation fuels from wood waste and non-food crops, began production at its first commercial plant as other U.S. biofuel companies including Gevo Inc. and Amyris Inc. struggle to transfer their technologies from the lab to the factory. Read more

Osborne backs UK to lead world in energy storage

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 16:10 (Solarpowerportal)

Chancellor George Osborne has said the UK must become an international leader in the development of low carbon technologies such as energy storage. Read more

Australia Ready to Join Europe in Reducing Emissions with Extended Kyoto Pledge

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 16:07 (Renewable Energy World)

Australia plans to join Europe in a renewed and binding pledge to reduce emissions under the Kyoto treaty, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said today before leaving later this month for negotiations in Doha, Qatar. Read more

Renewable Energy Vital to Our Nation's Security, Economy

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Renewable energy makes the United States stronger and more secure. It can help wean us from our over-dependence on oil, strengthen our economy, provide needed flexibility to our military, and improve our overall national security. Read more

Tasmanian Testbed for Large Integrated Renewable Energy Projects Ramps Up

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

A small island lying in the Bass Strait between Australia's states of Victoria and Tasmania is set to become the testbed for one of the most sophisticated integrated renewable energy technologies in the world. Read more

China anti-dumping investigation will stabilise polysilicon ASPs

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 12:02 (PV-Tech)

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce?s investigation of anti-dumping and countervailing into US, European and Korean modules will help Chinese polysilicon average selling prices (ASP) to level out in 2013, says market research company EnergyTrend. Read more

Report: Energy efficiency investment can create 71,000 jobs

Friday, 11.9.2012 - 11:40 (Solarpowerportal)

Introducing carbon taxes linked to a major energy efficiency programme is one of the most successful ways to create jobs, boost the economy and tackle climate change according to a new report published by Consumer Focus. Read more