ReneSola?s Micro Replus microinverter receive SAA Approval certification for Australia

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 15:04 (PV-Tech)

Chinese PV manufacturer ReneSola has announced it has received a Certificate of Approval from SAA Approvals for its Micro Replus microinverter. Read more

Small ZREC Program in Connecticut Set to Launch before the Holidays

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Following the ?Small ZREC Tariff Program: Applicants Informational Meeting? held on November 27, 2012, United Illuminating Company (UI) and Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) announced that the small ZREC program is set to open on December 21, 2012. There will be a two week window for when applications may be submitted into the program. However, the Read more

Conergy installs 1MW rooftop PV system in Brandenburg

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 14:04 (PV-Tech)

German PV project developer Conergy has built a 1MW PV system in Uckerland, Brandenburg in Germany in collaboration with its long-term partner SolEnergy. Read more

Sunways to restructure, eliminate 40% of workforce

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 12:55 (Solarserver)

On December 14th, 2012 Sunways AG (Konstanz, Germany) announced that it will reduce its workforce of 265 by roughly 40%, or 106 positions, as part of a restructuring program which has been passed by its management board. This will include an end to production of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells for standard PV modules at its factory in Arnstadt, Germany, and a shift to production of specialty applications including building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). The announcement follows ongoing financial difficulties at Sunways majority shareholder LDK Solar Company Ltd. (Xinyu, China). Read more

Xinhua: 90% of Chinese polysilicon producers suspend production

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 9:14 (Solarserver)

The China Photovoltaic Industry Alliance (CPIA) has reported that 90% of Chinese polysilicon producers have suspended production, according to the Chinese government news agency Xinhua. CPIA Secretary-General Wang Bohua also stated that Jiangsu Zhongneng Polysilicon Technology Development Company Ltd. (Xuzhou, China), Daqo New Energy Corporation (Chongqing, China), Asia Silicon Company Ltd. (Xining, China) and other producers are operating at half capacity. Read more

IHS expects solar industry fallout to peak in 2013: Guides 10 key market issues for 2013

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 19:14 (PV-Tech)

The highly volatile PV industry is notoriously difficult to predict, yet that has not stopped market research firm IHS in providing its key ten predictions for the industry in 2013. Read more

PV for businesses and industry: Self-generated solar power offers companies huge savings potential

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 17:29 (Solarserver)

SOLON Energy GmbH (Berlin, Germany) now offers comprehensive consulting services for enabling companies and the industry to use self-generated solar power. After all, companies that produce solar power and use it themselves are rewarded with huge savings potential, SOLON emphasizes. Businesses and industry often have large roofs and primarily require power during the day. With their own photovoltaic (PV) power plant installed on their roof, due to SOLON they can plan on generating affordable solar power at only EUR 0.10 to 0.15 (USD 0.13 to 0.20) a kilowatt hour for up to 20 years. Read more

Canadian Solar appoints Guangchun Zhang COO

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 17:23 (Solarserver)

Canadian Solar Inc. (Guelph, Canada) has appointed Guangchun Zhang as Chief Operating Officer (COO), to oversee all aspects of the company's production and operations, including manufacturing, quality control and research and development (R&D). Zhang, who will report directly to Canadian Solar Chairman and CEO Dr. Shawn Qu. Zhang, has more than 18 years of experience in the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, and before joining Canadian Solar, Zhang served as VP for R&D and industrialization of manufacturing technology. Read more

Phoenix Solar to build 4.2-MW PV plant on former military site in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 17:18 (Solarserver)

On December 13th, 2012, Phoenix Solar AG (Sulzemoos, Germany) announced that it will build a 4.2 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) park on a former military base in the district of Jerichower Land, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The company states that it has supported the "unnamed client" in developing the project and is now responsible for the planning, delivery and construction of the solar park. Read more

LDK Solar wins arbitration award for cancellation of wafer supply contracts with Canadian Solar

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 17:13 (Solarserver)

On December 13th, 2012, LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) announced that it won an arbitration award for cancellation of wafer supply contracts. The China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) on December 12th, 2012, declared that the wafer supply contracts entered into in October 2007 and June 2008 between LDK Solar and Canadian Solar and its China-based subsidiary affiliate are valid and effective through the duration and at terms and conditions related to quantities and prices set forth therein. Read more

Japan adds 272 MW of solar PV capacity in November 2012

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 16:12 (Solarserver)

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has released figures on new renewable energy capacity, finding that the nation added 272 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in November 2012. This makes a total of 1.40 GW of PV capacity added from April through November 2012. This was mostly residential PV, at 1.03 GW, with another 371 MW in the "other than household" category. Read more

NRG completes 25 MW-AC solar PV plant, merges with GenOn

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 16:01 (Solarserver)

NRG Energy Inc. (Princeton, New Jersey, US) has commissioned its Avra Valley Solar Generating Station, a 25 MW-AC solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the US state of Arizona. The company announced the Avra Valley plant commissioning the day before it completed its merger with GenOn Energy Inc. (Houston, Texas, US). The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has also approved the merger, which NRG says will create the largest competitive electricity generator in the nation. Read more

National Coal Mining Museum Fits Solar Panels

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

If you had informed Arthur Scargill that solar panels were to be fitted to a building connected with the coal mining industry twenty eight years ago, at the height of the national miner?s strike, the former leader of the National Union of Mineworkers would have, at very least, probably laughed at you. Well, that is exactly what has happened and the Read more

US and Australia inject US$83 million in collaborative solar research

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 13:13 (PV-Tech)

Funds worth US$83 million have been made available for collaborative solar projects between Australian and US researchers. Read more

Suntech to supply 25 MW of solar PV modules for Romanian projects

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 13:03 (Solarserver)

Suntech Power Holdings Company Ltd. (Wuxi, China) has signed a contract to supply SunSystem SpA (Milan, Italy) with 25 megawatt (MW) of polycrystalline solar photovoltaic (PV) modules for use in two PV projects under construction in Romania. The PV plants will be operated by SunSystem and developed by its subsidiary RoEnergy (Arad, Romania). Suntech will supply its 60-cell STP 245-20/Wd modules for the two plants, which RoEnergy plans to commission by the end of 2013. Read more

Duke Energy acquires 6 MW amorphous silicon solar PV project in Arizona

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 12:59 (Solarserver)

Duke Energy (Charlotte, North Carolina, US) has announced that it has acquired a 6 megawatt (MW) amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) project at the University of Arizona's Science and Technology Park in Tucson, Arizona. Duke energy bought the Gato Montes Solar Power Project from AstroSol Inc. (Franklin, Tennessee, US). Tucson Electric Power Company (Tucson, Arizona, US) will buy all of the electricity from the project, which will be commissioned next week, under a 20-year agreement. Read more

KfW to loan USD 13.2 million to Solar World Cup project in Brazil

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 9:11 (Solarserver)

On December 14th, 2012 German development bank KfW (Frankfurt, Germany) announced that it will loan EUR 10 million (USD 13.2 million) to a project to build a 2.6 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant on the roofs of two stadiums in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Campanhia Energética de Minas Gerais will receive the loan to build the PV plants on stadiums where World Cup football matches will be held in 2014. Total investment will total EUR 14.25 million (USD 18.79 million), with CEMIG contributing another EUR 4.25 million (USD 5.60 million). Read more

Australian government dedicates USD 83 million for solar research funding

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 9:05 (Solarserver)

On December 13th, 2012 the Australian government announced that it will supply over USD 83 million for solar research funding as part of the US-Australia Solar Energy Collaboration (USASEC). The government states that this commitment will leverage another USD 140 million of research and industry investment, resulting in more than USD 220 million for solar research, involving over 40 organizations in the two nations. Read more

Cellulosic Biofuel to Surge in 2013 After First U.S. Plants Open

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Cellulosic biofuel companies will boost production almost 20-fold in 2013 as the first high-volume refineries go into operation, signaling a shift from an experimental fuel into a commercially viable industry. Read more

Goldwind Plans New Wind Projects to Tap Australia's 2020 Target

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 16:46 (Renewable Energy World)

Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co., China's largest wind-turbine maker, is studying new projects to take advantage of Australia's 2020 renewable energy target. Read more

AWEA CEO Denise Bode Quits After Four Years

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 15:55 (Renewable Energy World)

Denise Bode, chief executive officer of the American Wind Energy Association, will quit Jan. 1, the day that tax credits for the industry are set to expire. Read more

AWEA CEO Denise Bode Resigns After Four Years

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 15:55 (Renewable Energy World)

Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, announced today that she is resigning, effective January 1, to return to private practice as a tax attorney. Read more

Wind Power Sells at World's Lowest Rate in Brazil Energy Auction

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 14:58 (Renewable Energy World)

Four energy developers agreed to sell power from 10 proposed wind farms in Brazil at the cheapest rates ever. Read more

Renewable Energy REITs or MLPs Would Unlock Billions for Project Development

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Top engineering, procurement and construction firms gathered to network, learn and do business with corporate-level project developers at the PGI Financial Forum, one of four co-located events that took place in Orlando, Fla. earlier this month. Richard Kauffman, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, gave the keynote address during a luncheon that took place during the conference. Read more

Is District Heating Can the Way Forward for Renewable Energy?

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Online sources are debating the topic of district heating as an increasingly important means of generating cheap sustainable energy for future generations. What exactly is district heating and why might it help to create an interesting future for the UK and Europe? What is district heating? District heating or energy is a heat-generating system tha Read more

Is District Heating the Way Forward for Renewable Energy?

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Online sources are debating the topic of district heating as an increasingly important means of generating cheap sustainable energy for future generations. What exactly is district heating and why might it help to create an interesting future for the UK and Europe? What is district heating? District heating or energy is a heat-generating system tha Read more

Japan reaches 1.4GW of PV installed capacity

Monday, 12.17.2012 - 13:03 (PV-Tech)

Japan?s renewable energy capacity has reached a total of 1.443GW, according to figures released by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Read more