Report: Solar module price declines to continue into 2013 as German installs fall

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 17:02 (PV-Tech)

Solar module prices across most regions of the world declined in October due to weak demand in Germany, a trend set to continue into 2013, according to market research firm IHS. Read more

Order Focus: KACO wins PV inverter partnership with OCI worth US$500 million

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 15:24 (PV-Tech)

Previously announced plans by OCI Solar Power, a subsidiary of South Korean firm OCI to build a 400MW PV power plant in San Antonio, Texas will use utility-scale PV inverters from KACO new energy. The deal, which will exist over the next 10-years was said to be worth US$500 million to the German inverter supplier. Read more

Tokyo Electron disbands thin film JV with Sharp

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 13:32 (PV-Tech)

A small JV company, established between Tokyo Electron (TEL) and Sharp Corporation in 2008 to develop plasma CVD systems for use in thin-film silicon solar photovoltaic cells has been dissolved by TEL. Read more

ReneSola's revenues, losses increase in 3Q 2012

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 13:13 (Solarserver)

ReneSola Ltd. (Jiashan, China) has released financial results for the third quarter of 2012, reporting a 15% year-over-year increase in revenues to USD 218 million, a collapse in operating margin to -38% and a net loss of USD 78.6 million. ReneSola shipped 533 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) products during the quarter, which represented a 5.8% sequential increase and exceeded the company's guidance. However, ReneSola's gross margin fell as operating expenses increased. Read more

Sunways reports heavy losses in 3Q 2012

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 13:01 (Solarserver)

Sunways AG (Konstanz, Germany) has released third quarter 2012 results, reporting a 51% year-over-year decline in revenues to EUR 11.5 million (USD 15.0 million), an operating loss of EUR 11.2 million (USD 14.6 million), and a net loss of EUR 8.1 million (USD 10.5 million). Sunways cites falling demand and PV module sales prices, including the decline in Italian demand due to changes in the nation's feed-in tariff, for the decline in its performance. The company also notes the impact of inventory write-downs on its operating results. Read more

Manz to restructure, lose 62 positions

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 9:58 (Solarserver)

On November 30th, 2012 Manz AG (Reutlingen, Germany) announced changes to its organizational structure and processes, including a reduction in capacity and reduction of 62 positions in its workforce in Reutlingen, Tübingen and Karlstein, Germany. The company states that such changes are a response to continuing difficulties in the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry. Manz states that despite the short-term difficulties, it is optimistic about the potential for renewed growth in 2013. Read more

Migros set to build solar plant in Switzerland

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 21:58 (PV-Tech)

Switzerland?s largest retail company, Migros, received approval for the construction of a rooftop PV system, a project which it deems as the largest in the country. Read more

First Solar lands 2MW contract for Chinese solar project

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 21:34 (PV-Tech)

Thin film module manufacturer First Solar signed a 2MW solar module delivery agreement with Zhenfa New Energy Science and Technology. Read more

Community Solar Shouldn't Be this Hard

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 18:10 (Renewable Energy World)

Sunlight falls almost anywhere, in every community. So it would make sense for any number of people in that community to team up to harness the sun and make clean, local power.  Sadly, it isn't as easy as it should be, as illustrated by the Vashon Community Solar Project in Washington State. The Vashon project is being organized by a local nonprofi Read more

Abengoa reaches 80% completion on Solana concentrating solar power plant

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 16:22 (Solarserver)

On November 28th, 2012, Abengoa SA (Seville, Spain) announced that its Solana concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in the US state of Arizona is 80% complete. More than 2,000 workers are currently on site at 280 MW CSP project, which will be the single largest CSP plant in the world when complete. Construction of the Solana project began in December 2010, and Abengoa plans to start operation of the plant in the summer of 2013. Read more

LDK Solar reduces losses in 3Q 2012

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 16:13 (Solarserver)

LDK Solar Company Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) has released financial results for the third quarter of 2012, reporting a 38% year-over-year decline in revenues to USD 291 million, a -26% operating margin and a net loss of USD 95.9 million. LDK has seen heavy losses over the last year, and its operating margin is an improvement over the last three quarters, when the company reported an operating margin below -60%. However, this is the company's sixth straight quarter of losses, and LDK has lowered its annual guidance. Read more

NLP Solar Sales Training | 2 New Residential Loan Programs | Live Webinar Dec 19th & 20th

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 15:01 (Renewable Energy World)

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Israel moves renewable energy quota from wind to solar

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 13:33 (PV-Tech)

A 300MW quota for renewable energy development in Israel will move from the wind energy sector to that of solar power, it was announced today. Read more

Sandia National Labs to participate in US regional solar test centers

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 13:09 (Solarserver)

On November 27th, 2012 the U.S. Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.) announced that it will collaborate on five U.S. regional test centers (RTCs) for solar photovoltaic (PV) technology in different parts of the United States. These centers will be locations for industry to assess the performance, reliability and bankability of large-scale PV systems. The first site will be co-located with Sandia's National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Read more

SunEdison signs PPA for 20 MW solar PV plant with the City of Riverside, California

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 13:04 (Solarserver)

Riverside Public Utilities (RPU, Riverside, California, U.S.) has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the output of a 20 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant which SunEdison LLC (Beltsville, Maryland, US) is building in Southern California. SunEdison plans to build the North Lake 1 Solar plant on previously disturbed land owned by the Metropolitan Water District in western Riverside County. RPU states that the project will reduce the need for transmission upgrades due to its proximity to load centers. Read more

Deutsche Bank provides US$139 million of project finance to Canadian Solar

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 13:03 (PV-Tech)

Five utility-scale solar power plants totalling 49MW (AC) being built by Canadian Solar in Ontario, Canada have received US$139 million in short-term construction financing from Deutsche Bank. Read more

Idemitsu Kosan plans 10MW ?mega? solar plant

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 12:49 (PV-Tech)

Japanese petroleum and geothermal company Idemitsu Kosan has announced its entry the solar business with plans for a ?mega solar? installation at one of its former refinery sites. Read more

LDK Solar lowers full-year revenue guidance again on further Q3 losses

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 12:18 (PV-Tech)

LDK Solar has once again lowered its full-year revenue guidance, despite exceeding Q3 2012 revenue forecast. Read more

ARPA-E awards USD 10.3 million to solar electric technology projects

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 10:02 (Solarserver)

On November 28th, 2012 the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E) awarded USD 130 million to 66 research projects, including USD 10.3 million to six solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) projects. ARPA-E also awarded USD 12.1 million to eight grid energy storage projects and USD 24.0 million to nine projects for grid modernization. The largest solar award at USD 3.32 million went to MicroLink Devices (Niles, Illinois, U.S.) to support the development of high-efficiency PV cells for concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) applications. Read more

Fulcrum BioEnergy secures $175M in Financing Commitments for MSW-to-biofuels Plant

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 16:57 (Renewable Energy World)

In California, Fulcrum BioEnergy announced that it has successfully secured commitments and is proceeding toward closing $175 million in financing to fund construction of its first municipal solid waste (MSW) to low-carbon fuels plant, the Sierra BioFuels Plant, and to fund the development of future projects. The project is expected to be completed in 2015. Read more

Senator Chuck Grassley Video: Extend the PTC

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 16:42 (Renewable Energy World)

Senator Chuck Grassley is leading bipartisan support for an extension of the production tax credit for wind energy. He's making the case that as much energy as possible ? both traditional and renewable ? should be produced at home to create jobs and strengthen national security. Said Grassley, "There's no reason to exacerbate America's unemployment Read more

U.S. Offers Offshore Wind Power Leases on Three Atlantic States

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 16:02 (Renewable Energy World)

The Obama administration will offer leases next year for wind-energy development off the coasts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Virginia, the Interior Department said. Read more

Asia Report: India's Wind Power Capacity Expected to Balloon by 2020, Says GWEC

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 15:06 (Renewable Energy World)

India's installed wind power capacity is expected to reach 89 GW by 2020 and 191 GW by 2030, according to a new report. This expansion in wind power is expected to attract $16.5 billion of annual investment, create 179,000 jobs and abate 179 tonnes of CO2 annually, the Wind Energy Outlook reported. Read more

Steve Chadima joins leadership team at AEE

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 21:46 (PV-Tech)

Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a national organisation representing the advanced energy industry, welcomed Steve Chadima as its new senior vice president of communications and director of California Initiatives. Read more

Obama Plans for Climate Deal as Fiscal Cliff Talks Rage

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 16:43 (Renewable Energy World)

As leaders in Washington obsess about the fiscal cliff, President Barack Obama is putting in place the building blocks for a climate treaty requiring the first fossil- fuel emissions cuts from both the U.S. and China. Read more

UK public ?unaware? of Green Deal, says report

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 15:21 (Solarpowerportal)

As much as 96% of the UK?s population has not heard of or does not understand the Green Deal, the government?s flagship energy efficiency scheme that is due to launch early next year. Read more

Energy Efficiency and a Cold Marriage

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

We know energy efficiency can save the world, but can it save a marriage? Leave it to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to take on that question. The agency is known for its vanguard energy research, but it is one thing to produce papers on topics like ?Air Bypass in Vertical Stack Water Source Heat Pumps? and a Read more

Qatar seeks tender for 1,800MW PV plant in 2014

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 14:41 (PV-Tech)

Qatar, the world?s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is planning to launch a tender for a 1,800MW PV plant in 2014, media reports reveal. Read more

Free Carbon May Chop Renewables Costs, EON's Schaefer Says

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 14:17 (Renewable Energy World)

Europe should consider cutting costs for consumers by rewarding renewable power and energy efficiency through the region's carbon market rather than through expensive subsidies to utilities, the head of EON SE's trading unit said. Read more

Order Focus: Yingli Green supplies 24MW of PV modules to Puerto Rican project

Monday, 12.3.2012 - 13:53 (PV-Tech)

Believed to be the largest solar project in the Caribbean, a 24MW project in Guayama, Puerto Rico, which was recently completed, had been supplied modules for the project by Yingli Green. Read more