Order Focus: Singulus nabs order for CIGS/CIS thin-film solar cell production processing technology

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 22:51 (PV-Tech)

Singulus Technologies has advised that it has received a new order for a processing machine used in the production of CIGS/CIS thin-film solar cells. The order came from an undisclosed international thin-film solar manufacturer and will be used for the set-up of a pilot production of CIGS/CIS modules. Singulus noted that upon successful commissioning by the thin-film solar manufacturer, the company plans to expand its module production, hence the order placed with Singulus. Further details, including a delivery date, were not available. Read more

IKEA commissions 1.2 MW PV plant at Maryland store

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 19:23 (Solarserver)

On February 15th, 2012, home furnishings retailer IKEA (Emeryville, California, U.S.) officially plugged-in the solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed at its store in College Park, Maryland. The 148,200-square-foot PV array, a 1,196-kW system, consists of 4,984 panels. IKEA College Park?s program will produce about 1,571,800 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 1,195 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). Read more

OPEL Technologies appoints new director; John O'Donnell to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Samuel Peralta

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 19:11 (Solarserver)

On February 13th, 2012, OPEL Technologies Inc. (Shelton, Connecticut, U.S.) a global supplier of high concentration photovoltaic ("HCPV") solar panels and other solar products including ground-based and rooftop tracker systems, announced that it has appointed John O'Donnell to its board of directors to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Peralta. Read more

SunPower sales reach record US$2.31 billion but losses reach US$603 million

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 16:55 (PV-Tech)

In the fourth quarter of 2011, SunPower benefited from PV power plant project execution and its US-based residential leasing program that supported GAAP revenue of US$563 million, compared to US$705 million in the third quarter of 2011.Full-year record revenue was US$2.31 billion, up from US$2.2 billion in 2010. SunPower said it reduced production to better manage inventory build. The company is targeting overall production cost reductions of 15% in 2012, while production of its Maxeon Gen 3 solar cell with up to 24% conversion efficiency entered production. GAAP net loss in the fourth quarter was US$83.1 million and full-year loss was US$603 million. Read more

JA Solar modules used for 23MW Chinese installation

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 15:54 (PV-Tech)

Chinese module-manufacturer JA Solar has announced that its PV modules have been used in a 23MW installation in Lingwu, Ningxia province. Read more

Suntech guides 2011 revenue topped US$3.13 billion; recorded impairment charges of US$571 million

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 14:21 (PV-Tech)

Suntech Power Holdings released preliminary fourth quarter and full-year results early, highlighting better than expected module shipments in the fourth quarter but recorded impairment charges of US$571 million due to market conditions. Revenues in the fourth quarter of 2011 were said to be in the range of US$610 million to US$630 million. Gross margin is expected to be in the middle of the previously guided range of 9% to 11%. Suntech expects shipments in 2011 to be approximately 2.09GW, above previous guidance of 2GW. Full year revenue was expected to be in the range of US$3.13 billion to US$3.15 billion. Read more

IMS Research: Chinese tier-2 PV module prices fall to new record lows below USD1/W in January, but price cuts slow

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 12:37 (Solarserver)

The average price of Chinese Tier-2 crystalline photovoltaic (PV) modules fell to USD 0.96 per watt in January 2012, according to the latest PV module pricing report from IMS Research (Wellingborough, U.K.). Annualized price declines (ignoring seasonality) slowed to 22% in January, having exceeded 50% in December, as incentive levels were reduced in a number of major PV markets at the end of 2011. Read more

SolarWorld panels leading the way for Oregon?s transportation systems

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 23:14 (PV-Tech)

Oregon, home to one of SolarWorld?s production facilities, is reaping the benefits from having the company do business within its borders. SolarWorld?s solar panels can be found powering highway, rail and airport installations throughout Oregon, all of which have gained not only national, but international attention. Read more

EDF Energies installed capacity rose nearly 55% in 2011

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 22:43 (PV-Tech)

EDF Energies Nouvelles released its solar energy review report for 2011. The company noted that the group?s installed capacity rose 54.8% in 2011 from 267.1MWp at the end of 2010, to 413.5MWp at the end of 2011. As of December 31, 2011, EDF Energies had 287.1MWp under construction, compared to the 162.6MWp it had under construction at the same time in 2010. Read more

Cost cutting at Applied Materials solar division as orders down 62%

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 20:59 (PV-Tech)

Overcapacity within the PV industry hit Applied Materials sales and orders in its financial first quarter, leading to further cost reductions within its Energy and Environmental Solutions (EES) division. New orders in the segment were down 62% to only US$33 million, while sales of US$207 million were down 34% on the prior quarter. The segment had a non-GAAP operating loss of US$17 million and a GAAP operating loss of US$23 million. Overall, Applied generated orders of US$2.01 billion and net sales of US$2.19 billion, exceeding guidance. Read more

Advanced transportation energy systems in Oregon chart cleaner future with PV panels from SolarWorld

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 19:41 (Solarserver)

Planners of Oregon?s transportation infrastructure are leading the nation in charting a course to a cleaner energy future by selecting SolarWorld photovoltaic (PV) modules to support their multi-modal services. With unobstructed rights-of-way and heavy energy use, transportation agencies are ideal hosts of PV systems and consumers of the renewable electricity they produce. SolarWorld?s solar panels, manufactured in Hillsboro, Ore., now power highway, rail and airport installations in a state, renowned for its progressive urban planning. Read more

Pennsylvania?s Future intends to file lawsuit to enforce municipality?s solar zoning law

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 19:31 (Solarserver)

On February 15th, 2012, Citizens for Pennsylvania?s Future (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.) gave Douglass Township (Berks County, Pennsylvania, U.S.) a 30 days notice that it intends to file a lawsuit on behalf of its clients, Mark and Julianne Noonan, against their neighbors to enforce the municipality?s solar energy zoning law. Read more

ToonUps announces plan to use donations to fund solar-powered light at two Guatemalan schools

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 19:05 (Solarserver)

On February 14th, 2012, ToonUps (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.), a digital entertainment company whose mission is to create online games and apps to brighten the world, announced that it will fund the installation of solar powered generators to light two Guatemalan schools. Read more

California Utility Scales Back Rooftop Solar Program To Save Money

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 18:13 (Renewable Energy World)

Southern California Edison has won approval to modify a photovoltaic program that won praise for its intent to promote distributed, rooftop generation when it received the initial thumbs-up from state regulators in 2009. With the changes, though, the utility will look for larger and more ground-mounted projects and scale back the plan to build some of the projects on its own. Read more

Westinghouse Solar to be acquired by Australian firm: full year revenue of US$11.4 million

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 18:06 (PV-Tech)

CBD Energy a renewable energy project developer from Sydney, Australia is to acquire Westinghouse Solar in an all share deal. CBD Energy said that the acquisition was made to enable the company to enter the US solar market. CBD will also apply for listing on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange prior to consummation of the transaction, which is expected to be concluded in the third quarter of 2012. Read more

IKEA invested £166 million in solar during 2011

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 16:44 (Solarpowerportal)

IKEA has published its 2011 sustainability report which shows that over 2011, the furniture giant ploughed £390 million into implementing wind and solar energy across its 287 stores worldwide. Read more

Solarstrom expands portfolio by 1MWp

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 12:40 (PV-Tech)

At the beginning of this week we reported that S.A.G. Solarstrom?s increased project financing has made a hefty dent in its 2011 profits. However the company has now announced it has expanded its current power plant portfolio by about 1MWp, effective December 31, 2011. Read more

SDG&E adds 300 MW of renewable energy to "Green" Portfolio, including 200 MW Mount Signal Solar PV project

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 12:30 (Solarserver)

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) on February 16th, 2012 announced that it has entered into two long-term contracts to purchase 300 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy for its rapidly expanding portfolio of emissions free power. The first of the new agreements is a 20-year contract to purchase 100 MW from Manzana Wind LLC, a 189 MW wind power facility currently under construction in the wind-rich Tehachapi region near Rosamond, Calif. Manzana Wind LLC, is a subsidiary of Iberdrola Renewables, Inc. SDG&E also has announced signing a 25-year agreement to purchase 200 MW of energy from the Mount Signal Solar project in Imperial Valley, Calif. The transaction was conducted with Read more

Trina Solar obtains USD 100 million loan facility from Standard Chartered Bank

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 9:38 (Solarserver)

Trina Solar Limited (Changzhou, China), integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) products, on February 16th, 2012 announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Trina Solar (Changzhou) Science & Technology Co. Ltd., has obtained a three-year structured term loan facility from Standard Chartered Bank. Read more

Wind Farms and Health: It's Not Black or White

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 17:59 (Renewable Energy World)

Anyone following the controversies surrounding wind farm siting policy over the past five years has surely been startled at the rapid escalation of concerns being voiced by residents near wind farms. After years of building wind farms in ranching communities with few if any complaints, we began to hear clusters of noise complaints about a few wind farms, especially in Wisconsin, New York, Ontario, and Maine. These complaints focused on the surprising intrusiveness of wind farm noise, and sometimes sleep disruption; nearly all of those having problems lived within a half-mile or so of turbines, with occasional issues being reported out to a mile or so. Read more

A Harsh Winter for China's Wind Industry and Its Leading Company: Sinovel

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 17:01 (Renewable Energy World)

The Year of the Dragon has gotten off to an inauspicious start for the Chinese wind industry and in particular, Sinovel Wind Group Co. (Sinovel), China's leading wind turbine manufacturer. Read more

Odersun provides modules for PV pavilion at German university

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 16:10 (PV-Tech)

Odersun provided its CISCuT thin-film PV modules for a project designed by architects Ortner and Ortner Berlin on the campus of Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, Germany. Designed as a ?live gallery?, the 35 metre long PV pavilion will be used as a space for social events, brainstorming ideas and presentations. Read more

Poll: 70% of Americans oppose subsidies for fossil fuels

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 19:46 (Solarserver)

On February 14th, 2012, the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication (New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.) announced that a survey report reveals that about 70% Americans oppose federal subsidies for the fossil fuel industry (coal, oil, and natural gas), including majorities of republicans, democrats, and independents. Read more

Delaware offers new renewable energy, PV incentives

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 19:17 (Solarserver)

The Delaware Electric Cooperative (Greenwood, Delaware, U.S.) announced a new program that will provide incentives for renewable energy projects. The program offers incentives for solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, wind, geothermal, and fuel cell systems installed by DEC member-owners. The program will accept requests for grant funding during calendar year 2012 until this year?s program budget of USD 268,979.92 is exhausted. Read more

Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards Winners: Project of the Year and Readers' Choice

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Winners of the Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards for Project of the Year Award represent facilities that signified excellence in five technologies: Solar, Wind, Biomass, Geothermal and Hydro. Read more

SDG&E apply for two 300MW purchase agreements

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 13:40 (PV-Tech)

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has announced it is awaiting approval from the California Public Utilities Commission for two long-term contracts to purchase a total of 300MW of renewable energy. Read more

EDF profits treble despite falling sales

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 12:53 (Solarpowerportal)

The French energy giant, EDF energy, has trebled its profit in 2011, despite sales in the UK falling by 8 percent. Read more

UK signs ?historic? nuclear power deal with France

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 12:11 (Solarpowerportal)

The UK is set to sign a deal with France that would see the two nations combine efforts to develop civil nuclear energy. Read more

Comments On Spain's Recent Renewable Energy Policy Decisions

Friday, 2.17.2012 - 11:36 (Renewable Energy World)

Spain’s recent decision to stop subsidizing new renewable energy projects as part of managing its debt crisis has been hitting the headlines. Renewable energy skeptics will surely spin this as added proof that renewable energy is simply not economical, as they’ve been warning us all along. But we believe that conclusion is misguided and Read more