Schneider Electric selected to construct 130MW Hevel Solar module factory in Russia

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 22:18 (PV-Tech)

Schneider Electric has signed on to provide construction services for Hevel Solar?s 130MW factory in Novocheboksarsk, Russia. The company will design and install the in-plant electric power, supply medium and low-voltage equipment and training of the technical personnel in the plant. The plant is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2012. Read more

Kinglong New Energy achieves ?A? grade for Sunteams 5000 inverter

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 17:05 (PV-Tech)

Photon International Magazine has awarded Kinglong New Energy (KLNE) an ?A? grade for its Sunteams 5000 inverter, which is part of the Sunteams range of 1.5KW to 5KW units. Read more

NSP?s solar cell sales up in January

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 16:41 (PV-Tech)

Taiwan-based crystalline solar cell producer, Neo Solar Power (NSP) reported January 2012 monthly sales of approximately US$22 million (NT $850 million), up from NT $663 million in December. Read more

Power-One posts 2011 revenue of US$1.02 billion but withholds 2012 guidance

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 15:49 (PV-Tech)

PV inverter manufacturer, Power-One reported net sales of US$267 million, with Renewable Energy Solutions contributing US$191 million and Power Solutions segment sales reaching US$76 million for the fourth quarter of 2011. Driving sales was greater market penetration in the utility-scale sector in North America and Asia-Pacific, as revenue in these regions increased to 25%, compared to 17% in the prior quarter. Power-One had sales of 829MW of PV inverters in the fourth quarter. Read more

Corning announces first order for PV glass substrates

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 14:38 (Solarserver)

On February 1st, 2012, Corning Inc. (Corning, New York, U.S.) announced that it has received its first commercial order for photovoltaic (PV) glass substrates. The PV glass is being produced at its Harrodsburg, Kentucky plant. The company did not disclose buyer name and financial details. The PV glass substrates, which will be shipped immediately, due to the producer enable higher efficiency and lighter weight thin-film PV modules. Read more

PV producer Suntech and DuPont sign strategic agreement

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 14:24 (Solarserver)

On February 1st, 2012, DuPont (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.) announced that it has signed a strategic agreement with Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (Wuxi, China) to increase the supply of photovoltaic (PV) materials and technologies for the growing global market for solar energy. The agreement will focus on PV technology advancements, supply chain optimization, cost reduction initiatives and DuPont Tedlar polyvinyl fluoride film supply. Read more

PV financing: Clean Power Finance expands to three additional U.S. states

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 14:20 (Solarserver)

On February 1st, 2012 Clean Power Finance (San Francisco, California, U.S.) announced that its residential solar photovoltaic (PV) financing options are now available in the U.S. states of Colorado, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. The company's solar leases and power purchase agreements (PPAs) were initially available only in California, and the company offers installation customers the ability to brand and market these solutions as their own. Read more

Heraeus supplies metallization pastes for c-Si PV cell with greater than 20% efficiency

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 13:32 (Solarserver)

Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG (Hanau, Germany) has announced that it supplied metallization pastes for a crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar photovoltaic (PV) cell with a greater than 20% efficiency developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Freiburg, Germany). The company states that the record-setting PV cell is based upon a combination of Metal Wrap-Through (MWT) and Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) technologies. Heraeus developed a paste to connect the front-side and the back side of the MWT cell, and also supplied the front-side paste for the project. Read more

Organic photovoltaics: Polyera reaches 9.1% efficiency with a polymer/fullerene cell

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 13:27 (Solarserver)

On February 1st, 2012 Polyera Corporation (Skokie, Illinois, U.S.) announced that it has achieved a world record conversion efficiency of 9.1% with a polymer/fullerene organic photovoltaic (OPV) cell. The company's record-setting cell is based on an inverted bulk heterojunction architecture using Polyera's ActivInk PV 2000 semiconductor material. Newport Corporation's (Irvine, California, U.S.) PV Cell Lab certified the record efficiency. Read more

MiaSole claims 17.3% efficiency with "champion" CIGS PV device

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 13:05 (Solarserver)

On February 1st, 2012 MiaSole Inc. (Santa Clara, California, U.S.) announced that it has reached 17.3% conversion efficiency with a "champion" copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) solar photovoltaic (PV) device. The company also states that its manufacturing process for 14% efficiency is now in production at its California facility. MiaSole notes that these achievements have occurred ahead of schedule, and represent a more than 30% increase over February 2011 efficiencies. Read more

Victor Lee takes the helm at Ascent Solar as the newly appointed president and CEO

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 22:47 (PV-Tech)

Victor Lee, executive director of TFG Radiant Group, will now serve as Ascent Solar Technologies? president and CEO. TFG Radiant owns approximately 20% of the outstanding shares of Ascent and this past December agreed to purchase an additional 21% of the outstanding stock in a private transaction. Lee will remain as a board member for the company, but advised that he takes on the roles of president and CEO voluntarily and without any compensation. Read more

Capital Dynamics invests in 5.7MW Massachusetts solar project

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 22:30 (PV-Tech)

Capital Dynamics has invested in a 5.7MW solar project located in Massachusetts. The project will be, according to the company, will be one of the largest solar projects in New England upon its completion, using more than 20,000 solar modules. It will sell the power produced to three investment-grade rated municipal entities under a 20-year net metering credit agreement. Construction is expected to be completed by early this summer. Read more

CPUC approves 20-year PPA between First Solar and SCE for Silver State project

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 21:01 (PV-Tech)

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced that it has approved a 20-year PPA between Southern California Edison (SCE) and First Solar. The PPA includes solar energy from First Solar?s Silver State Solar Power South project, a 250MW solar project in Clark County, Nevada, which is scheduled to come on line in May 2017. The companies advised that the cost of the deal remains confidential at this time. Read more

PPG Industries? to expand Fresno-based manufacturing of Solarphire PV glass

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 20:49 (PV-Tech)

PPG Industries advised that its flat glass business in Fresno will be expanding its production capability in order to better allow the manufacturing of the company?s Solarphire PV glass. The move aims to serve solar customers throughout California, the West Coast and even Asia with a faster shipping timeframe. Read more

PPG Industries to expand Fresno-based manufacturing of Solarphire PV glass

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 20:49 (PV-Tech)

PPG Industries advised that its flat glass business in Fresno will be expanding its production capability in order to better allow the manufacturing of the company?s Solarphire PV glass. The move aims to serve solar customers throughout California, the West Coast and even Asia with a faster shipping timeframe. Read more

Suntech, DuPont to Collab on Solar Backsheets, Supply Chain

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 17:36 (Renewable Energy World)

It's easy to think about modules as singular units of power output, but the reality is that they are a collection of diverse components, each with influence over the end system's total cost and performance. For DuPont, its focus is of course on the materials side, from metallization pastes used to form contacts on the solar cell, to backsheet materials that protect the panels themselves. Read more

Plymouth Community Centre applies for solar array

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 17:23 (Solarpowerportal)

The Tamar View Community Centre in Plymouth is set for a solar makeover after a planning application was submitted to Plymouth City Council in order to gain permission to install solar panels on the centre’s roof. Read more

Strategic Energy to install 700 solar systems in Manchester

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 16:59 (Solarpowerportal)

Strategic Energy has completed 400 of a planned 700 solar installations for Manchester-based landlord, St Vincent’s Housing Association. The tenants living in the solar-clad houses will benefit from free renewable electricity while the landlord takes the feed-in tariff payments. Read more

Bromsgrove District Council reconfirm solar commitment

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 16:53 (Solarpowerportal)

Bromsgrove District Council has given the green light to a solar energy scheme that will see solar panels installed on the council’s depot in Aston Road. Read more

Solapoint selects Alpha-Omega GEN2 solar simulator

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 16:50 (PV-Tech)

CPV provider, Alpha-Omega Power Technologies, has announced that Taiwanese company Solapoint has purchased its GEN2 solar simulator. Read more

Pilkington plans to axe 150 UK jobs

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 16:37 (Solarpowerportal)

Glass manufacturer Pilkington has announced plans to cut production and axe up to 150 jobs at its St Helens-based factory. The company holds weak building product markets and a slowdown in solar energy glass responsible for the decision. Read more

DOE's Untold Impact on Solar

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 15:30 (Renewable Energy World)

The Obama Administration's $60 billion Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) for renewable energy is considered a failure because of Solyndra, Beacon Power, and potential 2012 bankruptcies. What is not well known is that 75 percent of the program's deployed funds went to relatively low risk power plants that will catapult the U.S. to a leadership role in the utility-scale solar sector. This is hardly the hallmark of a "failed program." The program is akin to Shakespeare's King Henry V, who said as a delinquent Prince: "I'll so offend as to make offense a skill, redeeming time when men think least I will." Read more

Solar shakeout: Bekaert cutting solar wafer wire saw production with 1,250 jobs lost

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 14:58 (PV-Tech)

Continued overcapacity and weak demand in the wafering sector has forced Bekaert to reduce wire saw manufacturing capacity with the loss of 1,250 jobs. Restructuring started in December 2011, which included reducing production in China. Read more

Shmuel Fledel appointed CEO of Siemens solar thermal energy business unit

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 14:35 (Solarserver)

On February 1st, 2012, Siemens Energy (Erlangen, Germany) announced that it has appointed Shmuel Fledel as chief executive officer (CEO) of the solar thermal energy business unit in its solar & hydro division. Fledel?s appointment became effective on February 1st, 2012. Read more

SunRun, PV Solar Report list California's fastest-growing solar cities; San Jose leading, followed by Bakersfield, Simi Valley

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 14:31 (Solarserver)

On February 1st, 2012 SunRun Inc. (San Francisco, California, U.S.) and PV Solar Report (Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S.) presented a list of California cities with the fastest-growing solar photovoltaic (PV) markets. San Jose came in first in the rankings, followed by Bakersfield and Simi Valley in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The report also found a sharp increase in PV as a service, with more than 2/3 of residential PV customers in San Jose choosing a leasing option over direct purchase in 2011. The report notes that in December 2011 solar power service was over 70% of California's residential PV market. Read more

Sumco exiting solar wafer market with 1,300 job losses

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 14:30 (PV-Tech)

Citing ?structural? over-capacity, ?significant price declines? and a fall in demand of crystalline silicon wafers, Sumco said it would completely exit the market. The company expects to incur charges of 5 billion Yen, folding both wafer subsidiaries, Sumco Solar Corporation and Minimata Denshi and noted that it would report a significant operating loss in its fiscal fourth quarter results. Sumco said that wafer prices had decline 70% from January, 2011. Read more

ISOFOTON and TIANJIN LISHEN ?s strategic alliance could create 150MW of projects for 2012

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 14:21 (PV-Tech)

Spanish solar company ISOFOTON and Chinese oil company, China National Offshore Oil Corporations (CNOOC)?s subsidiary, TIANJIN LISHEN BATTERY JOINT-STOCK, have established a joint venture based in Tianjin, China. The new company, called ISOFOTON LISHEN New Energy, will develop PV projects totalling 150MW. CNOOC will invest up to US$300 million in the projects. For the CNOOC Group, partnering with ISOFOTON is an opportunity to have a strong European partner with experience in PV technology and extensive knowledge of international markets. Read more

Concentrating solar power: Sasol chooses BrightSource technology for South Africa CSP study

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 14:16 (Solarserver)

On February 2nd, 2012 BrightSource Energy Inc. (Oakland, California, U.S.) announced that Sasol Ltd. (Johannesburg, South Africa) has selected its power tower concentrating solar power (CSP) technology for an engineering and design study for the South African market. Sasol and partner Alstom SA (Levallois-Perret, France) will conduct the front-end engineering and design (FEED) study, which it will use to determine how to best deploy CSP technology in the markets it serves. Read more

Chadbourne lawyers close over US$20 billion project finance deals in 2011

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 13:38 (PV-Tech)

Chadbourne & Parke lawyers closed more than US$20 billion in project finance deals in 2011, including the world?s largest IPP project being built in Saudi Arabia, claims the firm. Highlights in 2011 included; working with developers and lenders on the first expansion in nuclear power in the US in 30 years and work for major developers and banks across the entire range of solar power technologies. Read more

Centre for Science and Environment alleges malpractice in India's National Solar Mission

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 13:02 (Solarserver)

February 1st, 2012, The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE, New Delhi, India) announced an investigation of India's Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). The organization alleges that one company acquired nine projects in one bidding process through the program, in violation of a one project per applicant rule. CSE states that LANCO Infratech Ltd. (Gurgaon, India) created "front" companies to acquire 235 MW out of 620 MW of projects, or 40% of total bids, during the auctions for the first batch, first phase of the JNNSM. LANCO has responded that it "strongly objects" to the allegations but has not denied their accuracy, and the Indian government has promised Read more

Gehrlicher and Merk Solar establish JV to serve Turkish market

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 12:50 (PV-Tech)

Istanbul-based energy company Merk Solar Enerji Çözümleri San. ve Tic. Ltd. ?ti. has teamed up with Gehrlicher Solar to establish a joint-venture company to expand the ground- and roof-mounted solar power plant market in Turkey and neighbouring countries. Both of the component companies will have an equal share in the new partnership. Read more

Community solar scheme put on hold despite overwhelming interest

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 12:06 (Solarpowerportal)

A Hertfordshire-based solar cooperative has had to put proposed solar projects on hold after Government’s feed-in tariff (FiT) review rendered the proposed projects unviable. Read more

European PV producer Isofoton to strengthen its presence in China, joining forces with Chinese oil company CNOOC

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 12:58 (Solarserver)

Spanish PV producer Isofoton (MÁLAGA; Spain) and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) have signed an agreement that establishes a solar joint venture. CNOOC through its subsidiary Tianjin Lishen Battery Joint-Stock Co., LTD, (Tianjin, China) and Isofoton will create a new company, based in Tianjin called Isofoton Lishen New Energy Co. Ltd. Isofoton Lishen will develop solar photovoltaic (PV) projects totaling 150 megawatts (MW), Isofoton reports in a press release. CNOOC due to the release will invest up to USD 300 million USD in the projects. Read more

Wind Power to the South: AEP Contracts to Lower Electricity Costs

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 15:01 (Renewable Energy World)

In a series of deals the investor-owned utility says is good for consumers' wallets, American Electric Power subsidiary Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) recently signed long-term power purchase agreements for a total of 358.65 MW of capacity from wind projects in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Read more

Meyer Burger?s Hofer-Noser takes on new executive position at company

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 21:51 (PV-Tech)

Meyer Burger advised that it has appointed Dr. Patrick Hofer-Noser to the company?s newly created position ? head of renewable energy systems. Hofer-Noser will oversee the renewable energy systems for Meyer Burger as it continues to expand its efforts in the cleantech energy industry. Read more

Clean Energy: How Much Hot Air?

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 17:41 (Renewable Energy World)

NewScientist’s January 28 issue is likely to unsettle clean energy advocates — but it is worth the read. The cover article, “Power paradox: Clean might not be green forever,” posits that even renewable energy can warm the planet, and eventually change climate, if we continue to ratchet up power production to serve our ever Read more

Honeywell and Hawaiian Electric pilot program to maintain grid reliability and reduce cpsts

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 16:31 (PV-Tech)

At the end of last year Hawaii installed its largest PV system; continuing its renewable energy efforts, Honeywell Building Solutions will be running a two-year pilot program with Hawaiian Electric. Honeywell will use this time to demonstrate how demand response technology can help to integrate more intermittent renewable energy to the electric grid, in order to maintain grid reliability as Hawaii reduces fossil fuel dependence. Read more

Ed Davey confirmed as the new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 14:23 (Solarpowerportal)

Liberal Democrat, MP Ed Davey has been confirmed as the new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change after Chris Huhne this morning stepped down. The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, announced the decision shortly after Huhne confirmed his resignation. Read more

Fotones de Chile plans 180MW PV project in Tocopilla, Antofagasta

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 13:40 (PV-Tech)

Fotones de Chile has revealed plans to establish a 180MW project - the country?s largest to date - consisting of six 30MW PV power plants in the town of Maria Elena in the Tocopilla province of Antofagasta. Work is scheduled to begin later this year, pending all necessary permissions. The project is entitled Planta Fotovoltaica Encuentro Solar, and will involve the installation of close to 2.5 million PV modules. Read more

Power-One renewable energy sales increase 10% in 4Q 2011

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 12:51 (Solarserver)

On February 2nd, 2012 Power-One Inc. (Camarillo, California, U.S.) released financial results for its fourth quarter of 2011, reporting a 10% sequential increase in revenue from its Renewable Energy Solutions business to USD 191 million. Overall, the company achieved USD 267 million in revenue, an operating margin of 18% and USD 32.4 million in net income during the quarter. Power-One also shipped 829 MW of inverters, bringing its 2011 total to 2.9 GW, a 12% increase over 2010. Read more

Energy Secretary Huhne will be charged with perverting the course of justice

Friday, 2.3.2012 - 11:29 (Solarpowerportal)

The Director of Public Prosecutions has this morning announced that the Energy Secretary, Chris Huhne, is to face criminal charges in connection with a speeding offence committed on March 12, 2003... Read more