Konarka?s organic solar modules pass TÜV IEC tests

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 21:08 (PV-Tech)

This February, Konarka made the announcement that its OPV modules were the first OPV technology to pass individual critical tests for IEC 61646, an accelerated lifetime testing protocol, by TÜV Rheinland. The company has now stated that its organic solar modules have passed IEC stress tests under IEC 61646. The testing was conducted by TÜV Rheinland at its Solar Energy Assessment Centre (SEAC) in Cologne, Germany. Read more

PV's New Chapter, In Which It Returns to its DG Roots

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 17:45 (Renewable Energy World)

Regional dominance in the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry has come and gone as have, over the terrestrial PV industry's ~40-year history, positive margins. In fact, positive margins in PV were once as rare as North America's Big Foot (the ape-like Sasquatch rumored to live in the forests). Read more

Aqua Pennsylvania installs 1.5-MW PV system at water treatment facility

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 13:49 (Solarserver)

Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. has installed a 1.5 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) system at its Pickering water treatment plant in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The solar energy system, which is located on 6.5 acres of ground, will reduce Aqua?s grid-tied usage by 2.3 million kilowatt hours (kWh) annually. The solar farm due to Aqua Pennsylvania will offer a direct economic benefit of USD 207,000 per year in energy savings. Read more

Los Angeles closer to implementing FiT

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 12:27 (PV-Tech)

Subsequent to the announcement last week of Los Angeles? approval of a feed-in tariff, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has signed an ordinance authorizing the city?s Department of Water and Power to now establish a pilot program. Approval of the program by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners has been scheduled for April 17. Read more

French government agency awards Heliotrop consortium with EUR 16 million to deploy multi-megawatt CPV program

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 9:39 (Solarserver)

The HCPV1024 consortium, built around Heliotrop SAS (Paris, France), aims to develop and demonstrate a breakthrough technology for utility scale solar power plants. The Heliotrop Concentrated Photovoltaic technology (CPV) will produce electricity that is competitive with all other energy sources at between 6 and 10 Eurocent / kWh, Heliotrop announces in a press release. Read more

Hanwha named solar partner to SF Giants, will build PV array at AT&T Park, fundraise for community

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 21:56 (PV-Tech)

The San Francisco Giants have named Hanwha Solar their new official solar partner, a partnership that aims to increase the Bay Area?s awareness of environmental responsibility, while also giving back to the youth in the community. Hanwha?s green initiative campaign, ?I SUN SF,? will see the company install PV panels at AT&T Park, the construction of a Hanwha Solar branded, sun-shaped LED sign above left field, the ?How Far Did It Fly?? fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco (BGCSF) and sponsoring the Giants in-game recycling ?Green Team.? Read more

Ascent Solar welcomes Winston Xu to board, plans to re-enter BIPV, BAPV market

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 21:31 (PV-Tech)

Founder and Chairman of the Radiant Group, Winston Xu Biao is the newest member of Ascent Solar Technologies? board of directors. Xu will help the company oversee new market opportunities, as well as its re-entrance into the BIPV and BAPV markets, which it delayed in March 2011. Read more

Ball Aerospace & Technologies taps Emcore to supply solar panels for new spacecraft

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 20:25 (PV-Tech)

Emcore has entered a new partnership with Ball Aerospace & Technologies (BATC), which will see the company design, manufacture, test and deliver solar panels for a new spacecraft. The solar panels will utilize Emcore? s ZTJ multi-junction solar cells, which, along with the panels will be produced at the company?s New Mexico facility. Read more

Suntech supplies PV panels for 3.4 MW solar project at Edwards Air Force Base

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 17:19 (Solarserver)

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (Wuxi, China) announced that it has supplied 3.4 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for installation at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California. The company provided more than 12,000 panels for the PV project, which was designed, financed and installed by Borrego Solar at no upfront cost to the base. Read more

SEMI India offers course on off-grid solar PV components and systems

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 17:14 (Solarserver)

On April 11th, 2012, SEMI India (Bangalore, India), a unit of SEMI, announced that it has launched a solar photovoltaic (PV) work force development initiative with a three day short-term course on ?Off-grid Solar PV Components and Systems? at the India Habitat Center in New Delhi, India. The short-term course will be the first in a series of courses that SEMI will organize in 2012 in technical collaboration with the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education IIT Bombay (NCPRE) and offer in different centers across the country. Read more

Solar powered classrooms set to help developing countries

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 16:41 (Solarpowerportal)

An innovative solar project led by a Chemistry academic at the University of Southampton is hoping to help the teaching of sciences in developing countries. Read more

Solar-powered classrooms set to help developing countries

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 16:41 (Solarpowerportal)

An innovative solar project led by a Chemistry academic at the University of Southampton is hoping to help the teaching of sciences in developing countries. Read more

NPD Solarbuzz: Applied Materials could lose equipment supplier top spot in 2012

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 16:38 (PV-Tech)

Lean pickings in the PV equipment sector in 2012 could lead to a shakeup in the equipment supplier pecking order, according to the latest report from NPD Solarbuzz. Having relinquished its number one spot in the semiconductor industry last year - the first time in several decades - Applied Materials could also lose its leadership position in the PV industry that has been a 14-quarter reign that began in 2008. Read more

Solarbuzz: Spending on PV equipment to bottom of cycle in Q2?12; strong growth forecast from 2013 ? 2016

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 14:41 (Solarserver)

Equipment spending by tier 1 solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers is poised to resume in 2013 with strong double-digit annual growth rates forecast out to 2016, according to new research featured in the latest NPD Solarbuzz PV Equipment Quarterly report. This upturn in capacity expansion is being stimulated by the PV manufacturing shakeout, as uncompetitive production lines are either being idled, retired or removed following corporate failures, Solarbuzz notes. Read more

U.S. retakes lead in clean energy investment from China; Capital expenditure helped to propel the addition of more than 1 GW of solar power generation capacity

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 14:27 (Solarserver)

In the global race to secure private clean energy finance and investment, the United States reclaimed the top spot, after trailing China since 2009. Globally, investment grew to record USD 263 billion in 2011, a 6.5 percent increase over the previous year, according to new research on clean energy financing in the Group of Twenty (G-20) nations released by the non-profit organization The Pew Charitable Trusts. Read more

Ecoluz Gehrlicher Solar do Brasil completes construction and commissioning of the PV plant at Pituaçu football stadium in Salvador de Bahia

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 13:49 (Solarserver)

Gehrlicher Ecoluz Solar do Brasil S.A., a Joint Venture formed by Gehrlicher Solar AG (Munich, Gernany) and the Brazilian company Ecoluz Participacoes S.A., has completed the construction and commissioning of the photovoltaic (PV) plant of 5,560 sqm. extension at Pituaçu football stadium in Salvador de Bahia, at the end of March. The PV plant was connected to the grid on Saturday, March 24th, 2012. Read more

Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces continued investigation of First Solar Inc.

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 13:31 (Solarserver)

The Law Offices of Howard G. Smith (Bensalem, Pa.) announces that it is continuing its investigation of potential claims against First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Ariz.) and its board of directors concerning possible breaches of fiduciary duties by the Company or its fiduciaries. First Solar engages in the design, manufacture and sale of thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and photovoltaic solar power systems in the United States and internationally. Read more

Yorkshire Solar Panels Ltd investigated by Trading Standards

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 13:28 (Solarpowerportal)

A Yorkshire-based solar PV company is under investigation over allegations that it cashed deposits from customers without installing the promised solar panels. Read more

Joju Solar donates solar installation to Oxfordshire charities

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 12:37 (Solarpowerportal)

As a celebration of its fifth birthday, Joju Solar has donated a 4kWp solar installation to joint winners Low Carbon East Oxford and mental health charity, Restore. Read more

Brazil retreats from solar auctions

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 11:25 (PV-Tech)

Despite our reports in March and earlier this month, the Brazilian Secretary of Energy Planning and Development of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Altino Ventura Filho, has announced that solar energy will not form part of auctions in order to augment generation of solar power. Read more

Chinese PV producer Hanwha Solar opens R & D center in California

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 9:36 (Solarserver)

Hanwha Solar (Qidong, China), a global provider of photovoltaic (PV) solar solutions, on April 12th, 2012 opened a PV research and development (R&D) laboratory in Santa Clara, Calif., U.S. The facility will explore a variety of next generation PV concepts for efficient, low-cost conversion of solar energy into electricity, the company announces. Read more

Asia Report: Are China's Sinovel, Goldwind Seeking Vestas Takeover?

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 19:47 (Renewable Energy World)

Vestas, an iconic name in the wind industry and beyond, is a possible target of takeover bids from two of its chief Chinese rivals, according to a report published by Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Read more

Toronto Stock Exchange reviewing delisting Day4 Energy

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 20:58 (PV-Tech)

The Toronto Stock Exchange notified Day4 Energy that it is reviewing the company?s eligibility for continued listing of its securities on the Exchange under its Remedial Review Process. Day4 Energy has 120 days to comply with all TSX requirements for continued listing. Read more

Australian minister blames green schemes for electricity price hike

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 19:30 (PV-Tech)

New South Wales, Australia, Enery Minister Chris Hartcher has called for the closure of the national Renewable Energy Target, claiming it is the cause of increased electricity prices. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has released a report stating inflated prices are a result of rising network costs as well as the introduction of the carbon pricing mechanism, effective July 1. Read more

EU energy initiative aims to achieve sustainable energy access for all by 2030

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 18:33 (Solarpowerportal)

A new EU energy initiative which aims to provide access to sustainable energy for an additional 500 million people in developing countries by 2030 was today announced by the European Commission. Read more

Bunge Limited completes CCC acquisition

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 18:05 (Solarpowerportal)

Bunge Limited has now completed the acquisition of Climate Change Capital. The UK-regulated sustainable asset manager and advisor is now 100 percent owned by Bunge. Read more

US-India renewable energy research initiative receives US$125 million

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 15:55 (PV-Tech)

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the University of Florida and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) will lead the consortia that will form the US-India Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center (JCERDC), funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) with US$125 million. The US institutions are teaming up with three Indian institutions: the Indian Institute of Science-Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology-Hyderabad and the CEPT University-Ahmedabad. Read more

Race for Renewables' Game-changers Heats Up

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

First comes invention then comes prosperity. That's the theory of 'innovation economics,' a relatively new doctrine that underlies today's worldwide race to discover energy's next game changer and is triggering some intriguing tinkering in renewable energy. Will one of these new technologies lead us out of our economic malaise? Read more

Utilities need to state their methods for calculating net-metering quantities, says CPUC

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 14:06 (PV-Tech)

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Edison need to explain their methods in calculating the quantity of net-metered energy to the grid, the Californian Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has announced. Read more

Bristol Energy Cooperative launches community share offer

Monday, 4.16.2012 - 11:24 (Solarpowerportal)

A community-based solar energy scheme in Bristol has opened its first share offer. Bristol Energy Cooperative is a local, community-owned social enterprise that aims to build and own renewable energy projects that will benefit the local region as well as produce financial returns for reinvestment on a ?revolving fund? model. Read more