IBM, Honda and PG&E join hands on smarter charging for Electric Vehicles

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 12:39 (Solarserver)

On April 13th, 2012, IBM announced that it has teamed up with American Honda Motor Co. Inc. and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) on a new pilot project that will allow communication between electric vehicles (EVs) and the power grid. The project will demonstrate and test an EV's ability to receive and respond to charge instructions based on the grid condition and the vehicle's battery state. Read more

Mage Solar Academy offers solar business and technical sales training course

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 21:48 (Solarserver)

On April 12th, 2012, Mage Solar Academy, part of the globally operating Mage Group, announced that it is offering solar business and technical sales training. The two newly developed classes will teach participants proven practices as well as essential technical know-how to successfully establish and maintain a photovoltaic (PV) business in the quickly expanding solar industry. Read more

Wal-Mart installs 2 MW solar energy systems at stores in Colorado

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 21:39 (Solarserver)

On April 11th, 2012, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S.) announced that it is installing solar photovoltaic (PV) projects at its stores in Colorado (U.S.). These six SolarCity projects on stores in Colorado move Wal-Mart closer to its long-term goal of using 100% renewable energy for all its retail and distribution facilities. Read more

Consumers Energy adds 9 solar projects to its renewable program

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 21:26 (Solarserver)

On April 13th, 2012, Consumers Energy (Jackson, Michigan, U.S.), a subsidiary of CMS Energy, announced that it has selected customer-initiated solar projects in Grand Traverse, Jackson, Kent, Ottawa and Saginaw counties as participants in the next phase of its Experimental Advanced Renewable Program. Read more

NPD Solarbuzz: there is still potential in Greek market

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 19:15 (PV-Tech)

These last few weeks, Greece has seen many violent clashes between police and citizens against its austerity measures. Despite this, NPD Solarbuzz has announced it considers Greece a potential saviour of the European PV market this year, with strong demand and attractive project returns. Read more

Solarbuzz: there is still potential in Greek market

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 19:15 (PV-Tech)

These last few weeks, Greece has seen many violent clashes between police and citizens against its austerity measures. Despite this, Solarbuzz has announced it considers Greece a potential saviour of the European PV market this year, with strong demand and attractive project returns. Read more

Canadian Solar and SkyPower enter purchase agreement for 16 Ontario PV projects

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 17:52 (PV-Tech)

Canadian Solar and SkyPower Energy have entered a purchase agreement under which Canadian Solar will purchase a majority in 16 of SkyPower?s Ontario PV projects. Fifteen of these projects are included in Ontario?s FiT program while one is part of the Ontario renewable energy standard offer program. Read more

CEFC to provide AUD$10 billion to Australian solar industry

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 16:43 (PV-Tech)

Following the release of the IPART report this week, Expert Review Panel has issued directives to the Australian government on the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). The CEFC will finance Australia?s clean energy in order to address the barriers currently inhibiting investment. Read more

Major Closures for First Solar, Sunpower

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 15:55 (Renewable Energy World)

Two American solar heavyweights built on overseas manufacturing are scaling back operations in an effort to keep up with a shifting landscape. Read more

First Solar restructuring to include laying off 2,000 workers

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 15:53 (Solarserver)

On April 17th, 2012 First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Arizona, U.S.) announced a plan for restructuring its operations, including closing its manufacturing facility in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany and indefinitely idling four production lines in Kulim, Malaysia. As a result of these and other changes, First Solar expects to lay off 2,000 workers, roughly 30% of its global workforce. The company expects to save USD 100 to 120 million annually through the restructuring, which will cost USD 245 to 370 million in 2012. Read more

Masdar Institute to fund UAE national atlas of solar and wind resources

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 15:44 (Solarserver)

On April 16th, 2012 The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (Abu Dhabi, UAE) signed agreements with several Abu Dhabi government agencies to formalize its funding contributions to a UAE national atlas of solar and wind resources. The institute states that the atlas will offer universal access to resource, grid and land use data, which it says will help developers to efficiently determine the feasibility of renewable energy projects. Read more

First Solar to axe 2,000 jobs, close German plant and idle other lines

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 14:32 (PV-Tech)

A severe cost cutting exercise and manufacturing realignment is underway at First Solar as it plans to axe around 30% of its workforce, permanently close its German manufacturing operations and idle 4-lines at its facilities in Malaysia. Management blamed the move on the market conditions in Europe and the rapidly changing market demand dynamics within the industry for the restructuring. The restructuring and other related charges are expected to be between US$245-370 million, of which US$80-120 million was said to be in cash expenditures. Read more

Howzat? Cornish solar company scores cricket festival sponsorship

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 13:35 (Solarpowerportal)

A St Austell-based solar company has won the sponsorship of Cornwall?s first major cricket event, which has now been renamed ?The Teddington Solar 2012 Cornish Cricket Festival?. Read more

Solar-powered ?smart? bins set to help Councils clean up

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 13:05 (Solarpowerportal)

A new solar-powered street bin is set to revolutionise the way in which Councils store and collect rubbish across the UK. Thousands of BigBelly Solar Powered Compactor Street bins have been rolled out across the country after six years of intensive trials. Read more

SolarWorld CEO: German government ?want to destroy? solar industry

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 13:02 (PV-Tech)

With shares in SolarWorld steadily falling into the red, CEO Frank Asbeck has spoken out against cuts to support the industry by the German government in an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung at the weekend. He accused the government of wanting to destroy an industry only just in its infancy by putting thousands of jobs at risk. Read more

DOE supports development of Solar Junction's CPV cell manufacturing

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 12:32 (Solarserver)

On April 15th, 2012, Solar Junction (San Jose, California, U.S.), a developer of high efficiency multi-junction solar cells for the concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) market, announced that it has received a SUNPATH award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The award is part of a USD 21.5 million program to increase CPV cell manufacturing capacity. Through the program, Solar Junction aims at a median cell efficiency of 42% on 150mm substrates. These factors will make a substantial impact on reducing CPV?s USD/W module cost by driving down the cost of the cell, while increasing the CPV module's power output by increased cell efficiency. Read more

Another Chinese manufacturer enters the UK solar market

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 11:22 (Solarpowerportal)

Signing what could be another exciting deal for the UK solar market, Merseyside accountancy firm Mitchell Charlesworth has penned a bi-lateral trade agreement to help Chinese manufacturer Singyes Solar set up on British soil. Read more

Ex-Im Bank of the U.S. approves USD 80 million in funding for two 125 MW CSP plants in India, supports U.S. jobs in eight states

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 9:41 (Solarserver)

Supporting U.S. jobs at companies in eight federal states, the board of directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank; Washington, D.C.) approved an USD 80.32 million direct loan for the purchase of concentrating solar power technology by Reliance Power, Ltd. in Rajasthan, India. The project, "Rajasthan Sun Technique Energy Private Limited," is a subsidiary of Reliance Power and is being co-financed by the Asian Development Bank and FMO, the Dutch development bank. Read more

Wind Power Helps Drive Strong Increase In US Renewable Electricity Generation

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

As policy makers in Washington ignore the urgent need to extend federal tax credits for wind, there's some new data for them to consider. Over the last decade, the number of states generating more than 10 percent of electricity from non-hydro renewable energy has increased from two to nine. Read more

AC Transit starts fueling buses with hydrogen made from solar-powered electrolysis

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 21:33 (Solarserver)

On April 13th, 2012, AC Transit (Emeryville, California, U.S.) and a coalition of regional transit partners serving 7 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area announced the newest hydrogen production and dispensing station in Emeryville to fuel the latest generation of zero-emission fuel cell buses operating throughout the region. The hydrogen to fuel the fleet is produced in part by solar-powered electrolysis. Read more

UK applies for IRENA membership

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 18:28 (Solarpowerportal)

Further proving its commitment to renewable energy, the UK has applied for membership with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Read more

Hawaii takes a step closer to meeting clean-energy goals with new 1.2MW installation

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 13:18 (PV-Tech)

The launch of a new 1.2MW PV installation on the Hawaiian island of Oahu has outlined the state?s commitment to meeting its clean energy goals. The new installation, Oahu?s second utility-scale project, will provide power to an estimated 250 military homes on the Pearl City Peninsula and be completed by the end of 2012. Read more

DECC gives tremor-causing fracking the go ahead

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 11:46 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has today published a report which recommends a raft of measures designed to mitigate the risks of fracking, after a comprehensive review determined that shale gas drilling caused minor earthquakes. Read more

Berti Green Accelerator competition is now closed

Tuesday, 4.17.2012 - 9:36 (Solarpowerportal)

Aspiring green entrepreneurs will now have to wait and see who will win in the first round of the Berti Green Accelerator funding. Read more