GTM Research report notes tough times for thin-film PV, projects upswing around 2015

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 21:55 (PV-Tech)

It is no surprise that thin film has had some trouble for the past few months and GTM Research?s latest report, ?Thin Film 2012-2016: Technologies, Markets and Strategies for Survival,? points out that the technology?s global market share dropped to 11% in 2011, after peaking at almost 20% in 2009. These days, the report states, thin film is surrounded by a highly competitive PV supply market with oversupply bringing cSi technology to global markets at less than US$1 per watt. Read more

Conergy completes second Fujifilm North America project

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 20:29 (PV-Tech)

Conergy, in cooperation with local partner Brightergy, has completed the installation of a 50kW solar project for Fujifilm North America?s North Kansas City, Missouri office. Over 200 Conergy PH solar modules will help the project produce 60,000kWh of clean energy per year. Read more

DECC reveals disappointing April installation figures

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 18:07 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has published the latest solar photovoltaic installation figures for 2012, which show that from April 1-15, just 1,293 solar PV installs were registered for the feed-in tariff scheme. Read more

SunEdison commissions 25 MW PV plant in Gujarat, India

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 15:35 (Solarserver)

On April 18th, 2012 SunEdison LLC (Beltsville, Maryland, U.S.) announced that it has commissioned a 25 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in a multi-developer, multi-facility solar park in the Indian state of Gujarat. SunEdison completed the plant, which is comprised of over 89,000 PV modules, in four months. The solar park at Charanka Village in Patan District, Gujarat houses over 200 MW of solar generation capacity over 4 square kilometers. Read more

SNEC 2012 to attract PV giants from five continents

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 12:30 (PV-Tech)

This year?s SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation Exhibition is set to attract over 200,000 visitors, including government officials and 5,000 professionals from related industries.  From 90 different countries, they will be gathering around approximately 2,200 exhibitors. Set to open at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in China on May 16, it will cover the whole industry value chain, from solar panels and materials for producing solar cells to solar power projects and systems. Read more

EMCORE awarded USD 6 million contract to supply PV modules for new spacecraft

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 10:30 (Solarserver)

On April 16th, 2012, EMCORE Corporation (Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.) announced that it has been awarded a contract by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation (Boulder, Colorado, U.S.) to design, produce and test solar photovoltaic (PV) modules for a new spacecraft. The total value of the contract, which will cover a two-year period, is roughly USD 6 million. The PV modules which EMCORE will deliver will incorporate the company's ZTJ multi-junction PV cells. Read more

Italy introduces new fees, registration system in Conto Energia V

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 9:27 (Solarserver)

Italy's Minister of Economic Development has released a final draft of the nation's new feed-in tariff for solar photovoltaic (PV) generation. This draft of the Conto Energia V includes a registration system for PV plants larger than 12 kW as well as capacity-based and performance-based fees. The new rules would impose a fee of EUR 5/kW for systems up to 20 kW and EUR 2/kW for plants larger than 20 kW, as well as a production fee of EUR 0.001/kWh to be imposed starting July 1st, 2012. Including these relatively modest fees, the rates in the new Conto Energia represent only a slight reduction from the degression in place from the Conto Energia IV. Read more

Lanco completes 56 MW of PV plants in Gujarat, India

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 8:45 (Solarserver)

On April 17th, 2012 Lanco Solar (New Dehli, India, U.S.) announced that it has completed a total of 56 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in the Indian State of Gujarat in the past year and a half. The plants include 35 MW owned by Lanco Infratech and 21 MW built as an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for other developers. Read more

Lanco Solar commissions 56MW of grid-connected PV plants in Gujarat

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 22:14 (PV-Tech)

According to a report by The Hindu Business Line, Lanco Solar has commissioned 56MW of grid-connected solar PV power plants in Gujarat. The plants include 35MW owned by Lanco Infratech and 21MW developed as turnkey EPC for developers, including 5MW for the Gujarat Power Corporation, 5MW for GSPC Pipayay Power, 10MW for GHI Energy and 1MW for Gujarat State Electricity. Read more

Vector Cuatro managing over 550MW of PV facilities

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 21:22 (PV-Tech)

Vector Cuatro advised that it recently exceeded managing 550MW of solar facilities after the closing of new management contracts. The company has portfolios under management in Spain, Italy, France and the US, which are comprised of over 90 projects and 800,000,000kWh of energy production per year. Read more

GCL Solar selects Quanta Power for EPC services at two California PV facilities

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 21:01 (PV-Tech)

Quanta Power Generation will be providing engineering, procurement and construction services, as requested by GCL Solar Energy, for two PV facilities near Alpaugh, California, which total 70MW. The contract will see Quanta working with GCL subsidiary, SPS Alpaugh, for the design, engineering, procurement and installation of all equipment for the Alpaugh 50MW project. Pre-construction pursuits began in February with the project expected to be completed by the end of this year. Read more

Mortgage misfortunes: the ?free? solar situation

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 17:43 (Solarpowerportal)

UK homeowners are today urged to think twice before allowing rent-a-roof companies to install solar on their home. Both the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) have issued warnings that people could face problems when selling their home, or worse, be refused a mortgage as a result of the ?free? panels. Read more

California Expands Solar Thermal Incentives for Low-Income Housing

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 17:10 (Renewable Energy World)

Once again, California is leading the way for solar hot water with a new solar thermal incentive, this time for low-income single-family properties and multi-family dwellings. California’s original CSI Thermal rebate program was introduced in 2010 and is perhaps the most generous solar water heating rebate program in the United States, off Read more

Canadian Solar, SkyPower enter into JV, Canadian Solar acquires 200 MW of projects

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 15:45 (Solarserver)

On April 17th, 2012 Canadian Solar Inc. (Kitchener, Canada) and SkyPower Ltd. (Toronto, Canada) announced that they have entered into a joint venture and purchase agreement, including Canadian Solar's acquisition of a majority interest in 16 solar photovoltaic (PV) projects with a total capacity of 190-200 MW-DC. Canadian Solar plans to begin construction on the plants in 2013 with commissioning scheduled for 2014. The agreement also includes a 50:50 international joint venture to develop PV plants in "emerging markets". Read more

Testing the Limits of the California Solar Act

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In November, the California Appellate Court upheld a trial court decision that homeowners improperly installed a solar energy facility on their home in contravention of the community's covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs). As more and more single-family residences have sought to take advantage of affordable solar installations, they have been aided in their goal by the California Solar Rights Act, which protects individual homeowners' access to the sun. The Act has restrained homeowners associations (HOAs) in their ability to push back against the often aesthetically unappealing structures by limiting the restrictions HOAs are able to impose. Yet, because of the Read more

SEPA ranks PG&E as US?s top electric utility

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 14:06 (PV-Tech)

A new survey by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has ranked Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) as the US?s top electric utility in the amount of solar power added to its system in 2011. PG&E is first in the Annual Solar Megawatts category of the more than 240 utilities that participated in SEPA?s 2011 Utility Solar Rankings survey. Read more

Nicaraguan government to develop country?s first PV project

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 13:23 (PV-Tech)

Nicaragua?s Ministry of Energy and Mines has started construction on a 1.38MW project in the west of the country. The solar farm, located 12km from the city of Diriamba, will be partly funded by the Japanese, with an investment of US$12 million. According to Nicaraguan newspaper El Nuavo Diario, the PV installation will become the largest in Central America. Read more

HITTIE to sponsor SolarTAC

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 13:22 (PV-Tech)

Istanbul, Turkey-based HITTITE Solar Energy has been confirmed as a sponsor of the Solar Technology Acceleration Centre (SolarTAC). HITTITE is currently developing a comprehensive solar thermal system. Read more

Solar technology will be cost-competitive with coal by 2020

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 12:21 (Solarpowerportal)

Consultancy firm McKinsley has published a wide-ranging report on solar photovoltaic technology which reveals that solar PV will reach grid-parity with coal and nuclear as soon as 2020. Read more

Construction underway on Solaria?s 3MW project in southern Brazil

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 12:13 (PV-Tech)

Solaria has begun the installation of three plants, two commercial and one pilot, in the south-eastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. The project is being developed with one of Brazil?s largest public electric utilities ? Energy Company of Minas Gerais (CEMIG) and will deliver 3MW of clean energy on completion in July 2012. The project will generate enough electricity to power an estimated 1,000 homes. Read more

SunEdison has announces 25MW PV plant grid connection in Gujarat

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 11:59 (PV-Tech)

SunEdison has announced the connection of a 25MW solar power plant in Gujarat, India to the grid. The plant is located in a solar park. Charanka in the Patan district. The park is home to a variety of PV facilities by different developers, generating over 200MW in total. SunEdison?s plant is equipped with more than 89,000 PV modules and has been completed in only four months. As a participant in the Gujarat solar project, SunEdison has connected a total of 45MW in the Gujarat region. Read more

SunEdison announces 25MW PV plant grid connection in Gujarat

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 11:59 (PV-Tech)

SunEdison has announced the connection of a 25MW solar power plant in Gujarat, India to the grid. The plant is located in a solar park. Charanka in the Patan district. The park is home to a variety of PV facilities by different developers, generating over 200MW in total. SunEdison?s plant is equipped with more than 89,000 PV modules and has been completed in only four months. As a participant in the Gujarat solar project, SunEdison has connected a total of 45MW in the Gujarat region. Read more

UK insurance broker urges solar park owners to protect their investment

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 11:23 (Solarpowerportal)

UK insurance broker, Swinton Commercial, has released safety advice aimed at businesses investing in solar energy, urging them to make sure their premises are covered for theft. Read more

LA approves pilot 10MW FiT scheme

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 11:02 (PV-Tech)

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Board of Water and Power Commissioners has approved a feed-in tariff for 10MW of solar power. Read more

California launches solar water heating advocacy campaign

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 10:44 (Solarserver)

Four Californian utilities and one non-profit have launched a statewide campaign to publicize the benefits of solar water heating and available state rebates for the technology. The California Solar Initiative's (CSI) Thermal Program offers rebates up to USD 1,875 for single-family residential systems and USD 500,000 for commercial or multi-family buildings. The five organizations are administrators of the CSI Thermal Program, including the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE, San Diego, California, U.S.), the San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E, San Diego, California, U.S.) Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E, San Francisco, California, U.S.), Southern California Read more

Canadian Solar introduces authorized reseller program for the EMEA region

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 10:39 (Solarserver)

On April 12th, 2012, Canadian Solar Inc. (Ontario, Canada) announced that it has launched a dedicated authorized reseller program for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Under the program, the company will actively support its EMEA reseller partners with extensive technical product training, professional sales and marketing support and many other benefits, including access to a valuable ongoing qualified lead program, an authorized reseller starter kit, tailored marketing materials, and product samples. Read more

Waaree connects 5MW PV plant in Rajasthan to the grid

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 10:38 (PV-Tech)

Waaree Energies has connected a Greentech Power 5MW solar power plant near Kolayat in the Rajasthan region to the grid, the company has announced. The plant is equipped with Waaree crystalline PV modules, produced at the company?s manufacturing plant in Surat. Read more

Bechtel chosen as EPC contractor for 110 MW Catalina Solar Project

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 10:35 (Solarserver)

On April 17th, 2012, Bechtel Corporation (San Francisco, California, U.S.) announced that it has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by enXCo (Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.) for the Catalina Solar Project in Southern California. Pending approval by the California Public Utilities Commission, Bechtel plans to begin work on the 110 MW-AC solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in May 2012, with completion planned for 2013. Bechtel will also build a 11.6 kilometer transmission line to connect the plant to a nearby electricity substation. Read more

Centrosolar introduces two new products at the Intersolar Europe 2012 Trade Fair: Ultra-light glass/glass module, Cenpilot for clever household energy management

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 10:25 (Solarserver)

Centrosolar (Hamburg, Germany) will present two new products at this year?s Intersolar trade fair in Munich (Germany). The first is a solar photovoltaic (PV) glass/ glass module, which combines the lightweight aspect of a glass/ foil module with the durability of a glass/ glass module. The second is a new energy management system that will reduce the barriers to entering the smart grid. Intersolar Europe is the leading trade fair for the solar industry and will take place from June 13th to 15th in Munich. Read more

Refundable Federal Tax Credit Could Remove Barrier to Community Wind

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 16:53 (Renewable Energy World)

Since it will take a battle to extend federal tax credits for wind power anyway, why not make community wind development easier at the same time? Last month, President Obama’s Treasury Department released proposed reforms to a number of business taxes including the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind power projects.  The reform Read more

Interconnectivity and the Grid: More Power to Clean Energies

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 15:19 (Renewable Energy World)

As the nation looks to the sun for alternatives to conventional fossil fuels for generating power, the electrical grid is being seen by policymakers in a significant new light. Improving interconnectivity of the electrical grid infrastructure has the potential to accelerate the advancement of renewable energies ? solar, wind and geothermal ? into the nation's mainstream power supply. The problem, however, is that a good portion of these abundant and unlimited resources are generated in remote markets that make transmission to the nation's electrical grids for distribution and storage to the benefit of massive populations ambiguous, at best. Read more

Panasonic launches new renewables focused unit, announces strategic alliance with RSB Funds

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 20:45 (PV-Tech)

Panasonic has taken its interest in renewables and energy efficiency to a new level with the creation of a new business unit, the Panasonic Eco Solutions North America division will focus on the design, implementation and financing of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects throughout the US and Canada. Panasonic Eco Solutions advised that it plans to offer wide-ranging renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions to corporate and public sector organizations all the way from the planning and engineering stages through implementation, construction, permanent financing and ongoing system maintenance. Read more

RBS confirmed as UK?s largest renewable lender

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 18:51 (Solarpowerportal)

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has been revealed as the largest lender to renewable energy projects in the UK during 2011. A report published by Infrastructure Journal shows that RBS loaned more than £230 million to UK renewable energy projects last year, more than double that of their nearest competitor. Read more

Sustainable Energy Technologies to produce Ontario?s first factory-built PV systems

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 17:12 (PV-Tech)

Sustainable Energy Technologies has announced it aims to reduce design and on-site labour costs by 90% by producing Ontario?s first factory-constructed solar systems.  The product will be available through ProFab Solar only, a subsidiary of the partnership between Sustainable Energy and Steeltree Structures. The new systems also claim to offer project developers a reduction in risks during the installation process. Read more

Bechtel and enXco to construct 110MW facility in California

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 16:38 (PV-Tech)

EDF Energies Nouvelles has awarded EPC company Bechtel a contract to partner with EDF?s subsidiary enXco?s on its Catalina Project in Kern County, southern California. Bechtel will also build the 7.2 mile transmission line to connect the facility to a nearby substation. The 110MW facility is to be built on 1,100 acres to produce enough energy to power approximately 35,000 homes. Read more

Enel completes two PV plants in Sicily

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 12:24 (PV-Tech)

Enel Green Power has completed two PV plants in the Sicilian region of Italy: a 10MW installation in Catania and further 2MW project in Rosolini. The plants will produce a total of over 19 million kW/h per year. Read more

Dulas plans to double Scotland-based activities in 2012

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 9:30 (Solarpowerportal)

UK-based renewable energy company, Dulas, has revealed its intention to double the size of its operations in Scotland this year. Proving its commitment to this growing market, the company plans to celebrate its 30th year in the UK by firmly establishing its presence in the north. Read more

ECC report: ?we need to tackle the carbon problem, not shift it abroad?

Wednesday, 4.18.2012 - 7:30 (Solarpowerportal)

A report published by the Energy and Climate Change Committee (ECC) has called on Government to be more straightforward about the impact that UK consumption is having on the world?s climate. Read more