Princeton University scientists create PV cells based on microscopic folds

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 22:27 (Solarserver)

Scientists at the Princeton University have found that use of microscopic folds on the surface of photovoltaic (PV) material can significantly increase the power output of flexible, low-cost solar cells. In the journal ?Nature Photonics?, scientists reported that the folds resulted in a 47% increase in electricity generation. Yueh-Lin (Lynn) Loo, the principal investigator, stated that the finely calibrated folds on the surface of the solar cells channel light waves and increase the photovoltaic material's exposure to light. Read more

PV micro-inverter producer Enphase opens new testing lab in France

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 22:16 (Solarserver)

On April 30th, 2012, Enphase Energy Inc. (Petaluma, California, U.S.) announced that it has developed a new lab facility in Lyon, France. The new solar photovoltaic (PV) inverter testing lab will focus on a local test environment for the company?s European products. The testing lab will allow Enphase Energy to monitor, support and ensure compliance of its products from within Europe. The company opened offices in Lyon, France, which are also serving the Benelux region, and Milan, Italy, in March 2011. Read more

Navigant releases 7th annual edition of PV analysis report

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 21:36 (PV-Tech)

Navigant?s Solar Services Program advised that its Photovoltaic Manufacturer Shipments, Capacity & Competitive Analysis 2011/2012 is now available. The report gives an analysis of PV industry shipments, capacity and average prices and revenues as well as a five-year forecast of technology shipments. Read more

Waxman Renewables announces agreement with Viessmann

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 17:37 (Solarpowerportal)

Waxman renewables has announced a new partnership with leading international heating manufacturer, Viessmann. Read more

MIT Technology Review selects Semprius CPV in list of top 10 emerging technologies

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 16:17 (Solarserver)

On May 1st, 2012 Semprius Inc. (Durham, North Carolina, U.S.) announced that its concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) technology has been selected by MIT Technology Review (Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.) for its TR10, an annual list of the world's top ten emerging technologies. Semprius' technology was the second listing related to solar in MIT's Top 10 list, the other being village-scale DC solar microgrids, primarily for rural areas in the developing world. Read more

Advanced Energy inverter revenues fall in 1Q 2012

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 16:09 (Solarserver)

On April 30th, 2012 Advanced Energy Industries Inc. (Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.) released results for the first quarter of 2012, reporting a 22% sequential decrease in revenues to USD 58.1 million in its Solar Energy Business Unit. Overall, Advanced Energy reported a 6% sequential decrease in revenues to USD 106 million, a 0.6% operating margin, and a net income of USD 1.07 million. A day later on May 1st, 2012, the company launched its Ascent AMS DC power solution at a thin-film coating technology trade show in Santa Clara, California. Read more

Thinking Neutral: Small Towns Look to Renewables to Reduce Reliance on the Grid

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The town of Fowler, Colo., (pop. 1,087) sits in a 150-mile corridor between Pueblo and the Kansas border that boasts about half a million head of cattle. A few years ago, Fowler, like much of the country, faced a difficult economy and rising energy prices. Local government officials decided the cows and the energy weren't so unrelated as they seemed. They started thinking about how cattle ? and the other features of the region ? might help the town's fortunes. Read more

Conergy equips Hawaiian schools with 4MW of energy

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 13:00 (PV-Tech)

Conergy has announced that it will install PV projects totalling more than 4MW at a number of schools in Hawaii. All projects are expected to be completed by 2014. Read more

Japan to exclude net-metering from new FiT

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 12:37 (PV-Tech)

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, has announced it will omit net-metering purchase prices from the new feed-in tariffs due to be implemented in July. Instead, the government has decided that in order to avoid confusion, current rates will be extended for three months until June and kept separate from the feed-in tariff. Read more

Jefferies: Japan FIT to yield 20% return on investment, global PV market share to double in 2013

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 9:41 (Solarserver)

On April 30th, 2012, Jefferies & Company Inc. (New York, New York, U.S.) released an industry note examining the implications of Japan's new feed-in tariff (FIT) for the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, which anticipates that the new program will yield a 20% internal rate of return (IRR) for investors. The research note states that this and the likelihood of a low-cost, accessible financing component will make the program "one of the most attractive globally", and estimates that Japan will grow to over 10% of the global PV market by 2013 as a result. Read more

Masdar to fund PV projects in Tonga, Afghanistan

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 9:33 (Solarserver)

Masdar (Abu Dhabi, UAE) has announced that it will fund solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Tonga and Afghanistan, as part of its commitment to the United Nation's Sustainable Energy for All initiative. Masdar states that the grid-connected PV plant it will build on the island of Vava'u, Tonga will supply 13% of the island's electricity demand. In Afghanistan, Masdar will supply eight isolated villages with 600 individual solar home systems. Read more

Miwel to build 60 MW of PV plants in Ontario

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 9:27 (Solarserver)

On April 27th, 2012 Aecon Group Inc. (Toronto, Canada) announced that subsidiary Miwel Construction Ltd. (Richmond Hill, Canada) has been awarded a contract by Northland Power Inc. (Toronto, Canada) to construct six 10 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in the Canadian province of Ontario. Each of the plants will comprise 40,000 PV modules on 34 hectare sites, near Smith Falls and Belleville in Eastern Ontario, as well as near Huntsville. The projects will participate in Ontario's feed-in tariff program, and Miwel expects to complete all six in 2013. Read more

Intersolar China 2012: At the heart of one of the largest growth markets

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 22:39 (Solarserver)

For the second time this year the international solar industry is meeting at Intersolar China from December 12th ? 14th, 2012, at the China National Convention Center (CNCC) in Beijing. Last year, Intersolar China became part of the worldwide network of international Intersolar exhibitions and conferences, which also includes global events in Munich, San Francisco and Mumbai. This year, around 250 exhibitors are expected to present their latest products and services from the areas of photovoltaics and solar thermal technologies across an exhibition space covering 11,000 square meters. Read more

VRDT, Talesun Solar sign JV agreement on solar energy storage and management systems

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 22:32 (Solarserver)

On April 30th, 2012, VRDT Corp. (Los Angeles, California, U.S.) announced that it has signed an agreement with Talesun Solar USA Ltd. (San Jose, California, U.S.) to jointly develop and install new advanced energy storage and management systems for solar applications and deployments. Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate on new ventures and upcoming projects. Read more

NPD Solarbuzz strengthens PV research team

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 22:20 (Solarserver)

On April 30th, 2012, NPD Solarbuzz (Santa Clara, California, U.S.) announced that it named Finlay Colville as vice president to lead the solar research team. In addition, the company has hired Wolfgang Schlichting as research director, downstream markets. Read more

CASM releases interpretation of China?s new Five-Year Plan for the solar industry

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 21:20 (PV-Tech)

According to commissioned analysis done by Wiley Rein for the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM), China?s 12th Five-Year Plan for its solar industry shows heightened signs of government control and support of its industry through numerous government initiatives, including new policy and financial and price subsidies. Read more

3M, Gossamer Space Frames debut new LAT 73 parabolic trough

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 20:50 (PV-Tech)

3M and Gossamer Space Frames are celebrating the launch of their new parabolic trough solar collector technology today with a ribbon cutting event at Cogentrix?s Sunray Energy facility in Daggett, California. The companies noted that the Large Aperture Trough 73 (LAT 73) was designed to cut equipment and installation costs by 25% for CSP systems by featuring a concentration factor over 100x and an aperture size of 7.3m, both of which are new benchmarks for the industry. Read more

KDC Solar?s 2.2MW PV installation in Vineland, New Jersey begins commercial operation

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 20:25 (PV-Tech)

KDC Solar advised that its 2.2MW ground-mounted, single-axis tracker solar system for Atlantic Coast Freezers has begun commercial operation. Located in Vineland, New Jersey, the solar project will produce around 3.4 million kWh of solar electricity every year while providing 100% of Atlantic Coast?s warehouse electric power needs. Read more

Doug Mutcher joins Westwood Professional?s solar energy group

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 20:17 (PV-Tech)

Registered professional engineer Doug Mutcher has joined Westwood Professional Services? national solar energy group as an electrical engineering manager. Mutcher holds almost 20 years of experience in electrical engineering field work for the industrial, commercial, transportation, educational, corporate, medical, retail, manufacturing and process industries. Read more

Duke Energy buys 10MW solar plant from bankrupt Solon

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 18:47 (PV-Tech)

Duke Energy Renewables has acquired a 10MW PV project in Arizona from the bankrupt German Solon Corporation. The Black Mountain Solar Project in Mohave County will commence commercial production in October 2012. Read more

PV for All: Low-Income Housing Residents Going Solar

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 17:43 (Renewable Energy World)

Until recently, the low-income housing community has been a tough nut for the solar industry to crack. Low-income housing developments have historically avoided going solar due to the obvious difficulties of incorporating high-cost, discretionary photovoltaic (PV) systems into affordable housing. However, a unique mix of local, utility, and federal support combined with a little financial creativity allowed a community in Colorado to demonstrate the application of PV into a low-income housing program. Read more

BTU International sales up 9.4% but solar equipment orders weak

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 16:50 (PV-Tech)

Thermal processing equipment specialist, BTU International expect further weakness for solar equipment orders as the industry continues to be impacted by overcapacity and very low capital expenditure. The company posted a first quarter 2012 loss US$2 million, compared to a net loss of US$2.3 million in the preceding quarter on the back of sales that were up 9.4% to US$16.3 million, yet down 35.8% compared to US$25.4 million for the same quarter a year ago. Read more

STR Holdings cuts solar material prices to maintain market share

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 16:42 (PV-Tech)

A key supplier of PV module encapsulant materials to the likes of First Solar, STR Holdings said that a 14.3% decline in average selling price (ASP) quarter-on-quarter was due to the need to maintain its market share with key customers. Falling module prices due to overcapacity is continuing to put pressure on the entire PV supply chain to lower prices. Read more

BOS Series: The New Frontier of Intelligent Large-Scale Solar

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In the first article in this series, we discussed the many factors that impact energy output from solar arrays and why it's important to improve the insight into array performance if lifetime energy yield is to match expectations. Read more

Concentrating solar power: Abengoa selected to lead R&D consortiums for CSP technology

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 13:45 (Solarserver)

On April 26th, 2012 Abengoa SA (Seville, Spain) announced that it has been selected by the Center of Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) in Spain to lead two research and development (R&D) consortiums focused on concentrating solar power (CSP) technology. The projects will focus on creation of a new parabolic trough collector and other key components of parabolic trough technology, as well as creating new thermal storage technologies for CSP plants to use steam as a heat-transfer fluid, which it says will improve dispatchability. Read more

A 1MW solar canopy for Massachusetts? Patriot Place

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 13:41 (PV-Tech)

NRG Energy, in collaboration with the Kraft Group, has begun constructing a solar canopy at the Patriot Place in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Once completed, the canopy, in combination with a rooftop PV installation, will generate a total of 1MW. Read more

NRG installs 1MW solar canopy at Massachusetts? Patriot Place

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 13:41 (PV-Tech)

NRG Energy, in collaboration with the Kraft Group, has begun constructing a solar canopy at the Patriot Place in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Once completed, the canopy, in combination with a rooftop PV installation, will generate a total of 1MW. Read more

Hundreds of thousands of Americans to be employed in the US solar industry by 2020, says SEIA report

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 12:14 (PV-Tech)

A new US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) report has predicted that the US solar industry will employ hundreds of thousands more Americans by 2020. Read more

Pakistan Ministry of Water and Power issues Letters of Intent for 228MW

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 12:04 (PV-Tech)

The Pakistan Ministry of Water and Power has issued nine Letters of Intent (LoI) to different solar power plant developers to develop projects totalling a capacity of 228MW in Pakistan. The projects are sized from 50MW to 1MW and are in different stages of development. Read more

ISO 9001:2008 certification awarded to Nanosolar?s German production facility

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 11:43 (PV-Tech)

The German Technical Control Board, TÜV Süd Germany, has awarded Nanosolar?s Luckenwalde panel assembly plant the ISO 9001:2008 certificate. Read more

Nanosolar completes grant tasks from DOE

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 9:28 (Solarserver)

On April 26th, 2012, Nanosolar Inc. (San Jose, California, U.S.) announced that it has achieved or surpassed all 10 major tasks in completion of a USD 42 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a Solar America Initiative (SAI) Technology Pathway Partnership (TPP) program. Nanosolar was awarded the grant in 2006 to develop large-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems for commercial buildings that offer the best price per watt performance in the industry and received sign off from the DOE in early April 2012. Read more

Small island community in UK installs 70 kW of PV, reaches highest level of solar power in the nation

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 9:27 (Solarserver)

On April 8th, 2012, Plug Into The Sun (Penzance, England) announced that it has installed 70 kilowatts (kW) of photovoltaic (PV) system on the St. Agnes Island, United Kingdom. The island can now boast to have installed proportionately the highest concentration of solar per community anywhere in the UK. Read more

Congress Needs to Pass PTC Extension ? Soon

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In February and March, the United States Congress struck a blow to domestic alternative energy production, which is already resulting in stalled economic growth and job losses. Congress missed a chance to extend the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind power generation. While a PTC extension could still appear as stand-alone legislation or tied to another bill, it's imperative that such a move happens soon. PTC, an income tax credit of 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour for wind turbine electricity production, is essential for tens of thousands of American jobs, as well as the continued success of domestic green energy generation. Read more

Exxon's Big Bet on Shale Gas Won't Pay Off if Clean Energy Scales

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 18:40 (Renewable Energy World)

For several years now, we’ve been making the case that the clean energy industry has to dramatically scale its advocacy investment to meet an aggressive disinformation campaign trained against it by the fossil lobby. We’ve found increasing receptiveness to that message, but we still run into people who think we’ve got tin foil on Read more

Why Location is Critical to Understanding Sustainability

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 18:22 (Renewable Energy World)

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, sustainability is based on one simple principle: "Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony that permits fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations." Read more

Power to the people: Hull opens electricity-generating gym

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 16:12 (Solarpowerportal)

A revolutionary outdoor gym that harnesses the power generated by those exercising and turns it into electricity has been unveiled in Hull. Read more

US and Japan launch three new clean energy initiatives as part of energy partnership

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 15:33 (PV-Tech)

US President Barack Obama has said that the US plans to strengthen its cooperation on energy issues with Japan. Obama made the comments at the White House earlier this week after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. Read more

DECC appoints Chairman for Carbon Capture and Storage Task Force

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 15:07 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has appointed Dr Jeff Chapman as the Chair of the new Carbon Capture and Storage Cost Reduction Task Force. Read more

Silicon producer Dow Corning: revenues, income fall in 1Q 2012

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 13:39 (Solarserver)

On May 1st, 2012 Dow Corning Corporation (Midland, Michigan, U.S.) released financial results for the first quarter of 2012, reporting a 4% year-over-year decrease in sales to USD 1.52 billion, and a 60% decline in net income to USD 70.5 million. The company blames oversupply in both the silicone and polycrystalline silicon industries, as well as increased raw material and energy costs, for declines in revenues and profit. Dow Corning participates in joint venture polysilicon producer Hemlock Semiconductor (Hemlock, Michigan, U.S.) with Shin-Etsu Handotai Company Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation (Tokyo, Japan). Read more

GMI Renewable Energy set to become ?GMI Energy?

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 13:06 (Solarpowerportal)

Leeds-based GMI Renewable Energy has changed its trading name to ?GMI Energy?. The construction services group has rebranded its renewables division to better reflect the wider scope of capabilities offered by the group. Read more

Greenpeace protesters invade Centrica?s head office

Wednesday, 5.2.2012 - 11:54 (Solarpowerportal)

Over 50 Greenpeace activists staged a protest at Centrica?s headquarters yesterday, barricading the front of the office with the ?world?s biggest energy bill?. Read more