MIT unveils new simulation method for noncrystalline materials

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 22:09 (Solarserver)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has unveiled a new mathematical approach to simulate the electronic behavior of noncrystalline materials, which it says can help evaluate materials for thin film solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. MIT states that Random-matrix theory offers a high degree of precision, even though it uses approximations instead of exact solutions. This research will be published in the journal "Physical Review Letters" on June 29th, 2012. Read more

AES closes on financing for 27 MW PV portfolio in Italy

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 15:48 (Solarserver)

AES Solar has closed on EUR 77 million in long-term non-recourse financing for a portfolio of 10 solar photovoltaic (PV) plants totaling 27 MW in the Lazio and Sicily regions of Italy. The financing facility closed in May 2012, and was used to refinance the equity advanced during construction of its Elpida project. Dexia Crediop SpA (Rome, Italy), DNB Bank ASA (Oslo, Norway) and ING Bank (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) participated as lead arrangers in the financing, which was structured as a multi-borrower transaction. Read more

PV in Australia: Queensland to slash PV feed-in tariff to USD 0.08/kWh

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 11:11 (Solarserver)

The government of the Australian state of Queensland will cut its feed-in tariff for surplus solar photovoltaic (PV) generation 82% to AUD 0.08/kWh (USD 0.08/kWh) starting on July 10th, 2012. The new feed-in tariff rate under the state's Solar Bonus Scheme will be reviewed by July 1st, 2013, and is scheduled to end on July 1st, 2014. The program is limited to PV plants 5 kW and smaller. Read more

IMS Research: c-Si PV module gross profits fall to USD 0.09 per watt in 1Q 2012

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 11:06 (Solarserver)

On June 26th, 2012, IMS Research (Wellingborough, U.K.) announced the release of a report which estimates that average gross profits of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar photovoltaic (PV) module producers fell to USD 0.09 per watt in the first quarter of 2012. The company says that this is placing "huge" pressure on manufacturers. IMS Research's "PV Modules, Cells, Wafers & Polysilicon - Supply & Demand Quarterly - Q2'12" states that this decline in margins is result of a near 50% decline in average c-Si PV module prices over the last 12 months. The company also predicts that gross profits will continue to fall to USD 0.07 per watt by the end of 2012. Read more

U.S. DOC to increase CVD tariffsn imports of Chinese PV o

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 9:40 (Solarserver)

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has announced that it will increase preliminary countervailing duty (CVD) rates on imports of solar photovoltaic (PV) products from China, due to the discovery of additional subsidies. New preliminary countervailing duty tariffs will be 3.44% on PV cells from Suntech Power Holdings Company Ltd. (Wuxi, China) and 5.81% on Trina Solar Ltd. (Changzhou, China), as well as higher rates for other companies, which are based on rates for Trina and Suntech. Read more

Fitch Ratings report says construction delays, unpredictable technology among risks to PV projects

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 22:15 (PV-Tech)

Fitch Ratings recently released its ?Construction and Operational Solar Project Issues? report, stating that construction delays, solar energy output, unpredictable technology and regulatory stability are all risk factors to solar projects. The report looked at over 25 public and private utility-scale PV, CPV and thermal concentrating solar power projects over the past two years in order to gather its data. Read more

If E.U. Solar Trade Case Is Filed, Industry Would Have Voice in Process

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 22:05 (Renewable Energy World)

While a strategy of unity wasn't able to ward off tariffs during a recent trade investigation of Chinese solar products entering the United States, a similar approach could prove to be far more fruitful under European Union trade rules. Read more

Solar powered water purification: CONSOL Energy acquires equity interest in Epiphany Solar Water Systems

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 21:59 (Solarserver)

On June 25th, 2012, CONSOL Energy Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.) announced that it has acquired a minority equity interest in Epiphany Solar Water Systems (New Castle, Pennsylvania, U.S.). Under the agreement, CONSOL Energy has made an initial investment of USD 500,000. Epiphany Solar has invented a concentrated solar powered water purification system, and will start pilot tests at one of CONSOL Energy's Marcellus Shale gas well locations in Greene County. Epiphany's system uses direct solar energy to power a proprietary multi-stage water distillation system, which is installed at the focal point of a parabolic solar collector dish. Read more

Solar thermal system installed at New York hospital to reduce fossil fuel consumption for water heating by 45%

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 21:42 (Solarserver)

On June 25th, 2012, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA, Albany, New York) announced the installation of a new solar thermal system at Glens Falls Hospital's Renal Dialysis Center in New York. The system, which was installed by Apex Solar (Queensbury, New York, U.S.), is the first project through NYSERDA's Solar Thermal Incentive Program using solar thermal technology to heat significant quantities of water needed for dialysis treatment. Read more

DuPont Apollo supplies PV modules for 5MW solar plant in Gujarat

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

DuPont Apollo has delivered its PV modules for a 5MW solar plant in Gujarat owned by Yantra eSolar India. The solar plant, located on 35 acres of land in Village Charankha, Santalpur Taluk, Patan District, is slated to be connected to the grid before the end of August. Upon completion and commissioning, the solar plant is estimates to be able to generate 8 million kWh of electricity per year. Read more

AES Solar closes on ?77 million financing for 27MW PV plant portfolio in Italy

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

AES Solar advised that it had closed on ?77 million of long-term non-recourse financing for a 27MW, 10 project PV plant portfolio in Italy. The portfolio, known as Elpida, has solar plants located in the Lazio and Siciliy regions of Italy. The financing facility closed in May and was used to refinance the equity loaned in advance during construction of the Elpida project. Read more

Calyxo certified as meeting all funding requirements for Italian market

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

TÜV Rheinland recently certified Calyxo for the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series OHSAS 18001 requirement. The certification means that as of July 1, under Conto Energia IV, Calyxo?s CX3 CdTe thin-film solar moduels meet all funding requirements for power plants in Italy. Read more

SAG Solarstrom receives ?65 million financing commitment from Deutsche Bank Group

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

SAG Solarstrom advised that Deutsche Bank Group had given the company a financing commitment of ?65 million. The loan has conditions in line with the market and a term up to the fall of 2013. The company plans to use the financing for various projects planned in 2012 and 2013, which will mainly be implemented in Germany. SAG Solarstrom acknowledged that the financing commitment and the payment of the loan will depend on the fulfillment of customary banking conditions and the signing of financing documents. Read more

NLP Solar Sales Training Live Webinar July 11th & 12th

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 18:01 (Renewable Energy World)

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New Jersey passes bill to accelerate solar RPS targets

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 15:58 (Solarserver)

The legislature in the U.S. state of New Jersey has passed a bill to accelerate, increase and change the basis for the state's solar photovoltaic (PV) targets under its renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policy. A2966/S1925 is now before New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who is expected to sign the bill. The legislation passed both the New Jersey Senate and New Jersey Assembly on June 25th, 2012. The bill contains a number of other provisions including an annual cap on installations, eligibility for virtual net metering and other changes. Read more

JinkoSolar, SSRE and ISM Solar Solutions construct 5.75MW PV project

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 15:15 (PV-Tech)

JinkoSolar has provided PV modules for a 5.75MW solar project, the company has announced. The project is located on a formerly idle landfill site in Canton, Massachusetts, 15 acres in size, and has been developed in collaboration with Southern Sky Renewable Energy (SSRE). The site is part of an abandoned industrial site known as ?brownfields? and JinksoSolar has been working on the design and development of the PV project with ISM Solar Solutions and SSRE. The US$25 million PV plant will be equipped with 19,844 JinkoSolar modules and is expected to be completed later this year. Read more

Solar Thermal Scales New Heights in China

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Ask any six-year-old in a Chinese street, 'What's a solar water heater and what's it for?' Without hesitation they will tell you: 'A solar water heater is on the roof of a building to make hot water for the shower'. This story is told by Hongzhi Cheng, vice secretary-general of the Beijing-based Chinese Solar Thermal Industry Federation (CSTIF) and head of The Sun's Vision, a company based in the city of Dezhou in Shandong province. Read more

New Jersey passes new law to revive solar

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

New Jersey has passed a law that requires companies to purchase more solar energy, it has been announced. According to the bill, companies have to obtain 2.05% of their total energy from solar in the energy year (EY) 2014 under the new renewable portfolio standard. After that, the amount of solar energy required will be raised every year to 4.10% by 2028. Read more

MOFCOM entreats EU to be prudent against SolarWorld accusations

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

Reporters in China were yesterday invited to a press conference where spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), Shen Danyang, called for prudency from the European Union regarding rumoured action against Chinese solar manufacturers. According to China.org, Danyang insisted that MOFCOM were keeping a close eye on developments in the EU following complaints issued by SolarWorld to enact tariffs on Chinese exports. Danyang said that EU firms would be just as prone to financial loss in the event of any action against Chinese companies. Read more

Upsolar develops ten PV projects in French joint venture

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 12:15 (PV-Tech)

Upsolar has developed 10 rooftop installations in France in a newly formed joint venture with France-based EPC Solstyce, the company has announced. The joint venture is called Novengo and Upsolar and EPC Solstyce have installed three PV systems on the roofs of media institutions and another seven systems at high schools near the French town of Charente. The projects are part of an initiative to integrate PV systems into heritage buildings. Upsolar does offer alternative funding for PV projects, like joint ventures, for projects that have already been permitted but that need more equity. Read more

LDK Solar reports continued losses in 1Q 2012

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 9:10 (Solarserver)

On June 26th, 2012 LDK Solar Company Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) released unaudited financial results for the first quarter of 2012, reporting a 52% decline in net sales of USD 200 million, an operating margin of -68% and a net loss of USD 185 million. The company also reports total current liabilities of USD 4.49 billion, a similar amount to the fourth quarter of 2011 and much greater than its current assets of USD 2.13 billion. A number of media outlets have speculated over the past few months that the company is close to bankruptcy. Read more

The Bigger, the Greener? Considering the Size of Wind Turbines

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 18:06 (Renewable Energy World)

Larger wind turbines can generate more electricity, but is that extra energy greener? Read more

Energy Exemplar publishes white paper on variable renewable energy integration

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 21:54 (Solarserver)

On June 22nd, 2012, Energy Exemplar Pty Ltd. (Adelaide, Australia) announced that Eric Toolson, the company's regional director for North America, has published a white paper on the variable energy resource integration analysis using the PLEXOS power market simulation model. Read more

EPA Carbon Limits on Power Plants, Vehicles Upheld by Court

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 16:37 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was "unambiguously correct" in moving to set limits on industrial and automotive emissions of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, a federal appeals court said. Read more

REC proposes additional sum of approx. US$12 million towards refinancing process

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

Renewable Energy Corporation?s (REC) board of directors has proposed an additional sum of NOK75 million (approx. US$12 million) to the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). The company states that all investors that participated in the private placement have agreed to the final gross proceeds of NOK375 million (approx. US$62 million). Read more

Draft Energy Bill ?will fail to deliver a secure, clean and affordable power sector?

Wednesday, 6.27.2012 - 11:38 (Solarpowerportal)

A series of roundtable discussions, organised by the University of Exeter, SSE, Consumer Focus and WWF has found that Government?s draft Energy Bill and existing energy efficiency policies will fail to deliver a secure, clean and affordable power sector for the UK and would result in the UK missing out on some key economic growth opportunities. Read more