News of the year 2012

Date: 28.06.2012



Photovoltaics

German government finalizes feed-in tariff

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 19:15 (PV-Tech)

The dark clouds of controversy looming over the German feed-in tariff have finally cleared with a compromise between the Bundestrat and Bundestag. Chancellor Merkel?s government has announced that it wants to maintain a solar ?growth? corridor? of 2,500 ? 3,000MW per year, with installations capped at 52GW. A class system for medium-sized roof-top installations will also be introduced. All funding will be back-dated to the original date of April 1, 2012. Read more

Emerson provides inverters for Californian PV projects totaling 70MW

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 17:57 (PV-Tech)

Inverter manufacturer Emerson has been chosen by Quanta Power Generation to supply inverters for two PV systems in California, the company has announced. Quanta Power has constructed a 50MW and a 20MW PV plant near Fresno, California, the 20MW plant is estimated to be finished in October 2012 while the 50MW project is expected to be completed at the end of 2012. Both projects are owned and developed by GCL Solar Energy. Quanta will further provide EPC services for the PV plants. Read more

German federal and state governments agree on PV development: Annual expansion corridor of 2.5 to 3.5 GW to persist, most FiT cuts to be adopted as of April 1st

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 15:27 (Solarserver)

On June 26th, 2012 the Mediation Committee of the German parliament (Bundestag) and the Federal Council of Germany (Bundesrat) reached a compromise on the promotion of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation, including the adoption of retroactive feed-in tariff (FiT) cuts for new PV generation as of April 1st, 2012. A new tranche will be introduced for medium-sized rooftop PV systems with capacities between 10 and 40 kW. The FiT for this tranche will be EUR 0.185/kWh (USD 0.23/kWh), a higher rate than originally called for by the Bundestag. Read more

Deal Reached on German Feed-in Tariff

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 15:07 (Renewable Energy World)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government won agreement on cuts to solar-power subsidies and plans to store greenhouse gases underground, breaking a deadlock that threatened to hold up the country's energy transition. Read more

Multi-Contact?s MC4 connectors certified for protection class IP68 and ammonia resistance

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 14:05 (PV-Tech)

Electrical connector company Multi-Contact has revealed that its TÜV- and UL-certified MC4 and MC4PLUS photovoltaic connectors have been granted certification for protection class IP68. The IP certification series vouches for the products? ability to withstand contact and infiltration of water and dirt. This new accolade means that an entire PV installation can be cabled consistently with a single system. Read more

PV Equipment Manufacturing: SEMI reports slight increase in bookings, book-to-bill, predicts tough 2012

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 12:30 (Solarserver)

SEMI (San Jose, California, U.S.) has released an analysis of global solar photovoltaic (PV) equipment manufacturing in the first quarter of 2012, stating that while bookings and the book-to-bill ratio both recovered somewhat, the industry faces a difficult year in 2012. PV equipment billings fell 20% sequentially to USD 695 million, the third consecutive quarter of declines. SEMI's "Photovoltaic Equipment Market Statistics Report for Q1 2012" also shows a 29% sequential increase in bookings to USD 591 million, for an industry book-to-bill ratio of .85. Read more

GTM Research: PV manufacturing industry to enter time of intense competition

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 8:57 (Solarserver)

On June 27th, 2012 Greentech Media Research (GTM, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.) released a new report which predicts that 60 GW of existing wafer and solar photovoltaic (PV) cell and module capacity will retire by 2015. GTM's "PV Technology, Production and Cost Outlook: 2012-2016" also notes that an estimated 59 GW of module supply will easily outstrip 30 GW of estimated demand in 2012. GTM states that the 291-page report is the most detailed analysis to date on the past, present and future of the PV manufacturing industry. Read more

Element Power files EIS for 30 MW PV plant in Chile

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 8:39 (Solarserver)

Element Power Solar Development LLC (Portland, Oregon, U.S.) has filed an environmental impact statement (EIS) with Chile's Environmental Assessment Service (SEA) for a 30 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant planned for the nation's Atacama Desert. The Planta Fotovoltaica San Pedro de Atacama IV is the fourth 30 MW plant for which Element Power has filed an EIS, and one of ten that it is planning for the region. SEA will hold a hearing on the EIS on September 25th, 2012. Read more


Thermal Power/Heating

Schott Solar To Halt Crystalline PV Production in Germany

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 22:24 (Renewable Energy World)

Schott Solar plans to halt its crystalline silicon solar panel manufacturing activities in Germany this October, according to German newspaper Wormser Zeitung. Schott's headquarters and product development division will remain in Mainz. Read more

Schott Solar To Halt Crystalline PV Production in Germany, Close US Plant

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 22:24 (Renewable Energy World)

Schott Solar plans to halt its crystalline silicon solar panel manufacturing activities in Germany this October, according to German newspaper Wormser Zeitung. Schott's headquarters and product development division will remain in Mainz. Read more

Jefferies offers pros and cons for SolarWorld?s EU trade case hopes

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 20:15 (PV-Tech)

Europe accounts for 70% of the global solar PV market, making it logical to presume that if SolarWorld proceeds to throw down the gauntlet and take Chinese PV manufacturers to the European Commission, the repercussions could be of such a magnitude that the US ruling would be made insignificant by comparison. Read more

Abound Solar To File for Bankruptcy, Another Solyndra?

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 20:05 (Renewable Energy World)

Abound Solar Inc., a U.S. solar manufacturer that was awarded a $400 million U.S. loan guarantee, will close its doors and file for bankruptcy because its panels were too expensive to compete with Chinese products, according to the U.S. Energy Department. Read more

Solar Manufacturing: To Compete or Not To Compete

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 19:56 (Renewable Energy World)

Last year, the global market for clean, renewable energies reached a record $260 billion ? and is expected to grow into the trillions over the next 20 years. Solar manufacturing in particular is growing dramatically in the United States and around the world. In fact, according to the Solar Energy Industry Association, America's solar industry now employs 100,000 workers ? doubling since 2009. Read more

Solar shakeout: Abound Solar to file for bankruptcy as global competition claims next victim

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 19:15 (PV-Tech)

It appears that the next victim of this most ruthless of competitions ? the solar shakeout ? is CdTe thin-film manufacturer Abound Solar. Another controversial recipient of a DOE loan guarantee, the company is said to be planning to shut up shop as soon as the next few days, according to a GTM Research report, finally caving to cost pressure from CdTe leader First Solar and the general plummeting product costs across the PV manufacturing board. Read more

Boost of Solar Power Projects Emerge in China's Xinjiang Region

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 18:48 (Renewable Energy World)

The government of Bole city, Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China recently signed an agreement with Hubei-based JCS Solar for a 6 billion yuan (US$948 million) photovoltaic project to be located next to the area's Sayram Lake. Construction of the 13 million square-meter facility is expected to take three years. Phase I of the project is expected to yield 30-MW of capacity and connect to the grid when completed by the end of October 2012. Read more

REC appoints Jan Jacob Boom-Wichers as new managing director Americas

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 17:15 (PV-Tech)

REC Solar has appointed Jan Jacob Boom-Wichers as its new managing director for the Americas, the company has announced. Boom-Wichers was REC?s managing director for France, Benelux, UK and Ireland after joining the company in 2009. Read more

Powerway to begin production at new South Africa factory in August 2012

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 15:26 (Solarserver)

Powerway Renewable Energy Company Ltd. (Foshan City, China) has announced that it expects to begin production at its new solar mounting systems factory in South Africa in August 2012. Powerway CMO Sherry Shi made the announcement at a South African Investment Seminar in Guangzhou, China. The factory in Kimberly, South Africa will represent a total investment of USD 1.3 million, which Powerway plans to fund with a combination of self-financing and bank financing. Read more

SPI Solar purchases Solar Green Technologies

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 14:46 (PV-Tech)

SPI Solar has purchased Italy-based EPC company Solar Green Technologies (SGT) from LDK Solar Europe Holdings and the founders of Solar Green Technologies, the company has announced. SPI invested US$5 million, consisting of approximately 13,400,533 SPI shares with a value of US$0.45 and circa US$250,000 in cash, paid to the two founders of Solar Green Technologies. The transaction adds 20MW in EPC contracts to SPI Solar?s portfolio. Read more

18th PV system for IKEA in Orlando

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 14:12 (PV-Tech)

IKEA has connected the 18th PV rooftop installation to the grid, the company has announced. The 967kW system has been installed on the 120,900ft² roof of the IKEA store in Orlando, Florida and is equipped with approximately 4,115 PV panels. The system was, like most other IKEA systems, developed by REC Solar and the Swedish retailer owns and operates the system. Including this project, IKEA?s total energy generation in the US is 38MW and the company in s planning another 21 systems throughout the United States. Read more

Canadian Solar enters reseller program with Edmundson Electrical

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 14:04 (Solarpowerportal)

Canadian Solar has signed an agreement with Edmundson Electrical that will see the latter act as authorised reseller for Canadian Solar?s modules for distribution in the UK. Edmundson Electrical, a distributor of electrical equipment to trade and industry in the UK, will now include Canadian Solar?s solar module range in its product offerings to UK installers. Read more

SMA Solar Technology obtains JET certification for inverters

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

SMA Solar Technology has received Japan Electrical Safety and Environment Technology Laboratories (JET) certification, the company has announced. The company has opened sales and service subsidiaries in Japan at the beginning of 2012 and has obtained the JET certification for its Sunny Boy 3500TL-JP-22 and Sunny Boy 4500TL-JP-22 inverters. SMA will commence selling the two inverters on the Japanese market from October this year. The PV inverters have been modified for the Japanese market and for the requirements of Japanese PV plants. Read more

Centrosolar France provides 3.7MW of modules for French project

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 13:01 (PV-Tech)

Centrosolar France has supplied 19,000 PV modules to a project in the department of Seine Maritime in Northern France. Housing developer Habitat 76 has installed 3.7MW of PV modules on 190 roofs in collaboration with French electricity company EDF Optimal Solutions. Read more

Cupertino Electric completes 20 MW PV plant, opens solar technology evaluation lab

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 12:23 (Solarserver)

Cupertino Electric Inc. (CEI, San Jose, California, U.S.) has announced that it has completed a 20 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Huron, California for Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E, San Francisco, California, U.S.). CEI's Energy Alternatives Division supplied engineering and construction services for the Huron plant, which it expects to commission on June 29th, 2012. CEI has also announced the opening of a new laboratory to test new and not-yet released PV module and optimization technologies at its San Jose, California headquarters. Read more

Court approves BrightSource purchase of 500 MW Palen CSP project

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 8:50 (Solarserver)

On June 27th, 2012 BrightSource Energy Inc. (Oakland, California, U.S.) announced that a court in the U.S. state of Delaware has approved its request to purchase the Palen Solar Power Project, a 500 MW concentrating solar power (CSP) project. BrightSource states that it is working with Solar Trust of America LLC (Oakland, California, U.S.) to satisfy conditions of the sale, which it expects to finalize in July 2012. BrightSource emerged as the top bidder for the Palen CSP project at Solar Trust's bankruptcy auction on June 21st, 2012. Read more


Biomass/Pellets

There are no news available

 



Wind Energy

There are no news available

 



Hydropower

There are no news available

 



Hydrogen/Fuel Cell

There are no news available

 



Geo Thermal/Heat Pump

There are no news available

 



Energy Policy/Climate/CO2

Japan Government Continues Push for Renewables with New Investment Fund

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 16:47 (Renewable Energy World)

Sparx Group Co., a Japanese asset manager, will start an infrastructure fund after winning a contract from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to invest in the nation's renewable energy industry. Read more

Banyan Energy appoints Rusty Schmit as new CEO

Thursday, 6.28.2012 - 12:15 (PV-Tech)

Banyan Energy has announced the appointment of Rusty Schmit as its new CEO. Schmit has over 30 years of experience in the solar industry and has been a member of Banyan?s board of directors where he served as the company?s vice president of business development in his most recent role. Before joining Banyan Energy, Schmit was involved in the foundation of PV companies like Advent Solar and Matrix Solar Technologies, where he served as CEO. Read more


Solar-/Electromobil

There are no news available

 



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