News of the year 2012

Date: 20.07.2012



Photovoltaics

Exclusive: Certainty for feed-in tariffs

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 13:17 (Solarpowerportal)

From panels on roofs glinting in the sun, to churning turbines in streams and brooks, home-grown local energy generation is really flourishing across the UK, supplying thousands of our homes and businesses with clean green power. Read more

Exclusive: Greg Barker ? Certainty for feed-in tariffs

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 13:17 (Solarpowerportal)

From panels on roofs glinting in the sun, to churning turbines in streams and brooks, home-grown local energy generation is really flourishing across the UK, supplying thousands of our homes and businesses with clean green power. Read more

TrendForce: August PV prices to fall

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 12:50 (Solarserver)

TrendForce (Taipei City, Taiwan) has reported that orders for solar photovoltaic (PV) products in August 2012 have declined substantially due to subsidy policy changes in Europe, and that spot prices are currently showing a downtrend. The company estimates that spot prices for 17%-17.2% efficient PV cells have fallen to USD 0.45 per watt, and predicts that 16.8%-17% efficient cells will fall below USD 0.40 per watt. TrendForce also states that top manufacturers are using 70% to 80% of their current capacity, with second- and third-tier manufacturers producing at around 60% capacity. Read more

U.S. tribe seeks developer for 35 to 50 MW-DC PV project

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 12:45 (Solarserver)

A Native American tribe in the U.S. Southwest is soliciting experienced solar photovoltaic (PV) technology provider to partner to build a 35 to 50 MW-DC PV project on its land. The tribe is offering a 25-year lease for up to 160 hectares of land with no known cultural or aesthetic limitations, less than 1.6 km from a point of grid interconnection. The offer from the un-named tribe in an unspecified U.S. state was made through the office of AterWynne LLP (Portland, Oregon, U.S.). Read more

Amonix closes Nevada CPV factory

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 9:09 (Solarserver)

Citing intense competition and lower than anticipated demand, Amonix Inc. (Seal Beach, California, U.S.) has closed its factory in North Las Vegas in the U.S. state of Nevada, as part of a restructuring plan. The 19,900 square meter facility had an annual output of 150 MW of Amonix's concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) modules, and was open for slightly more than one year. In a July 19th, 2012 statement, the company notes that the only federal incentive it received for the facility was a USD 5.9 million manufacturing tax credit, which it was not able to use. Read more


Thermal Power/Heating

Eletrosul announces Efacec to build 1MW PV park

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 22:07 (PV-Tech)

Eletrosul, Brazil?s energy utility, advised that it has chosen Portuguese electronics and engineer Efacec and its Brazilian unit Efacec do Brasil to build its 1MW solar park. The consortium won the bid for Megawatt Solar by acknowledging that it can build the project for a total of US$4 million. Read more

Pirates and Magicians ? Standing Out in a Crowded Industry

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 20:26 (Renewable Energy World)

Conferences are intense. They have hundreds of booths, thousands of products, and tens of thousands of people. Cram that into the Moscone Center in San Francisco; add dozens of panel discussions and parties, mix for four days and you get Intersolar North America 2012. Read more

Ex-First Solar Exec Takes Helm at Battery Start-Up

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 18:28 (Renewable Energy World)

Dave Eaglesham was instrumental in the scale-up of First Solar, and he has now been tapped to lead Pellion Technologies, a startup with visions of supplanting the lithium-ion battery market with its magnesium-based technology. Read more

Video: Our Long Road to Solar Power

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 18:23 (Renewable Energy World)

Prior to installing the new solar arrays we unveiled here at Jordan Winery last week, we chose to focus our efforts on a six-year program to reduce our energy consumption to the lowest possible level. I felt strongly about reducing our energy use before converting to solar power. In the rush to get off the grid, many businesses have been ?solarizin Read more

China Probes U.S., South Korea Solar-grade Polysilicon

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 17:24 (Renewable Energy World)

China is investigating whether exporters from the U.S. and South Korea sold solar-grade polysilicon below cost, a practice known as dumping, as part of a probe following complaints from four domestic companies. Read more

Solar Power from Plastic Foils

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

A group of researchers headed by Dr. Alexander Colsmann at the Light Technology Institute (LTI) will start work this month on organic solar cells. The project is scheduled for a duration of four years and aims at enhancing the efficiency of organic solar cells to more than 10 percent. For this purpose, the researchers use tandem architectures combining solar cells of complementary absorption spectra. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has granted funding of EUR 4.25 million. Read more

Community solar projects exempt from EPC requirements

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 14:43 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced its response to the Phase 2B consultation on the feed-in tariff scheme. A large part of the consultation was concerned with how the FiT scheme can be improved to better support community projects. Read more

Long-awaited complaint against US filed with MOFCOM

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 13:56 (PV-Tech)

Concerns of Chinese retaliation against US countervailing and anti-dumping duties have manifested themselves in a complaint filed to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. MOFCOM has today released a statement regarding an application requesting an anti-dumping investigation into US and South Korean exports to China. On behalf of the Chinese solar industry, Jiangsu Silicon Technology Development, LDK Solar, Luoyan Sino-Silicon high-tech and New Energy, filed the complaint on July 2. Interested parties have 20 days to respond to the complaint. Read more

Update: Long-awaited complaint against US filed with MOFCOM

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 13:56 (PV-Tech)

Concerns of Chinese retaliation against US countervailing and anti-dumping duties have manifested themselves in a complaint filed to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. MOFCOM has today released a statement regarding an application requesting an anti-dumping investigation into US and South Korean exports to China. On behalf of the Chinese solar industry, Jiangsu Silicon Technology Development, LDK Solar, Luoyan Sino-Silicon high-tech and New Energy, filed the complaint on July 2. Interested parties have 20 days to respond to the complaint. Read more

LADWP closes 10 MW competitive solar PV bidding pilot program

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 12:14 (Solarserver)

On July 17th, 2012 the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) announced the closure of its 10 Megawatt (MW) pilot solar photovoltaic (PV) competitive solicitation program, stating that it is fully subscribed with 26 applications. The LADWP calls the program a feed-in tariff, however as the program relies upon competitive bids and does not offer set rates it does not follow the European model of feed-in tariffs. LADWP says it will expand the program to 150 MW by the end of 2012. Read more

Brighton Energy Coop creates solar-powered yachts

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 11:34 (Solarpowerportal)

The Brighton Energy Cooperative (BEC) has commissioned its first major project, an 87kWp solar array at Shoreham Port near Brighton. The Coop was able to raise more than £200,000 from the local community in order to fund the install and has enough capital left over to install a further 40kWp of solar across other local sites. Read more

U.S. Ex-Im Bank to loan USD 57.3 million for First Solar exports to India

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 8:54 (Solarserver)

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has approved loans totaling USD 57.3 million to two Indian PV developers to finance the export of First Solar Inc.'s (Tempe, Arizona, U.S.) cadmium telluride thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and ancillary services for 50 MW of Indian PV plants. The USD 23 million loan to Solar Field Energy Two Pvt. Ltd. (Mumbai, India) will support the export of modules for a 20 MW PV plant in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The USD 34.3 million loan to Mahindra Surya Prakash Pvt. Ltd. (Mumbai, India) will support the export of modules for two PV plants in Rajasthan, one 20 MW and the other 10 MW. Read more


Biomass/Pellets

There are no news available

 



Wind Energy

BNDES Shuts Five Firms Out of Brazil Wind Turbine Market

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 16:57 (Renewable Energy World)

Five of the biggest wind-turbine makers have been shut out of Brazil's $3.5 billion market by the national development bank BNDES after failing to meet local- content requirements. Read more


Hydropower

There are no news available

 



Hydrogen/Fuel Cell

There are no news available

 



Geo Thermal/Heat Pump

Indonesia Launches "Crash" Renewables Program: Boosts Geothermal FITs

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 19:28 (Renewable Energy World)

The Jakarta Post reports that Indonesia substantially raised its geothermal tariffs this week across the archipelago of 240 million people, beginning what the government bills as a "crash" program. Read more


Energy Policy/Climate/CO2

Amonix closes Las Vegas facility after receiving US$20 million in federal tax credits

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

Another solar company has fallen prey to the weakened economy, and like its predecessors Solyndra and Abound Solar, won?t be going quietly into the Nevada night. A report by the Las Vegas Review Journal has noted that one year after opening its doors, Amonix closed its 214,000 square foot North Las Vegas manufacturing plant, which was subsidized by over US$20 million in federal tax credits and grants. Amonix supposedly began selling equipment, including automated tooling systems and robotic welding cells in an online auction Wednesday. Read more

Industry welcomes ?positive set of proposals?

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 17:37 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced the results of February?s Phase 2B consultation today to mixed industry reaction.  Read more

Opus Energy signs 250th renewable generator

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 16:40 (Solarpowerportal)

Independent energy supplier, Opus Energy, has completed its 250th renewable generator contract after agreeing to purchase the electricity generated by Milford Haven Port Authority?s solar arrays. Read more

Cutting Building Energy Use in Half with Renewables

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 15:48 (Renewable Energy World)

The blips of a heart monitor, the hum of an MRI, the intense lights of a surgical room: all can bring both comfort and fear ? and all require a lot of power. But new hospitals are being filled with natural, calming light and are leveraging energy from the sun and earth to power the machines, instruments, and tools medical professionals use to help patients recover. Read more

Worldwide Energy and Manufacturing USA appoints new CEO

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

Solar modules supplier Worldwide Energy and Manufacturing USA has announced the resignation of the company?s director Michael O?Connor effective June 28, 2012, as well as the departure of Jeff Watson. Read more

DECC: Phase 2B consultation results announced

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 14:02 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has published the results of February?s Phase 2B consultation. Following responses from 303 parties and continued analysis from Parsons Brinckerhoff, the department has unveiled the feed-in tariff rates for Hydro-electric, Wind, Anaerobic Digestion (AD) and microCHP technologies. Read more

REC reports improved margins, heavy loss in 2Q 2012

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 12:20 (Solarserver)

Renewable Energy Corporation ASA (REC, Sandvika, Norway) reported another quarter of positive operating margins in its second quarter 2012 results, but heavy losses due to USD 591 million in impairment charges. REC reported a 13% fall in revenue to USD 326 million, a 13% operating margin and a net loss of USD 667 million during the quarter. The company also received an award from Frost & Sullivan (San Antonio, Texas, U.S.) for achievements including the introduction of fluidized bed reactor (FBR) polysilicon technology. Read more

Moira Wallace to step down as DECC?s Permanent Secretary

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 10:34 (Solarpowerportal)

The Permanent Secretary of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), Moira Wallace, has announced that she will step down from the role this Autumn, after spending more than four years in the position. Wallace will be leaving the public sector altogether. Read more

Ontario Power Authority releases new rules for microFIT

Friday, 7.20.2012 - 9:02 (Solarserver)

The Ontario Power Authority (OPA, Toronto, Canada) has released new rules for its MicroFIT Program, under a new application window for 50 MW of projects. Among the changes in the new program ("MicroFIT 2.0"), applicants will be required to seek an offer to connect from their local electricity distributor within 30 days of OPA confirmation that their application is complete. Distributors will be required to provide an offer to connect within 90 days. Read more


Solar-/Electromobil

There are no news available

 



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