Waaree to build 5.75 MW PV plant at sugar factory in Maharashtra

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 15:56 (Solarserver)

Waaree Energies Pvt Ltd. (Mumbai, India) has secured an order to build a 5.75 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant on a turnkey basis at a sugar factory in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The plant at Shree Saibaba Sugar Factory in Latur will utilize thin-film PV technology. The company did not provide details on a timeline for the project. Read more

IMS Research warns of pending "disaster" in Italian PV market

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 15:39 (Solarserver)

IMS Research (Wellingborough, U.K.) has warned that the budget for solar photovoltaic (PV) incentives under Italy's Conto Energia V could be gone by 2013, greatly reducing the outlook for installed PV over the next three years. The company's latest "PV Demand Database" estimates that the program will result in only 3 GW of installed PV in 2013. The report notes that while the program was intended to be accompanied by an annual budget of EUR 700 million (USD 846 million), this will be impacted by PV systems already installed. Read more

Fotones seeks environmental approval for 90 MW PV project in Chile

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 12:15 (Solarserver)

On July 13th, 2012, Fotones Renewable Energy of Chile Ltda. (Santiago, Chile) requested approval from the nation's Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA) for a 90 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Chile's Atacama desert. The Diego de Almagro Solar PV Plant will consist of five 15 MW phases, with a total of 1,224,000 PV modules on two sites comprising 140 and 72 hectares respectively. The SEA will rule on the USD 187 million project on October 16th, 2012, and Fotones plans to begin work on the plant on January 3rd, 2013. Read more

GreenPowerMonitor opens offices in Mumbai, New Delhi

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 12:04 (Solarserver)

GreenPowerMonitor Sistemas de Monitorizacion SL (Barcelona, Spain) has opened offices in Mumbai and New Delhi as part of its expansion into India. These regional centers will help the company serve the Indian solar photovoltaic (PV) market with its monitoring solutions and portfolio management software, and bring GreenPowerMonitor to six branch offices globally. Read more

PV market stabilizes in U.K.

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 9:08 (Solarserver)

According to the latest statistics from the U.K.'s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), new installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity has stabilized at between 11.5 MW and 14.4 MW weekly over the last five weeks, leading to July 15th, 2012. With collapses in demand following feed-in tariff (FiT) cuts and an eligibility restriction involving building energy efficiency requirements, some U.K. PV industry observers had feared that the market would not recover. However, the statistics show more than 3,000 systems installed each week since June 10th, 2012, with a broad representation across tariff bands. Read more

Anesco commissions 5 MW U.K. PV plant

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 9:00 (Solarserver)

Anesco has commissioned a 5 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant on a farm in New Forest, England, as one of the largest PV plants in the United Kingdom. The PV plant comprises almost 18,000 PV modules on 12 hectares in the Cadland Estate, mounted on 9 km of frames using 5,000 ground screws. Trina Solar Ltd. (Shanghai, China) and JPCS Ltd. (Hampton Heath, U.K.) served as partners on the project. Read more

Order Focus: ReneSola sells 5.95MW of Virtus modules to Solargain PV

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 20:50 (PV-Tech)

ReneSola advised that it has sold 5.95MW of its Virtus modules to Australian distributor Solargain PV. The agreement calls for ReneSola to ship 5.95MW of its 250W modules directly to Solargain. The company noted that it expects to ship more modules to Solargain in the future. Read more

IKEA?s Atlanta store plugs in 1.03MW rooftop PV array

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 20:02 (PV-Tech)

IKEA?s Atlanta, Georgia store has recently seen the completion of its 1.03MW (1, 0.34.9kW) rooftop PV system, built with 4,312 panels. The 129,400 square foot PV project was developed, designed and installed by Gehrlicher Solar America and is anticipated to produce nearly 1,416,502kWh of electricity per year. Read more

Largest solar power park in Tonga to go online this month

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 19:15 (PV-Tech)

Having broken ground last year, with an investment of US$6.6 million from the coffers of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade Aid Programme, Tonga?s first and largest grid-connected solar park is to go online on July 24. The new solar power plant at the Popua Power Station, south-east of the island capital of Nuku?alofa on Tongatapu will have a total capacity of 1.3MW and will be supplied with Conergy Australia?s mounting systems. Read more

Order Focus: AEG Power Solutions signs 170MW follow-up contract with Activ Solar

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 19:15 (PV-Tech)

AEG Power Solutions and Activ Solar advised that they have extended their partnership, which originally started in 2010 and saw AEG Power Solutions provide its technology for 14 PV power plants, each around 20MW. The companies singed a new follow-up contract, which covers PV utility scale equipment and services for a minimum of 170MW until the end of 2013. Read more

New Jersey Updates Solar Law To Keep Its Market Perch

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 18:36 (Renewable Energy World)

New Jersey has been among the top solar markets in the United States, but until recently, its perch was in doubt. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill on Monday that aims to keep solar energy development booming ? and the jobs that come with it. Read more

Westmill community solar project races towards £4 million target

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 17:26 (Solarpowerportal)

Westmill Solar Cooperative is racing towards its £4 million target, after receiving nearly 800 applications interested in buying a share of the 5MW solar farm at Watchfield, near Swindon. Read more

Could Securitization Democratize Solar Power?

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 16:19 (Renewable Energy World)

After Wall Street popularized the term ?mortgage-backed securities? in their destruction of the economy in 2008, you could be forgiven for thinking ?solar securities? are a pyramid scheme.  But in truth, they may hold the key to democratizing the financing and the ownership of distributed renewable energy. Right now, financing solar typically means Read more

SolarWorld?s founder waives salary until return to profitability

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 16:15 (PV-Tech)

Frank Asbeck, founder and CEO of SolarWorld is waiving his salary, around ?500,000 last year until the company returns to profitability. Asbeck will also forgo dividends during the same period, though the company didn?t say when it would return to profitability or on what basis profitability status would be judged. Read more

Germany offers support for AD proceedings against Chinese manufacturers

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

German environment minister Peter Altmaier has offered the government?s support to German solar companies? efforts to launch antidumping proceedings in the EU against Chinese PV manufacturers. Read more

IMS Research: installations in Italy will decline for the second consecutive year to less than 3GW

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

Subsequent to Italy?s energy agency Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE) 45 days notice to the domestic solar industry until the implementation of the revised Conto Energia, analysis from IMS Research has revealed that the country will have a severely reduced budget for incentive schemes. The new scheme was intended to be accompanied by an additional annual budget of ?700m and is due to end when the total annual cost reached ?6.7 billion. However, due to a large number of installations having been completed in the first half of this year in order to benefit from the previous Conto Energia?s generous rates, these have not yet all included in the official GSE statistics. As Read more

Global Solar Energy expands into Japan

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 12:23 (Solarserver)

On July 18th, 2012, Global Solar Energy Inc. (Tucson, Arizona, U.S.) announced that it has entered into partnerships with local Japanese companies to expand its presence in the Japan's growing solar market. The company states that it has launched a new design of its PowerFLEX BIPV system, which was adapted specifically for use on rooftops in Japan. The company's partners include CBC Co. Ltd, Eco Holdings and OG Corp. Read more

SEIA calls for coordination between industry and government to impede trade war

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 12:15 (PV-Tech)

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has expressed its disappointment in China?s decision to initiate antidumping and countervailing duty investigations against US polysilicon imported into China from the United States, in retaliation to the US? decision earlier this year. Read more

Community Energy Solar begins construction on 6 MW PV plant in Pennsylvania

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 12:10 (Solarserver)

On July 18th, 2012, Community Energy Solar (Radnor, Pennsylvania, U.S.) announced that it has closed financing and commenced construction of its 6 MW Keystone solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Lancaster County (Pennsylvania, U.S.). The PV project includes about 20,000 Canadian Solar 290 W modules and fixed tilt, ground-mounted aluminum racking systems provided by Schletter. The project will be interconnected to the PPL Electric grid at 12 kV with AE inverters and platforms. Read more

Solar trade war round II: China's MOFCOM initiates anti-dumping investigation against U.S., Korean polysilicon

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 11:59 (Solarserver)

On June 20th, 2012, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced that it has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into exports of solar-grade polysilicon from the United States and South Korea. MOFCOM states that it began the investigation based on complaints from four Chinese polysilicon suppliers including a subsidiary of LDK Solar Company Ltd. (Xinyu, China). Dow Corning Corporation (Midland, Michigan, U.S.) and the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) have both issued statements linking this action to pending U.S. Department of Commerce tariffs on Chinese PV exports, and warning of the danger of an escalating trade war. Read more

ECC: Treasury?s intervention has made EMR ?unworkable?

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 12:13 (Solarpowerportal)

The Energy and Climate Change Committee (ECC) has delivered a damning verdict over the Treasury?s move to water down proposals in the draft Energy Bill for the upcoming Electricity Market Reform (EMR), due to be introduced this autumn. The committee of MPs has warned that the bill could impose unnecessary costs on consumers, lead to less competition and deter badly needed investment. Read more

Solid state hydrogen storage program to support solar power plants in Puglia, Italy

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 16:15 (PV-Tech)

A consortium of 7 partners supported with ?13.8 million in financing from European Commission?s Seventh Framework Programme for European Research and Innovation are to build a solid state hydrogen storage plant designed to balance power supply and demand of renewable energy installed in the Puglia region of Italy, which employs around 3.5GW of solar, wind, and biomass energy resources. Read more

Asia Report: Japan Taps Into Promising Geothermal Potential

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 18:44 (Renewable Energy World)

Japan has made considerable strides in solar installations since the announcement of Feed-in Tariffs, and now the country is starting to lay the groundwork for geothermal expansion, as well. Read more

Britain's Power Market Proposal 'Unworkable,' Lawmakers Say

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 16:54 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.K. government's proposal to overhaul the electricity market is "unworkable" because the Treasury isn't willing to back contracts needed to spur clean energy, a panel of lawmakers in Parliament said. Read more

Union of Concerned Scientists grades California utilities on dedication to clean energy

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 12:28 (Solarserver)

On July 17th, 2012, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has released a new report stating that California's publicly owned utilities significantly expanded their use of renewable energy over the past decade yet several still have a long way to go to meet the state?s requirement to generate 33% of their electricity from clean sources by 2020. Read more

A123 Surges on China Grid-stabilization Contract

Monday, 7.23.2012 - 20:58 (Renewable Energy World)

A123 Systems Inc., a U.S. maker of lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, surged the most in a month after winning a contract to supply a 2-megawatt system to China's Ray Power Systems Co. to help regulate grid frequency. Read more