Dye solar cell technology provider Dyesol to benefit from Australian R&D tax program

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 15:47 (Solarserver)

On June 28th, 2012, Dyesol Ltd. (Queanbeyan, Australia) announced it will benefit from the Australian Government's research and development (R&D) tax incentive. The company expects to receive a tax rebate estimated at around AUD 3 million within the next few months. Read more

Q-Cells continues business operations as insolvency proceedings begin

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 15:37 (Solarserver)

Q-Cells SE's (Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany) insolvency proceedings began on July 1st, 2012, and the company states that it is continuing business operations during this process. A local German court has appointed interim insolvency administrator Henning Schorisch of Halle/Saale as insolvency administrator. Schorisch has invited interested parties to review the company's records, and Q-Cells states that Schorisch is not planning any layoffs at present. Read more

MEMC closes sales contracts on 98 MW of European PV plants

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 12:33 (Solarserver)

MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (St. Peters, Missouri, U.S.) reports that it closed sales contracts on four solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in Europe totaling 98 MW during the second quarter of 2012, double the amount that it sold in the previous quarter. These include 60 MW of PV plants in Bulgaria and 38 MW in Italy. MEMC states that cash received on the closing of these transactions will be reported in its second quarter 2012 cash balances, but that revenue recognition will be subject to accounting rules. Read more

TGC Renewables receives approval build U.K.'s largest PV plant

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 12:27 (Solarserver)

TGC Renewables Group Ltd. (Bristol, U.K.) has announced that it has received planning approval for an 8 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Devon County (England). The PV plant will be the largest in the U.K. to date, and will participate in the nation's Renewable Obligation Certificate program instead of the feed-in tariff program, which has been subject to heavy cuts. Read more

Long Island Power Authority approves PV feed-in tariff

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 8:50 (Solarserver)

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA, Uniondale, New York, U.S.) has approved a new feed-in tariff for solar photovoltaic (PV) generation, with a cap of 50 MW of PV over the next two years. LIPA's CLEAN Solar Initiative will pay USD 0.22/kWh for PV plants between 50 kW and 20 MW under 20-year contracts. LIPA will begin accepting applications under the program on July 16th, 2012, and projects connected before this date will not be eligible to participate in the program. Read more

Intersolar NA: Advanced Solar Photonics to showcase new line of glass-to-glass PV modules

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 22:15 (PV-Tech)

Advanced Solar Photonics will debut its new line of glass-to-glass PV modules during Intersolar North America 2012, July 10-12 in San Francisco. The dual sided glass module (G2G) series will include products featuring bifacial cells, framed and frameless construction and optical tracking front sheets with micro lenses. Read more

Pike Research report predicts CRES market to reach US$872 million in 2022

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

Pike Research recently released its ?Community and Residential Energy Storage? report, which forecast the CRES market growing from US$19.2 million in 2012 to US$872 million in 2022 with a total worldwide capacity of 780MW. The 10-year increase is set to be driven by the expansion of distributed solar PV capacity, the adoption of plug-in EVs and the spread of dynamic pricing programs. Read more

Solarpack lands contract to supply energy to Collahuasi copper mine in Chile

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

Spain-based Solarpack Corporacion Tecnologica was recently awarded a contract to supply energy to northern Chile?s Collahuasi copper mine. According to a statement emailed to Bloomberg from Compania Minera Dona Ines de Collahuasi, the company will deliver 60,000MWh of energy a year from two solar plants, beginning in Q4 2013. Read more

Intersolar NA: Mage Solar to debut Powertec Plus AC-Module in San Francisco

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

During Intersolar North America, July 10-12 in San Francisco, Mage Solar is set to introduce its Powertec Plus AC-Module. The company notes that its DC-to-AC microinverter has been incorporated into the module frame and has done away with the need for one central inverter or multiple string inverters. Read more

Solarbuzz report expects Tier-1 polysilicon, wafer producers to turn a profit in 2013

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

According to Solarbuzz?s ?Polysilicon and Wafer Supply Chain Quarterly Report,? polysilicon prices are expected to fall 48% while wafer prices drop 56% year-over-year in 2012; results which have so far led to only 12 Chinese PV polysilicon manufactures still producing, and of those, more than half running at reduced utilization rates. Read more

Solyndra Looms Over MEMC as Moody's Watches

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 20:35 (Renewable Energy World)

MEMC Electronic Materials Inc., the semiconductor wafer maker that's been unprofitable four of the past five quarters, may be unable to succeed where solar-panel companies such as Abound Solar Inc. and Solyndra LLC have failed, according to Moody's Investors Service. Read more

Intersolar NA: TÜV Rheinland offers PV module testing for specific applications

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 19:15 (PV-Tech)

Adding to its PV module testing service, TUV Rheinland?s Tempe, Arizona facility is offering manufacturers the chance to have modules tested for specific applications as well as stricter criteria than official standard tests such as IEC 61215 or IEC 61646 dictate. Read more

Santerno to supply 155MW inverters solar project in Imperial Valley, California

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 17:09 (PV-Tech)

Inverter supplier Santerno has been awarded a supply contract worth 155MW for its skid inverter stations to be installed in an Imperial Valley, California solar plant. The company is yet to disclose further details on the project. Read more

LDK Solar?s executive VC of corporate strategy resigns

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 16:15 (PV-Tech)

LDK Solar?s executive vice president of corporate strategy, Yonggang Shao, has resigned from his post for personal reasons. His resignation will be effective June 30, 2012 but he will instead be serving as the LDK chairman Xiaofeng Peng?s consultant. Read more

AS Solar completes PV plant on former sugar plant in Lower Saxony, Germany

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 16:05 (Solarserver)

AS Solar Projekte GmbH (Hannover, Germany) has completed a 5.8 MW PV project in Groß Munzel (Lower Saxony, Germany). The 90.000 square meter PV plant is comprised of almost 25.000 PV modules by REC and LG. The PV project is expected to produce 5 Million kWh of solar power annually, enough to provide electricity for almost 1.500 families, notes AS Solar Projekte. Read more

Solarworld Plans China Anti-dumping Case with EU Producers

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 15:58 (Renewable Energy World)

Solarworld AG, Germany's biggest solar-panel maker, plans to file an anti-dumping case against Chinese competitors as part of a group of European manufacturers. Read more

New Hampshire includes solar thermal in the state's renewable portfolio standard

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 15:55 (Solarserver)

The New Hampshire Senate and House of Representatives have passed a bill, NH Senate Bill 218, which adds thermal renewable energy, including solar, to the state's renewable portfolio standard (RPS). RPS programs have been adopted in 29 states and the District of Columbia to provide incentives to develop energy from renewable resources such as wind, solar and biomass. Traditionally, these programs are implemented through electric utilities and focus exclusively on electricity. Read more

Intersolar North America: TÜV Rheinland PTL?s new services support large-scale solar PV power plants

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 15:42 (Solarserver)

At Intersolar North America, booth TÜV Rheinland and PTL (Tempe, Arizona), North America?s largest solar and photovoltaic (PV) testing company, will present new, diverse testing and certification services to support investors and project management organizations at all stages of planning and operating large-scale PV power plants. The services are designed to help assure the quality of power plants to enhance their bankability and increase cost-efficiency, TÜV Rheinland PTL reports in a press release. Read more

Suntech to supply IBC Solar with 50 MW of PV modules through the end of 2012

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 15:36 (Solarserver)

On July 3rd, 2012 Suntech Power Holdings Company Ltd. (Wuxi, China) announced an agreement whereby it will supply IBC Solar with 50 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules through the end of 2012. Suntech and IBC Solar began a partnership in 2004. The two companies have worked together on rooftop PV plants, including the 3.45 MW New Fair Stuttgart plant in Germany, and PV plants in Osyan and Warora, India. Read more

Queensland government withdraws funding for 250MW PV project

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 15:15 (PV-Tech)

The Queensland government has recalled an amount of AU$75 million (US$77 million) in funding for a solar thermal project in Chinchilla, Queensland, it has been announced. The 250MW Solar Dawn project has been in development by a consortium of companies selected by the Queensland government in June 2011 and it was part of the Australian Solar Flagship Program. The government funding was supposed to amount to AU$464 million plus AU$75 million. The entire project is estimated at a cost of AU$1.2 billion. The government argued that the project?s consortium was given a deadline until June 30, 2012 to reach financial close but that did not happen. Read more

Cleaner Air Solutions gains two internationally-recognised certifications

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 13:49 (Solarpowerportal)

Durham-based solar installer, Cleaner Air Solutions has achieved the internationally-recognised ISO9001 and ISO14001 certifications. The independent assessment was conducted by the British Assessment Bureau and demonstrates Cleaner Air Solutions commitment to customer service and quality in delivery. Read more

MCS launches consultation on competence criteria

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 12:59 (Solarpowerportal)

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) has announced a new consultation on the competence requirements for those working in the solar industry. Read more

Order Focus: Suntech provides IBC Solar with 50MW of modules

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 12:13 (PV-Tech)

Suntech has entered a supply agreement with IBC Solar, the company has announced. Suntech will supply 50MW of PV modules until the end of 2012. The two companies have been collaborating since 2004 and the latest agreement was signed at Intersolar EU. Read more

The Obama Plan for Cost-competitive Military Biofuels: The 10-Minute Guide

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 16:41 (Renewable Energy World)

It's finally here. The Obama Administration has laid out an integrated strategy for commercializing advanced biofuels, with a focus in this phase on military advanced biofuels at cost-competitive prices with conventional fuels. Read more

Techniques for Predicting Future Wind Turbine Gearbox Health

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In an earlier blog post, I wrote about the return-on-investment of condition based maintenance (CBM) for wind turbines. For those who would like a primer on CBM and the value it provides, start there. But for those who want to learn more about the nitty gritty of CBM, keep reading (or send this to your friendly, neighborhood engineer). Read more

Budding Geothermal Markets Light Up East Africa

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 15:10 (Renewable Energy World)

When Jaime Merriman visited Kenya, she saw giraffes, but she was not on a wildlife tour. Merriman's close encounter happened at Kenya's geothermal facilities, where the striking animals were completely undisturbed as they grazed. Read more

Schletter to relocate North American headquarters to US East Coast

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 22:15 (PV-Tech)

Schletter has advised that it plans to move its North American headquarters to the East Coast; a move which it specifies will help reduce transportation costs and increase response times for customers in the region. Schletter has a US$25 million investment package for the purchase of capital equipment, highly-automated energy efficient production systems and a 100,000 sq. ft. facility. Furthermore, the company plans to hire over 300 new employees over the next five years. Read more

India mindful of trading partner China following AV and CV duties

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 19:10 (PV-Tech)

Indian secretary of the ministry of new and renewable energy Gireesh Pradhan told the Financial Chronicle that the government is maintaining a watchful eye over the anti-dumping and countervailing duties imposed by the US on Chinese manufacturers. However, Pradhan adds that ?China is India?s second largest trading partner. Our efforts are to create fair conditions for competition.? Read more

Renewable Energy Faces Financing Challenges with End of Federal 1603 Grant Program

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 16:19 (Renewable Energy World)

The expiration of a federal grant program at the end of 2011 may make it more difficult and expensive for developers of certain kinds of renewable power projects to access private capital, a new report suggests. Read more

Japan publishes strategic energy road map

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 16:15 (PV-Tech)

Japan has published its latest strategic energy plan, originally formulated in 2003 and reviewed every three years by conference bodies as well as various opinion polls. The latest revision includes a road map of energy-based economic growth and reformation of the energy infrastructure. The strategy is to ensure growth and encourage multi-faceted international trade by taking into account the social cost and price differences between nuclear, thermal and renewable energy generation. Read more

Poll: British public?s faith in nuclear returning after Fukushima

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 15:57 (Solarpowerportal)

A new poll has revealed that support for nuclear energy has increased among the British public, following an erosion of public confidence last year in the wake of the Fukushima catastrophe. Read more

IFC deliberates US$50 million loan for Green Infra

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

The IFC (World Bank International Finance Corp.) is currently deliberating giving a US$50 million loan to Green Infra for possible PV projects in India, it has been announced. Green Infra plans to construct a total of 25MW of PV plants in the State of Rajasthan, which have already been licensed by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). Read more

For July 4th, 10 Principals of True Energy Independence

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 12:00 (Renewable Energy World)

As we approach July 4th holiday for 2012, it?s a great time to reflect on the true meaning of energy independence for America, American businesses, and homes. Sadly, a great deal of our nation believes that energy independence means drilling, fracking, and burning fossil fuels whenever and whereever financially possible, regardless of the cost to e Read more

For July 4th, 10 Principles of True Energy Independence

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 12:00 (Renewable Energy World)

As we approach the July 4th holiday for 2012, it?s a great time to reflect on the true meaning of energy independence for America, American businesses, and homes. Sadly, a great deal of our nation believes that energy independence means drilling, fracking, and burning fossil fuels whenever and wherever financially possible, regardless of the cost t Read more

Green Deal receives final Parliamentary approvals

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 11:57 (Solarpowerportal)

Legislation for the Green Deal, the Coalition?s flagship environmental policy, has received final Parliamentary approvals. Read more

DCLG issues revised Scheme Operating Requirements for EPCs

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 11:49 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) yesterday sent out revised Scheme Operating Requirements affecting all Energy Performance of Buildings Directive products in the UK. Read more

Natural Group: Off-grid PV in India to increase as EPC prices stay low

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 9:08 (Solarserver)

Indian renewable energy blogger Ritesh Pothan of Natural Group has released a list of five predictions for the nation's PV market in 2012. Topping the list, Pothan predicts that off-grid PV applications will increase in volume, particularly the commercial rooftop segment, due to accelerated depreciation and increasing power costs. Pothan also predicts that engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) prices will average between INR 70/kW (USD 1.26/kW) and INR 90/kW (USD 1.62/kW) in 2012, that renewable energy credits will fall and that PV plant consolidations will begin in 2013 due to discoms backing out of power purchase agreements (PPAs). Read more

Clenergy to supply mounting system for 40 MW PV plant in Jiayuguan, China

Tuesday, 7.3.2012 - 9:03 (Solarserver)

Clenergy (Xiamen, China) has announced that it will supply its PV-ezRack SolarTerrace I-B ground mounting system for a 40 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant to be built in Jiayuguan, China. Clenergy's PV-ezRack SolarTerrace I-B incorporates standardized beam and support components as well as fasteners with the same specification, which it says reduces costs. The system also utilizes patented W clamps and roller-formed C-steel for the rails. Read more