Denmark to reach 2020 installation goal by Q4 2012

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 20:15 (PV-Tech)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark has announced that the country will reach its goal of 200MW by 2020 this year due to favourable government incentives. The Ministry estimates that solar cell capacity will be a hundred times bigger this year compared with 2010. Currently, 36MW is said to being installed every month. Read more

FLEXcon provides backsheet for Spire?s new solar module design

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 18:15 (PV-Tech)

FLEXcon and Spire noted that they have developed a new PV module design and bill of materials (BOM), which features FLEXcon?s multiGUARD backsheet. The BOM was recently granted the Master UL Listing by Underwriters Laboratories with both companies noting that UL tested and evaluated Spire?s solar module design and deemed that it had met UL 1703 standards for safety and performance. Read more

ReneSola lands contract to supply 512kW of solar modules to Massachusetts-based Cummings Properties

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 17:15 (PV-Tech)

ReneSola will soon be shipping 512kW of its solar modules to Cummings Properties, a commercial real-estate developer and property management organization in Massachusetts. The panels will be installed on the rooftop solar system of the Cummings Centre, which acts as a corporate campus and retail centre for Cummings Properties in Beverly, Massachusetts. Read more

SunPower to supply 100 MW of PV modules to Toshiba for the Japanese market

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 13:06 (Solarserver)

SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California, U.S.) has extended a supply agreement with Toshiba to an additional 100 megawatt (MW) of high-efficiency solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to the company for the residential PV market in Japan. Since partnering with Toshiba in 2010, SunPower has delivered 70 MW of PV modules to the company. Read more

Concentrating photovoltaics: Semprius to open factory in North Carolina

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 9:04 (Solarserver)

Semprius Inc. (Durham, North Carolina, U.S.) has announced that it will open its first manufacturing facility on September 26th, 2012 in the city of Henderson (North Carolina, U.S.) where it will manufacture its 33.9% efficient concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) modules. Semprius claims that these are the highest-efficiency CPV modules in the industry. North Carolina Governor Bev Purdue and North Carolina State Representative James Crawford will speak at a ceremony on that date to celebrate the opening. Read more

Boston Consulting Group names PV producer Trina Solar one of 50 Chinese global challengers

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 21:33 (Solarserver)

On September 11th, 2012, Trina Solar Ltd. (Tianjin, China), an integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) products from the production of ingots, wafers and cells to the assembly of PV modules, announced that it was named one of the Chinese global challengers by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Read more

Joule commissions 1st sun-to-fuel demonstration plant in New Mexico

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 21:29 (Solarserver)

On September 11th, 2012, Joule (Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.) announced that it has commissioned its first SunSprings demonstration plant in Hobbs, New Mexico. The plant will demonstrate Joule's technology to produce fuel from solar energy. Read more

APS selects McCarthy Building for EPC services at its 14MW Hyder II solar plant

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 18:15 (PV-Tech)

After Arizona Public Service (APS) chose McCarthy Building to engineer, procure and construct its 14MW Hyder II Solar Power Plant in Hyder Arizona, the two companies noted that they have begun the permitting process for the new solar site. Read more

The US DOE unveils SunShot Prize competition for development of faster, cheaper rooftop installation

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 18:15 (PV-Tech)

Aiming to inspire friendly competition that leads to an overall goal of bettering the solar industry, the US Department of Energy?s (DOE) SunShot Initiative has launched a new competition, the SunShot Prize. The goal is for competitors to find a way to make installing rooftop solar systems faster, easier and cheaper. Read more

Report: SEIA warns that US utilities may soon snub net-metering

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 18:15 (PV-Tech)

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) issued a warning concerning the growing number of rooftop solar installations, noting that soon, US utilities could potentially refuse to buy power generated from the systems. Rhone Resch, CEO of SEIA, acknowledge that although utilities are required to purchase electricity generated by solar panels installed on consumers? homes under net-metering policies, the arrangement may become less practical as solar systems become more common. Read more

Phono Solar taps Enphase for micro-inverter-based AC module development for UK & US markets

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 17:15 (PV-Tech)

Enphase Energy and Phono Solar have started a strategic partnership on the development of micro-inverter-based AC modules that will be marketed in the US and UK over the next few years with the aim of more than 40MW in sales. Read more

Report: Toronto plans to install 8,800 solar panels on 10 city-owned centres

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 17:15 (PV-Tech)

The National Post is reporting that the city of Toronto has entered an agreement with Toronto Hydro in order to install 8,800 solar panels on 10 city-owned arenas and community centres. The panels are expected to produce around 2,600MWh of electricity per year over the next 20 years. Read more

Powerway establishes South African subsidiary

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 16:15 (PV-Tech)

In June, Powerway, a solar mountings solution supplier, set up its first 500MW facility for PV mounting systems in Kimberly, South Africa. The company has now established a South African subsidiary, it has been announced. Powerway South Africa has been registered, with premises secured and awaiting the delivery of its first production machines. Read more

UIB wins contract for Europe?s largest solar park

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 16:09 (PV-Tech)

United Insurance Brokers (UIB), an international insurance and reinsurance broker with headquarters in London, UK, has announced that it has won a contract to provide reinsurance for a 100MW power plant in southern Ukraine. Read more

EPIA on China trade case: ?We need to move beyond destabilising trade conflicts and work together?

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 15:15 (PV-Tech)

The European Commission announced on September 6 that it initiated an anti-dumping investigation on solar panel imports from China. In response to this decision, EPIA president Winfried Hoffmann issued the following statement: ?The European Commission has decided to open an antidumping investigation into Chinese solar imports into the EU. EPIA, as the voice of the global PV industry in Europe, hopes that it can be conducted quickly.? Read more

Antaris Solar commissions first off-grid eKiss systems in Cameroon

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 14:12 (PV-Tech)

Antaris Solar, a specialist in PV technology, has commissioned South Africa?s first eKiss systems in Cameroon through its sales partner SAF Solaire Africa and Village 21. Specifically, the partners have commissioned its mobile off-grid eKiss and Mini eKiss PV systems. Read more

Municipal Bond: PPA Model Continues to Provide Low-cost Solar Energy

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 13:31 (Renewable Energy World)

The municipal bond?power purchase agreement (PPA) model might not have just rolled off the lot, but it still has that new car smell. A former NREL colleague first looked into this unique third-party ownership?public debt hybrid financing model last year. Here, I discuss recent applications and provide new insights based on a conversation with James Mann, co-founder and general counsel of Sunlight General Capital. Read more

India?s MNRE to create 60 ?solar cities?

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

India?s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has proposed plans to turn 60 Indian cities into so-called ?solar cities?. The region of Tripura, in north east India, located next door to Bangladesh, has been selected as a pilot to this scheme with an investment of Rs.452.32 crore, according to a ministry official. The MNRE is expected to bear 90% of the cost and the remaining would be shouldered by the Tripura government. Read more

Phono Solar partners with Enphase to launch new AC series of modules

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 13:08 (Solarpowerportal)

Chinese solar PV module manufacturer, Phono Solar, has announced the signing of a strategic partnership with American microinverter manufacturer, Enphase Energy. The partnership will see the two companies combine to develop a new range of modules ? the AC series. Read more

Valos signs PPA with PG&E for 20 MW SKIC Solar 1 PV project near Bakersfield, Southern California

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 13:03 (Solarserver)

Valos Solar Ventures LLC (Houston, Texas, U.S.) has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement to sell the electricity generated by its 20 megawatt (MW) SKIC Solar 1 project in Southern California to Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E, San Francisco, California, U.S.). The company expects California Public Utilities Commission approval for the SKIC Solar 1 project in October 2012. Valos plans to begin construction on the project before September 2013, and to commission the plant by April 2014. The PV plant will be located near Bakersfield, California, U.S. Read more

27 of 28 PV projects under Phase 1, Batch 2 of the Indian National Solar Mission reach financial close

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 8:57 (Solarserver)

Natural Group (New Delhi, India) has released a list of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects under Phase 1, Batch 2 of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) that have reached financial close on schedule, finding 27 projects for a total of 340 MW. This represents all but one of the projects through Phase 1, Batch 2 of the JNNSM. The projects bid at tariffs between INR 7.49/kWh (USD 0.135/kWh) and INR 9.44/kWh (USD 0.170/kWh), for a weighted average of INR 8.77/kWh (USD 0.158/kWh). Read more

Collaboration Key to Harnessing Ocean Power Potential

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 13:03 (Renewable Energy World)

Co-authored by Dave Pratt, Director of Nautricity, and Mike Rosenfeld, Vice Consul and Senior Director for Clean Technology, North America, UK Trade and Investment As highlighted in a recent article by Renewable Energy World, the UK is playing a leading role in the design, testing and scale-up of new ocean energy technologies. In fact, this week a Read more

Renewables and Emissions Trading: Do Schemes like the EU ETS Work?

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Emissions trading is growing in popularity across the globe, but doubts about its high costs and ultimate effectiveness at promoting renewable energy have hampered its adoption. The key question is whether emissions trading schemes ? as exemplified by the E.U. ETS ? can be made to work successfully. Read more

Indonesia's Energy Transit: Struggle to Realize Renewable Potential

Friday, 9.14.2012 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Indonesia's electricity market is moving from a monopoly fossil-fuel generation base to a more competitive structure with an increasing share of renewable energy. Or rather that is the transition the government seeks to promote, while the reality is somewhat different. Read more