News of the year 2012

Date: 17.09.2012



Photovoltaics

Suntech cuts solar cell capacity to boost utilization rates

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 17:15 (PV-Tech)

As PV manufacturing capacity continues to exceed demand, Suntech Power Holdings is attempting to better marry the two and in doing so lower costs by optimizing utilizations rates. With recent management shuffles, it?s the turn of its manufacturing operations with a ?temporary reduction in solar cell capacity to 1.8GW. Read more

Meyer Burger and InnoLas upgrade customer systems for PERC solar cells

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

Meyer Burger?s subsidiary Roth & Rau and technology partner, InnoLas Systems have developed PECVD and lasers systems upgrades for PERC (Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell) solar cells that are claimed to provide a 1% gain in conversion efficiencies of mono-crystalline-based cells. Meyer Burger said that the upgrades also included both upstream and downstream process steps that have been developed and verified by key customers. Read more

DOE launches USD 10 million competition to reduce soft costs of small-scale rooftop PV

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 10:45 (Solarserver)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a competition to reduce the costs, installation times and difficulties of installing small-scale rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in the United States. Through the SunShot Prize, the DOE will award USD 10 million in cash to the first three companies that can repeatedly reach a non-hardware cost of USD 1 per watt for small-scale rooftop PV plants on American homes and businesses. Read more

Suntech to release new line of 72-cell SuperPoly PV modules in European markets

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 8:40 (Solarserver)

Suntech Power Holdings Company Ltd. (Wuxi, China) will release a new line of 72-cell polycrystalline solar photovoltaic (PV) modules for European commercial and utility-scale markets in November 2012. Suntech's SuperPoly STP305-24/Ve offers 15.7% efficiency as well as a 40 mm frame design, which it notes reduces storage and shipment costs. The company will display the new modules during the EU PVSEC 2012 trade show in Frankfurt, Germany September 24th-28th, 2012. Read more


Thermal Power/Heating

SolarBuyer partners with PVEL on new PV module buying service

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 22:15 (PV-Tech)

SolarBuyer and PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) have come together in order to offer a new PV module buying service. The service aims to integrate supplier qualification and quality assurance into the procurement of PV modules for investors, banks, project developers and EPCs. Read more

Senersun upgrades its power output warranty to a linear performance warranty for all modules

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 22:15 (PV-Tech)

Senersun advised that, for all of its modules, the power output warranty has been upgraded to a linear performance warranty. The new warranty sees the company guaranteeing that its solar panels will produce at least 97% of the rated power output during the first year of operation. Read more

OPIC board approves US$250 million for agency?s first South African solar project

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 22:15 (PV-Tech)

The board of directors for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the US government?s development finance institution, recently gave its approval of providing up to US$250 million for OPIC?s first solar power project in South Africa. Read more

Shortfall in Funding for Solar Training

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 22:05 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.S. solar industry is facing a shortfall in funding for solar worker training over the next four years of close to $70 million, suggests Doug Payne, the outgoing executive director of the SolarTech Workforce Innovations Collaborative (SWIC), based in San Jose. "We anticipate that there will be less and less federal and state funds available for solar job training, so there needs to be recognition in the industry that new business models for solar training need to emerge," he says. Read more

Verengo Solar installs its 5,000th home solar system

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

Eileen Thorgusen?s home in Thousand Oaks, California is home to Verengo Solar?s 5,000th home solar system. The company stated that it is the first southern California company to achieve this milestone. The 5.6kW system was installed this summer with Thorgusen using Verengo? ?zero down? financing option to have her system installed at no upfront cost. Read more

PVStrom completes 4.3MW solar system at former landfill in Germany

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

A former landfill in Döhlau, Germany is sporting a new solar power system, thanks in part to PVStrom. The 4.3MW Solar Park Oberfranken III uses 54,000 First Solar modules and central inverters from SMA in order to generate around 4,000MWh of solar electricity per year. The ?8 million project was financed, in part, by PVStrom with the electricity produced by the project to be fed into the E.ON Bayern grid. Read more

India to reach solar market potential of 12,500MW by 2016-17

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 20:15 (PV-Tech)

With solar PV capacity rising from under 20MW to more than 1,000MW in two years, all eyes are turned towards India. The latest energy report from KPMG, The Rising Sun, predicts that India has a solar market potential of 12,500MW, calculated to be reached by 2016-17. Read more

Market research firm calls for polysilicon production cuts

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 19:15 (PV-Tech)

Despite a multitude of Chinese polysilicon producers having exited the market as well as ?temporary? production halts by the likes of LDK Solar, overcapacity in the polysilicon sector remains and market research firm, IHS iSuppli wants the major players to starting cutting back production to bring pricing stabilization. Read more

Lightsource Renewable Energy and Solarcentury build 5MW solar park for waste treatment plant

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 17:15 (PV-Tech)

Lightsource Renewable Energy, a UK-based developer of large-scale PV projects, and Solarcentury have completed a 5MW utility-scale solar park in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, UK, to power a waste treatment plant, as reported by our sister website Solar Power Portal. Read more

Spain proposes 6% umbrella tax on all power generation methods

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 17:15 (PV-Tech)

Gloom pervaded the Spanish solar industry when minister of industry, energy and tourism José Manuel Soria?s 19% tax on renewables receiving a FiT was announced in July to end the tariff deficit of US$30 billion. However, the cabinet has now launched a draft umbrella tax of 6% payable by all energy suppliers, irrespective of power generation method, lifting the mood a little. Read more

Survey: Solar panels named ?most desirable property extra?

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 16:51 (Solarpowerportal)

A solar PV installation has been listed as the most desirable ?deal-sealer? for potential property buyers in the UK. Read more

LDK Solar reports continued heavy losses in 2Q 2012

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 16:17 (Solarserver)

LDK Solar Company Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) has released unaudited results for the second quarter of 2012, reporting a 17% year-over-year growth in revenues to USD 235 million, a -73% operating margin and a net loss of USD 228 million. This is LDK's third consecutive quarter of reporting operating margins below -60%, with losses of hundreds of millions of dollars each quarter. The company states that it is reorganizing to reduce costs, including laying off roughly 4,000 employees over the last year, as well as selling land and assets. Read more

Lightsource, Solarcentury complete 5 MW PV plant for U.K. water treatment plant

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 16:09 (Solarserver)

Lightsource Renewable Energy Ltd. (London, U.K.) and Solarcentury Ltd. (London, U.K.) have completed a 5 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Cambridgeshire, England, to supply electricity for a water treatment plant. The plant is comprised of more than 20,000 PV modules. The developers expect an output of more than 4,552 MWh annually, which will provide an estimated 70% of the power needs of AmeyCespa's (Cambridge, U.K.) Mechanical Biological Treatment plant in the village of Waterbeach. Read more

EDF Energies Nouvelles builds 12MW thin-film PV project in Marseille

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 15:12 (PV-Tech)

EDF Energies Nouvelles, a French renewable energy company, has completed the construction of a 12MW solar park in Marseille in the south-east region of France. Plans for the plant originated in 2010 when EDF Energies Nouvelles signed a contract to build the 12MW facility, which required three year?s of planning and one year of construction. It is due to be commissioned in early October. Read more

Solar Fred's Event Marketing Insights from SPI: Is Less More?

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

  Heading to SPI 2012 in Orlando, I was expecting a somewhat compact show. Though it wasn't as large as Dallas, I was surprised to find that while there were fewer booths, companies that did show up had booths that were as big as 2011?s SPI, or at least it appeared that way. Sharp seemed to have the most real estate at 4800 sq ft, but Power-One (24 Read more

EU Supports Talks with China to Avoid Solar Panel Tariffs

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 14:53 (Renewable Energy World)

The European Union, the 27-nation bloc locked in a trade dispute with China over solar-panel sales, backed a call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks to resolve the impasse. The European Commission, the EU's trade authority in Brussels, supports plans for a "political dialogue," Merkel said today in Berlin after speaking with EC President Jose Manuel Barroso. No EU state would refuse such talks if they're "substantial" and "open," she said. Read more

Martifer Solar and Consorcio Integrador Sonora80M plan 20MW PV plant in Mexico

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 14:10 (PV-Tech)

Martifer Solar and Consorcio Integrador Sonora80M have signed on the dotted lines confirming plans to build a 20MW PV project in Hermosillo, in the state of Sonora, in northern Mexico. Martifer Solar is part of Portugal-based Martifer SGPS SA. Read more

Solar charging solutions: SolaWerks to present accessories for Apple devices at Canadian Wireless trade show

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 13:29 (Solarserver)

On September 13th, 2012, SolaWerks Inc. (Longwood, Florida, U.S.) announced that it will showcase its next generation "SolaPad" and "SolaCase" accessories for the Apple iPad and iPhone devices at the 2012 Canadian Wireless Trade Show (CWTS) in Toronto (Canada). The SolaCase and SolaPad systems are covering and recharging the batteries of Apple's iPhone and iPad devices using solar power. Each SolaPad or SolaCase cover contains a large, high-efficiency solar photovoltaic (PV) panel on its reverse side, plus an additional internal battery to keep Apple devices charged at all times. Read more

LDK Solar posts greater losses than revenue in 2Q: further drastic revisions to full-year guidance

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

Losses continue to mount at LDK Solar as it reported a net loss for second quarter of 2012 that was higher than its revenue levels. Net sales were US$235.4 million compared to a net loss of US$254.3 million. Full-year guidance was again revised downwards to between US$1.1 billion to US$1.5 billion, down drastically from last quarter?s revised guidance of between US$1.5 billion to US$2.0 billion. LDK Solar had started the year with a revenue guidance of between US$2 billion and US$2.7 billion. Read more

China to invest US$39.5 billion in PV during 2011-15

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 13:14 (PV-Tech)

China is expected to invest around CNY250 billion (US$39.5 billion) in domestic solar power generation over a five-year period between 2011 and 2015, according to a development plan released by the National Energy Administration as cited by the China Daily. Read more

Intersolar North America adds two new segments to 2013 conference and exhibition

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 12:59 (Solarserver)

On September 12th, 2012, Intersolar North America (ISNA), the premier solar industry exhibition and conference in North America for solar professionals to exchange information and develop business opportunities in the U.S. solar market, announced that it has added two new segments to its 2013 exhibition and conference. The two new segments include the introduction of an energy storage exhibition and the expansion of the Intersolar AWARD competition for solar projects. Read more

Altobridge rolls out solar-powered telecom solution for Ghana

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 12:53 (Solarserver)

Altobridge Ltd. (Kerry Technology Park, Ireland) has partnered with K-NET Ltd. (Accra, Ghana) to deploy mobile voice and broadband infrastructure powered by solar photovoltaic (PV) generation in Ghana. The company reports that the first phase of the Tigo Ghana mobile network has been completed, and that subscriber uptake and usage levels in previously un-connected rural communities have surpassed expectations. Read more

U.S. House passes bill to sunset DOE Loan Guarantee Program

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 11:01 (Solarserver)

The lower house of the U.S. congress has passed legislation to severely curtail the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program, including prohibiting the agency from issuing loan guarantees for applications submitted after December 31st, 2012. The "No More Solyndras Act" would also subject previous applications to review by the Treasury Department. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA, Washington D.C., U.S.) opposes the act, which will now go the U.S. Senate for approval. Read more

Enphase partners with Hanwha SolarOne, Schueco to offer AC PV modules

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 10:53 (Solarserver)

Enphase Energy Inc. (Petaluma, California, U.S.) has partnered with solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturers Hanwha SolarOne Company Ltd. (Shanghai, China) and Schueco (Bielefeld, Germany) to offer micro-inverters integrated with their modules for purchase online. Enphase's Energized AC Solutions Marketplace will also offer financing options for installers and special offers. The company has additionally launched a new cash rewards program for using the Enphase micro-inverter in commercial projects, which offers partnership benefits for installers. Read more

EPIA calls for industry to "move beyond" solar trade conflicts

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 8:47 (Solarserver)

The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) has released a statement on the anti-dumping investigation of Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers recently launched by the European Commission, calling for an end to trade conflicts. In the statement, the association also called for an EU-wide industrial policy to spur greater investment. Read more


Biomass/Pellets

Floating US Biofuels: Should the Navy Support a New Industry?

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Touting the biofuels industry as the nation's road to gain energy independence, the U.S. military wants to help move it forward. But government committees have proposed bills to block investment, arguing that it is too expensive and risky. Is the military the industry's only hope for scale? Read more


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

France Taxing Carbon Emitters in an Effort to Overhaul Consumer Energy Costs

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 15:10 (Renewable Energy World)

France will extend to 4 million households lower rates for electricity and natural gas to make energy more affordable while at the same time raising taxes on industries that pollute the air, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said today. Read more

Ernst & Young: Largest global companies taking actions to mitigate energy risks; adoption of renewable energy on the rise

Monday, 9.17.2012 - 13:21 (Solarserver)

On September 13th, 2012, Ernst & Young (New York, U.S.) announced that it has conducted a survey of USD 1 billion-plus global companies for its global annual cleantech insights and trends report. According to the survey, the largest global corporations are already tackling potential future energy cost rises through C-suite engagement and proactive energy strategies. Read more


Solar-/Electromobil

There are no news available

 



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