Australian state Victoria to introduce new feed-in-tariff for rooftop PV

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 16:15 (PV-Tech)

Following recommendations published in an independent report conducted by Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC), the Victorian Coalition Government has announced that it will introduce a new and fairer feed-in-tariff for rooftop solar. Read more

Victoria, Australia slashes feed-in tariff

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 16:05 (Solarserver)

The state of Victoria, Australia has reduced its feed-in tariff for solar photovoltaic (PV) generation by 68% to AUD 0.08/kWh (USD 0.082/kWh) for excess generation, to take effect January 1st, 2013. The state government will also close the existing "transitional" feed-in tariff, with a deadline for paperwork of September 30th, 2012. This is the second time that the tariff has been reduced, first from AUD 0.60/kWh (USD 0.615/kWh) to AUD 0.25/kWh (USD 0.256/kWh). Read more

Germany installs 543 MW of PV in July 2012

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 8:48 (Solarserver)

According to figures released by Germany's Federal Network Agency, the nation installed 543 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in July 2012, for a total of 4.92 GW in 2012 to date. While 543 MW is a sharp decline from the 1.79 GW installed in June 2012, it is larger than the total installed in either April or May 2012, showing that the market remains healthy following a deal reached on the feed-in tariff in late June 2012. Read more

JinkoSolar to supply modules for 1 MW off-grid PV plant in South Africa

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 20:31 (Solarserver)

On August 31st, 2012, JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. (Shanghai, China) announced that it will supply solar photovoltaic (PV) modules for a 1 megawatt (MW) off-grid utility scale PV plant in South Africa. Read more

ESA Renewables launches operation in Central, South America

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 20:26 (Solarserver)

On September 1st, 2012, ESA Renewables LLC (Castellon, Spain), a turnkey solar solutions provider, announced that it has made expansion into Central America, South America and additional surrounding markets. ESA states that it is seeking strategic partnerships to bring innovative solar development projects to Central and South America. Read more

SolarCity enters Arizona PV market

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 20:21 (Solarserver)

On August 30th, 2012, SolarCity (San Mateo, California) announced that it has opened two operation centers in Arizona to service large-scale commercial and homebuilder's solar photovoltaic (PV) projects. The company launched a new operation center in Prescott Valley, Arizona, and a second operation center in Phoenix. Read more

JNNSM commissions 257.5MW of PV capacity

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 19:48 (PV-Tech)

According to the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) initiative has so far commissioned 255MW of PV capacity as well as 2.5MW of CSP under batch 1 of the first phase of its programme. Read more

Solar Energy in the Central Valley and the Chicken and Egg Challenge

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 18:46 (Renewable Energy World)

Over the past several years thousands of megawatts of renewable energy projects have been approved for construction on both public and private lands in California. The main development areas have been the Mojave Desert and Carrizo Plain areas of the state. But another region of California with great potential ? the San Joaquin Valley ? is still largely undeveloped, awaiting a commitment from state planners and regulators to prioritize the building of the transmission line needed to make development in this area feasible. The first San Joaquin Valley area project, known as the Westlands Competitive Renewable Energy Zone (CREZ), has huge potential to contribute clean energy Read more

New Investments Set to Accelerate Breakthroughs in Cost-Competitive Solar Energy

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 18:38 (Renewable Energy World)

Building off SunShot Initiative investments in concentrating solar power announced last week, the Energy Department announced five new research projects to accelerate innovations that could lower the cost of photovoltaic and concentrating solar power technologies. Read more

SEIA Sheds Light on Tax Treatment of Solar Financing

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 17:26 (Renewable Energy World)

There has been a lot of dialogue about the future of solar financing and the tax treatment of various solar financing scenarios, and we at the Solar Energy Industries Association hope to contribute additional clarity to that discussion. As an industry we must remain mindful of the applicable tax laws, statutory and regulatory requirements that govern key solar incentive programs such as the Section 48 commercial solar investment tax credit ("ITC") and the Section 1603 Treasury Program ("1603"). Read more

Trina Solar sets Latin America base in Santiago, Chile

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 17:15 (PV-Tech)

As part of its two-pronged strategy to expand its sales channels on a regional and customer basis, tier 1 PV module manufacturer, Trina Solar is establishing its main operations for Latin America in the capital city of Chile, Santiago. The company said it would be servicing commercial, utility and off-grid customers throughout the continent with a focus on Chile, Mexico, Brazil and neighbouring countries. Read more

Environmental groups protest U.S. Interior Department plans for solar

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 15:54 (Solarserver)

Environmental organizations Western Lands Project, Basin and Range Watch, and Solar Done Right have sent a joint protest letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) over the agency's plans for solar energy development in six states in the U.S. Southwest. The letter protests the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for Solar Energy Development and amendments, stating that they failed to consider reasonable alternatives or to analyze numerous impacts of solar development within several of the energy zones. The letter calls for a new PEIS, and could be the first step towards one or more lawsuits. Read more

Order Focus: S.A.G. Solarstrom to use 26MWp of modules from Suntech

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 15:14 (PV-Tech)

Project developer, S.A.G. Solarstrom has purchased 26MWp of modules from Suntech Power Holdings, primarily for projects already under construction in Germany in the third quarter of 2012. Financial and product details were not disclosed. Read more

Segen announces partnership with Canadian Solar

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 12:07 (Solarpowerportal)

Segen, one of the UK?s most prominent distributors, has announced a new partnership with solar manufacturer Canadian Solar, as an authorised reseller. The move will see Segen add the Canadian Solar range of PV modules to the company?s ever increasing solar portfolio.  Read more

Guangdong Minyang forms JV with Huaneng to develop wind, solar in Southern China

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 11:21 (Solarserver)

China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Ltd. (Zhongshan, China) has announced that its Guangdong subsidiary has formed a joint venture (JV) with Huaneng Renewables Corporation Ltd. to develop wind and solar projects, primarily in Southern China. Huaneng Renewables will have a 63% share in the new company, and Guangdong Minyang will own the remaining 37%. Read more

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency: 257 MW commissioned under National Solar Mission

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 8:54 (Solarserver)

The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has released new information on the status of projects under the nation's National Solar Mission (JNNSM), as well as plant load factor (PLF) data for participating plants. IREDA reports that 255 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) and 2.5 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) has been commissioned under the JNNSM's phase 1 batch 1. The program still has 38 MW of PV and 497.5 MW of CSP yet to be commissioned under batch 1, as well as 350 MW of PV under batch 2. Read more

Community solar bill dies in California legislature

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 8:39 (Solarserver)

Legislation to create a program for community solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in California was stopped in the state's Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce on August 31st, 2012. California State Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis), the bill's author, attributes the demise of SB 843 to "intense" lobbying by utilities Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E, San Francisco, California, U.S.) and Southern California Edison (Rosemead, California, U.S.). Read more

Hitachi Zosen-Led Group Plans $1.5 Billion Offshore Wind Farms in Japan

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 16:19 (Renewable Energy World)

Hitachi Zosen Corp., an industrial machinery maker, is leading a group including Toshiba Corp. and JFE Holdings Inc. that plans to build 120 billion yen ($1.5 billion) of offshore wind farms in Japan. Read more

Oklahoma's Wind Power Development Strategy

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Once known for oil and gas production, Oklahoma has quickly established itself as a major player in the wind power generation industry. Today the state is taking advantage of its abundant natural resources with rapid development of wind. Read more

Natalie Bennett elected as leader of the Green Party

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 18:37 (Solarpowerportal)

Following the dramatic announcement that Caroline Lucas would not be seeking re-election after the end of her second term, the Green Party has announced that Natalie Bennett will be taking charge of the Green Party after a significant victory at the polling station. Read more

Why Isn't the Deep South Green? Or Is It?

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Everyone is seeking the elusive killer app that will revolutionize energy. Most expect it to be a high tech gadget, or new form of generation or a way to finally store mass quantities of electricity. Not anthropologist Susan Mazur-Stommen. She?s looking in a completely different place: inside our heads, or more specifically inside the heads of thos Read more

Chilean government presents "Electricity Highway" plan to reform transmission

Tuesday, 9.4.2012 - 11:30 (Solarserver)

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera has presented the nation's congress with legislation to reform Chile's electricity transmission system, including facilitating the interconnection of both more conventional and more renewable energy. In addition to this "Electricity Highway" bill, the president announced a second bill to create a tender process for contractors to bid on connecting the nation's electricity grids, the Northern Power Grid (SING) and the Central Power Grid (SIC). This will unify 99% of Chile's electricity system in a single network. Read more