Enphase starts PV micro-inverter sales in Switzerland

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 22:23 (Solarserver)

On March 14th, 2013, Enphase Energy Inc. (Petaluma, California, US) announced that it is now offering its micro-inverter system in Switzerland. Enphase signed strategic partnership agreements with large photovoltaic (PV) systems suppliers in Switzerland, including Integrasolar, SolarMarkt and Sunergic, to market and sell the Enphase Microinverter System in the various Swiss cantons. Read more

SMA concludes acquisition of Chinese inverter company

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 17:07 (PV-Tech)

Inverter manufacturer SMA Solar has concluded the acquisition of a majority stake of 72.5% in Chinese inverter company Jiangsu Zeversolar New Energy. Read more

Cross-defaults triggered for Suntech?s bonds; suppliers and lenders start payment claims

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 17:05 (PV-Tech)

Suntech Power Holdings default on paying back its US$541 million convertible note last week has triggered cross-defaults on other loans, according to the company. Read more

China Govt Should Oust Shi To Save Suntech

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 15:10 (Renewable Energy World)

New developments have come rapidly over the past week at Suntech (NYSE: STP), leaving the former solar superstar on the brink of collapse as its founder Shi Zhengrong blocks a potential government rescue. Shi?s exit is believed to be a main condition for the government bailout, and his refusal to leave could well result in the failure of a company Read more

IMS Research: Japan to install more than 5 GW of PV systems in 2013 - overtaking Germany and the US

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 13:39 (Solarserver)

The Japanese solar photovoltaic (PV) market is set to grow by 120 percent in 2013 and install more than 5 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity, according to a new report from IMS Research (Wellingborough, UK), now part of IHS Inc. (Englewood, Colorado, US). Benefiting from the world?s most attractive PV incentive policy, feed-in tariff Japan?s solar market is currently booming, with installations expected to exceed 1 GW in the first quarter alone, causing it to become the second largest market in 2013, IHS asserts in ?The PV Market in Japan.? Read more

Sempra inaugurates first phase of Copper Mountain 2 PV plant, announces additional 250 MW project

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 12:56 (Solarserver)

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and Boulder City Mayor Roger Tobler on March 15th, 2013 joined Sempra U.S. Gas & Power (San Diego, California, U.S.) officials and community leaders to dedicate the state's newest solar energy project, the 92-megawatt (MW) first phase of the company's Copper Mountain Solar 2 facility in Boulder City. Copper Mountain Solar 2 is one of the North America's largest solar photovoltaic (PV) plants. When its second phase will be completed in 2015, the PV plant?s total operating capacity will be 150 MW, or enough energy for 45,000 homes. Read more

UniCredit approves bankability of Solar Frontier PV modules

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 22:34 (Solarserver)

On March 13th, 2013, Solar Frontier (Tokyo, Japan) announced that UniCredit Leasing, a European company for asset-based financing solutions, has added the producer of thin-film CIS PV modules to its list of trusted suppliers. Solar Frontier's PV modules achieved bankability with UniCredit Leasing after passing a stringent quality test by Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme (ISE, Freiburg, Germany). Read more

SolarWorld introduces glass-glass PV module

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 22:30 (Solarserver)

On March 13th, 2013, SolarWorld (Bonn, Germany and Hillsboro, Oregon, US) announced that it has introduced its ?Sunmodule Protect? glass-glass solar photovoltaic (PV) panel. The Sunmodule Protect panel is no heavier than a standard glass-film panel and substitutes a conventional backsheet with lightweight glass to better shield energy-producing solar cells from the elements, the company states. Read more

Advanced Energy solar inverters used in award-winning 6 MW PV plant in Pennsylvania

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 22:20 (Solarserver)

On March 13th, 2013, Advanced Energy Industries Inc. (AE, Fort Collins, Colorado, US) announced that it supplied its utility-scale AE 500NX-HE inverters for the Keystone solar PV project in Pennsylvania, which was named as "Project of Distinction" at the 2013 PV America East solar conference by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). Read more

NLP Solar Sales Training | 2 Loan Programs | Live Webinar April 3rd & 4th

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 18:01 (Renewable Energy World)

Read more

Abu Dhabi Boosts Solar Power 10-Fold with Shams CSP Plant, Plans for Increased Growth

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 17:28 (Renewable Energy World)

Total SA and Abengoa SA, the European energy producers behind the Middle East's largest concentrated-solar plant, intend to expand further in the region as governments promote renewables to free up oil for export. Read more

Softbank plans 111MW PV plant in Tomakomai, Japan

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 13:13 (PV-Tech)

Japanese telecommunications company Softbank is continuing its investment in the solar industry and will develop an 111MW PV facility in Tomakomai, Hokkaido prefecture, Japan. Read more

Abengoa, BrightSource partner on 500 MW Palen CSP project in Riverside County, California

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 13:12 (Solarserver)

Abengoa (Seville, Spain) and BrightSource Energy (Oakland, California, U.S) on March 15th, 2013 signed an agreement to jointly develop, build and operate the world's two largest solar power towers in California. As joint partners, the two pioneers in solar power tower technology will work together to permit and finance the 500 MW Palen Solar Electric Generating System. Read more

Japan could overtake Europe and US as second largest solar market in 2013

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 13:10 (PV-Tech)

The Japanese PV market is predicted to experience a 120% growth spurt in 2013, according to a new report from market analysts at IHS. Read more

Japan could overtake Germany and US as second largest solar market in 2013

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 13:10 (PV-Tech)

The Japanese PV market is predicted to experience a 120% growth spurt in 2013, according to a new report from market analysts at IHS. Read more

John Hayes opposes council-owned 83MW solar park

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 13:03 (Solarpowerportal)

Energy Minister John Hayes has opposed the development of three solar parks across 364 hectares of council-owned agricultural land. Read more

Conergy to supply 15.3 MW of solar PV modules for UK projects

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 12:49 (Solarserver)

Conergy AG (Hamburg, Germany) will supply 15.3 MW of its ?P-Series? solar photovoltaic (PV) modules for PV projects in the United Kingdom. Solaer SL (Motilla Del Palancar, Spain) will use the modules to build PV plants between 2.2 and 5.8 MW in size. A 5.8 MW and a 2.2 MW PV plant will be built in Somerset, as well as a 4 MW project in Devon and a 3.3 MW PV plant in Buckinghamshire. Read more

SolMetall purchases Schüco solar thermal collector assembly line

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 12:45 (Solarserver)

A new company formed by three former Schüco (Bielefeld, Germany) managers has purchased the company's assembling line for solar thermal collectors and mounting systems, according to SolarThermalWorld. The three each own 8% of SolMetall (Spenge, Germany), which they formed on January 14th, 2013. The other 76% is owned by Surikate Mittelstands AG (Bad Grönenbach, Germany) , whose subsidiary Schmöle was a supplier to Schüco's collector production. Read more

LDK Solar?s VP of operations resigns

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 11:08 (PV-Tech)

Long-standing and third ranked LDK Solar executive, Dr. Liangbao Zhu has resigned from the company with immediate effect. Read more

Falling solar PV equipment market drives declining revenues, losses at Manz

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 9:00 (Solarserver)

Describing a ?strong burden? from the ongoing crisis in solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing, Manz AG (Reutlingen, Germany) has released preliminary results for 2012, reporting a 77% decrease in revenues in its Solar division to EUR 16.4 million (USD 21.5 million). Manz overall reported a 23% fall in revenues to EUR 184 million (USD 241 million), and an operating margin of -17%. The company notes that its results were impacted by EUR 17 million (USD 22 million) in non-recurring costs mostly from its PV business, including devaluation of machinery and bad debts. Read more

EPIA: More reliable political support for solar PV needed

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 9:00 (Solarserver)

The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA, Brussels, Belgium) has emphasized the need for a reliable political framework and support programs for solar photovoltaics (PV) and renewable energy that will lead to long-term competitiveness, in a statement following its annual meeting. EPIA also emphasized the need for a focus on integrating the increasing share of PV into the electricity grid, and a future market design that removes barriers to the technology's development. Furthermore, the organization has called for an EU industrial policy, including support for PV research. Read more

Shams 1 solar CSP plant reaches 100 MW

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 3:56 (Solarserver)

At a ceremony on March 17th, 2013 Masdar (Abu Dhabi, UAE), Abengoa SA (Seville, Spain) and Total (Courbevoie, France) announced that they have commissioned the full 100 MW capacity of the Shams 1 Power Station in Madinat Zayed, UAE. Read more

Bioenergy Calling the Shots on Asian Fuel Supply

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Emerging markets have tremendous biomass resources. Such fuels also enjoy commercial advantages due to grid and baseload power availability and a strong willingness from users to pay for electricity. Yet to become a corporate sector, biomass power has avenues to explore to take it away from being made up of mostly isolated one-off projects, captive-generation schemes or public policy/NGO projects. Biomass power needs to focus on the vertical logistics of the fuel business. Indeed, conventional fuel price rises and demand-side pressures from north Asia point to the adoption of such a logistics chain. Read more

Wind Energy Suppliers Thrown by Brazil Local Supply Rule

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 15:55 (Renewable Energy World)

Brazil's requirement that wind turbine suppliers buy locally is increasing costs for providers from Vestas Wind Systems A/S to Suzlon Energy Ltd., who say the rule will probably drive away some companies. Read more

Wacker Chemie polysilicon revenues fall 22% in 2012 despite increased shipment volume

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 9:00 (Solarserver)

Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany) has released final results for 2012, reporting a 22% decline in revenues in its Polysilicon division to EUR 1.14 billion (USD 1.49 billion), despite a 20% increase in volume sold to 38,000 metric tons. The division's EBITDA margin fell to 37%, including EUR 113 million (USD 148 million) in advanced payments and received damages from terminated supply contracts. Wacker expects another decline in Polysilicon revenues in 2013, and warns that they will fall further if new trade barriers are imposed in the solar industry. Read more

Survey: Green policies leave renewables industry low in confidence

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 19:15 (Solarpowerportal)

The UK renewables industry is concerned about the future of UK energy policy according to an industry confidence survey published by the Renewable Energy Association (REA). Read more

Loans of $4.8 Billion Weighed by U.S. for Post-Solyndra Projects

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 18:14 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.S. Energy Department is reviewing nine applications from companies seeking $4.8 billion in clean-energy loan guarantees, the first since the collapse of Solyndra LLC unleashed an avalanche of Republican criticism. Read more

Loans of $2 Billion Weighed by U.S. for Clean Energy Projects

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 18:14 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.S. Energy Department is reviewing nine applications from companies seeking $4.8 billion in energy-related loan guarantees, the first since the collapse of Solyndra unleashed an avalanche of Republican criticism. Read more

Italy publishes final draft energy strategy

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 16:37 (PV-Tech)

The Italian Ministry of Industry and Economy (MISE) has published the final version of the country?s new national energy strategy to support PV without incentives. Read more

Wind Now 10% of Electricity in Nine States, Over 20% in Iowa, South Dakota

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 14:31 (Renewable Energy World)

Impressive numbers from the wind industry's record-breaking 2012 continued to come out this week with the news that American wind power generation shot up 17 percent last year, producing more than 10 percent of the electricity in nine states, up from the five that hit double digits in 2011. Read more

Improving Risk-Based Review to Enable Developers to "Fly" Through Interconnection Hurdles

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Making safe, reliable interconnection of renewable energy easier is the goal. Increasing the number of interconnections, through improved application efficiency and cost-effectiveness, while maintaining safety and electrical system reliability, that?s the challenge. Just last week, Massachusetts adopted revised interconnection procedures that shoul Read more

Energy Efficiency Loans Encounter Obstacles in the Secondary Market

Monday, 3.18.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Although connecting energy efficiency programs and private capital may seem like an ideal partnership, program managers from New York and Pennsylvania have found it is challenging to achieve competitive investment ratings for energy efficiency loan portfolios. Jeff Pitkin and Keith Welks discussed their experiences with accessing the secondary market in these two states during a webinar on energy efficiency loan pool securitization on Feb. 27. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Los Angeles Chapter of the USGBC, and the Clean Energy Finance Center co-sponsored the event. Read more