SMA?s Sunny Central CP XT inverters meet South Africa?s grid connection code

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 16:23 (PV-Tech)

German inverter manufacturer SMA Solar Technology has announced its central inverters officially comply with the Grid Connection Code for Renewable Power Plants (RPPs) set by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). Read more

Acceleration expected in US utility-scale PV and CSP

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 13:50 (PV-Tech)

The adoption of utility-scale photovoltaic and concentrating solar power plants in the United States is expected to accelerate during the next decade, according to analysis by research company Frost & Sullivan. Read more

DTE Energy expands solar PV program

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 20:04 (Solarserver)

On January 8th, 2013, DTE Energy (Detroit, Michigan, U.S.) announced that it has expanded its SolarCurrents customer-owned pilot program. The SolarCurrents program offers customers a more affordable way to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on their homes and businesses. Read more

GCL-Poly warns of large full-year losses; blames polysilicon dumping for woes

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 16:28 (PV-Tech)

China?s largest solar grade polysilicon producer, GCL-Poly Energy Holdings, has warned that it will incur a substantial but not detailed profit loss for the full-year 2012. Read more

Solar Water Heaters in Lebanon: An Emerging $100 Million Market

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 16:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The very first solar water heating system installation in Lebanon probably goes back to the seventies of the last century. Few solar water heaters (SWH) were installed in the eighties, yet talking about a "market" for solar water heaters became accurate by the early 1990's. However, SWH's were not on to a successful start. In 2008, only some 25 companies were involved in this market, still in its infancy stage. Read more

SolarCity offers ?back up? service to solar investment funds

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 13:59 (PV-Tech)

Energy provider SolarCity has announced a new addition to its celebrated solar investment funds offering a ?back up? service to investors for extra security. Read more

Crackdown on aggressive solar selling prompts call for law change

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 13:04 (Solarpowerportal)

Renewable energy consumer body YouGen is calling for a change in the law after a review by the Office of Fair Trading revealed unscrupulous selling tactics by solar and other energy efficiency companies. Read more

First Solar begins construction of 139 MW Campo Verde solar PV project

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 13:03 (Solarserver)

First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Arizona, U.S.) has begun construction of the Campo Verde Solar Project, a 139 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Southern California's Imperial Valley. First Solar notes that the project received approval for transmission easements from the Imperial Irrigation District (Imperial, California, U.S.) on December 18th, 2012. The company expects to complete the Campo Verde project during 2013. Read more

JA Solar starts production of 72-cell 215W monocrystalline modules

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 12:59 (PV-Tech)

Volume production has started on a compact, high-efficiency monocrystalline module series at JA Solar. Read more

Schott sells crystalline silicon solar PV patent families to Fraunhofer ISE

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 12:59 (Solarserver)

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE (Freiburg, Germany) and Schott Solar AG (Mainz, Germany) have agreed on the transfer of 111 patent families in the field of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. The patents acquired cover the entire value chain of c-Si PV, from crystallization to system installation. The parties have not disclosed the sale price, and Fraunhofer ISE notes that it has already received inquiries about the patents from the PV industry. Read more

Solar PV meets 5.6% of electricity demand in Italy during 2012

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 12:52 (Solarserver)

Italian grid operator Terna SpA has released interim figures on electricity production in 2012, reporting that electricity from solar photovoltaic (PV) generation increased 72% over 2011 levels to 18.3 TWh. According to these figures PV met 5.6% of demand in Italy in 2012, 0.8% more than in Germany. Together hydropower, geothermal, wind and PV met 25% of the nation's electricity demand, another 13% have been imported. Read more

DayStar acquires seven 1MWp Greek projects

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 12:09 (PV-Tech)

Thin-film product developer DayStar Technologies has entered into an agreement to acquire seven solar projects from Arxikon Construction Company in Greece. Read more

First Solar acquires Solar Chile including 1.5 GW of utility-scale PV projects

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 8:48 (Solarserver)

First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Arizona, US) has acquired Solar Chile (Santiago, Chile), including its portfolio of 1.5 GW of "early- to mid-stage" utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the nation. First Solar describes the move as the culmination of a working alliance formed between the two companies in October 2011. The five-member Solar Chile team has joined First Solar, and Solar Chile investor Fundación Chile (Santiago, Chile) will provide ongoing consultation services. Read more

Kyocera: Czech solar PV module plant running at full capacity

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 8:39 (Solarserver)

Kyocera Corporation (Kyoto, Japan) has announced that its solar photovoltaic (PV) module plant in Czech Republic is currently operating at full capacity, with plans for further expansion. The company notes that the PV modules produced in Kadan, Czech Republic are helping to meet booming demand in Asia, citing the growth of the Japanese PV market following the passage of the nation's generous feed-in tariff. Read more

CEE acquires 50 MW Ahlhorn Solar Park from Bunte Group

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 8:20 (Solarserver)

Conetwork Renewable Energy Holding GmbH & Co. KGaA (CEE, Hamburg, Germany) has acquired the Ahlhorn Solar Park, a 50 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Lower Saxony, Germany. Johann Bunte Construction Ltd. (Papenburg, Germany) built the Ahlhorn Solar Park, which is the largest PV plant in CEE's portfolio as well as the largest in Lower Saxony. Read more

Florida Innovates with Its Eucalyptus and Citrus for Biomass Production

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

By taking full advantage of both its natural subtropical climate and its own citrus resources, Florida's fledgling biomass energy sector looks to be finally coming into its own. Read more

Apple Delves Deeper into Renewable Energy, Offers Wind Energy Storage Concept

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 18:07 (Renewable Energy World)

Technology continues to change and expand faster than most consumers can keep up with ? but many try their best. And the company that is arguably the most popular and innovative ? the one that techies follow like groupies to a rock star ? is Apple. But with each new feature, iTunes, iCloud, Apps, and more, comes a greater need for power, which is why Apple is hard at work to find renewable solutions for its ever-growing energy needs. Read more

China Working to Cut Idled Wind Farm Capacity

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 16:05 (Renewable Energy World)

China, the world's biggest carbon emitter, is making progress in connecting idled wind farms to the electricity grid, helping to address a roadblock slowing the development of wind power. Read more

Chilean Congress proposes bidding system for renewable energy

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 20:09 (Solarserver)

A group of Chilean senators have proposed a bidding mechanism for blocks of non-conventional renewable energy (NCRE), including a mechanism to pay a premium above the marginal cost of generation. The motion is a modification to a draft law which would require Chilean electricity producers to obtain 20% of their electricity from NCRE by 2020. According to Pulso, Chilean Energy Minister Jorge Bunster has put forth a similar proposal for a tender system as a means to replace the requirement for 20% renewable energy. Read more

Can Kazakhstan Green Its Economy?

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 16:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Kazakhstan is a major oil producer with abundant reserves of hydrocarbons in an energy-hungry region. So some people may be surprised to know that we are committed to building a green economy as part of the process to equip Kazakhstan to be a competitive industrial player. Read more

IRENA: Shale-Gas Boom Can Complement Renewables to Cut Coal

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 15:54 (Renewable Energy World)

boom in shale-gas extraction, the technique that made the U.S. the top producer of the fuel, would complement growth in renewables because both curb use of dirtier commodities, the International Renewable Energy Agency said. Read more

Kalaeloa Renewable Energy Park obtains environmental approval

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 15:02 (PV-Tech)

The Commander, Navy Region Hawaii has approved the environmental assessment of the proposed 5MW Kalaeloa Renewable Energy Park. Read more

Energy Efficiency: Big Deals and New Ideas

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The economic premise behind energy efficiency ? that it?s cheaper to save a unit of energy than to make one ? has caught on in the US.  Energy efficiency spending is up, and our energy use is declining, measured both per capita and per dollar of gross domestic product, according to government figures.  So it is not surprising to see the year begin Read more

Swinerton Renewable Energy wins EPC contract for 250MW tribal land project

Friday, 1.11.2013 - 13:28 (PV-Tech)

Swinerton Renewable Energy has been awarded an EPC contract from K Road Moapa Solar for a 250MW PV plant in Nevada, US, following a competitive selection process. Read more