AEG Power Solutions to supply 240 MW of inverter solutions in Eastern Europe

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 16:23 (Solarserver)

AEG Power Solutions BV (Zwanenburg, The Netherlands) will supply inverter solutions and services to accompany 240 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation in Eastern Europe under a new contract. The customer is an un-named Western European engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor. AEG will supply inverter stations based on its TKS-C containerized system, including central inverters, transformers and medium-voltage switchgear, as well as Skytron monitoring and supervision systems. Read more

German Environment Minister proposes limits on feed-in tariff surcharges

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 16:18 (Solarserver)

German Federal Environment Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) has proposed a system to define and limit costs to German electricity consumers due to the nation's feed-in tariff, setting a maximum yearly increase of 2.5% and implementing retroactive charges. Under the initiative the current feed-in tariff levy of EUR 0.0528 per KWh would be maintained through 2013 and 2014. The German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) argues that the proposal is neither feasible nor capable of securing a majority. Read more

NPD Solarbuzz: Polysilicon plant utilization rates fall below 70%

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 16:25 (PV-Tech)

The continued crash in polysilicon prices in 2012 has finally brought some rational thinking to the sector as tier 1 suppliers have cut plant utilization rates to below 70%, according to the latest figures from market research firm, NPD Solarbuzz. Read more

NPD Solarbuzz: Polysilicon plant utilisation rates fall below 70%

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 16:25 (PV-Tech)

The continued crash in polysilicon prices in 2012 has finally brought some rational thinking to the sector as tier 1 suppliers have cut plant utilisation rates to below 70%, according to the latest figures from market research firm, NPD Solarbuzz. Read more

Travis Perkins expands renewables offer with Solfex acquisition

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 16:15 (Solarpowerportal)

Building merchant Travis Perkins has announced the £8 million acquisition of solar distribution company Solfex Energy Systems. Read more

Greece reaches over 1GW of installed capacity in December 2012

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 15:55 (PV-Tech)

Greek grid operator, Hellenic Transmission, has announced the country installed 1.126GW of solar PV capacity, whilst rooftop capacity was 298MW in December 2012. Read more

Latin America Report: Mapping the Solar Energy Landscape

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Latin America and the Caribbean has long been viewed as a key growth region for renewable energy. More than 450 MW of grid-connected solar photovoltaics are anticipated to be installed in 2013, up from 100 MW in 2012. More than 8 gigawatts (GW) of large-scale solar projects have been announced in the past year; annual installations will exceed 5.7 GW by 2017, bringing cumulative grid-tied solar capacity to 13 GW over that five-year period, according to GTM Research, which outlines the market opportunities for solar energy in Latin American markets in a new report. Read more

PPA approved for California?s first large-scale solar plant with energy storage

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 14:19 (PV-Tech)

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has unanimously approved an amended 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) between SolarReserve, a US PV project developer, and utility firm Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) relating to the Rice Solar Energy Project. Read more

Switching Costs, Personal Identity and the Difficulty of Switching to Solar

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 12:56 (Renewable Energy World)

Self-interest, which does not necessarily mean selfishness, is the primary motivating factor in decision making. When properly stimulated, well, people will buy almost anything. Case in point and rhetorically, who really needs a Bugatti, a Rolls Royce or an Alfa Romeo? Owning one of these vehicles implies something about the buyer though the real point is transportation. Somewhere along the line the need to get from point A to point B began a status game and people who could afford to pay the price (or, go into debt) began plunking down money or credit for the privilege of opening very expensive car doors. Read more

SolarCity partners with BASF to offer solar PV in new residential construction

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 12:26 (Solarserver)

SolarCity Corporation (San Mateo, California, US) and BASF Corporation (Florham Park, New Jersey, US) have announced an agreement to offer electricity from solar photovoltaic (PV) systems as part of BASF's Beyond High Performance program. The company's Beyond High Performance home program currently provides consulting, plan reviews and training for the building of sustainable houses in a cost-effective manner. Under the agreement, SolarCity will be the preferred partner to provide PV systems to homebuilders. Read more

Trina Solar to supply 30MW projects in South Africa

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 11:57 (PV-Tech)

PV manufacturer Trina Solar is to supply 30MW of photovoltaic modules to solar developer Gestamp Solar for two projects in South Africa. Read more

SKY Energy manufactures the first Ethiopian-made solar PV module

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 9:22 (Solarserver)

In December 2012, SKY Energy International (Sunrise, Florida, US) and Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) produced the first solar photovoltaic (PV) module at their new manufacturing facility in Addis Ababa. The factory currently features one PV module production line supplied by Spire Corporation (Bedford, Massachusetts, US) with an annual capacity of 20 MW. SKY Energy notes that workers are still calibrating the machines, and expects 250 kW of module output in 2013. Read more

HERO secures interconnection agreement for 70 MW solar PV plant in Florida

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 9:15 (Solarserver)

Hamilton Energy Resource Opportunities LLC (HERO, Jasper, Florida, US) has secured an interconnection agreement with Progress Energy Inc. (Raleigh, North Carolina, US) for a 70 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in the US state of Florida. The interconnection agreement follows on the successful completion of an interconnection study process. HERO states that it is currently exploring funding alternatives to build the plant. Read more

JPMorgan Buys Stake in Eight Geothermal Power Plants from Ormat

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. paid about $35.7 million for an interest in eight Ormat Technologies Inc. geothermal power plants in California and Nevada. Read more

Enel Green Power brings 57MW of Greek PV capacity online

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 18:33 (PV-Tech)

Enel Green Power (EGP), a renewable energy developer, has announced it has installed and brought online a total of 57MW of PV capacity in Greece. Read more

Scotland sets electricity decarbonisation target

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 15:27 (Solarpowerportal)

Scotland has committed to slashing 80% of the carbon emissions it produces from electricity generation by 2030. Read more

Germany proposes renewables incentives cap

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 13:29 (PV-Tech)

A cap of 2.5% should be applied to inreases in renewable energy incentives levy in Germany,  according to the country?s Environment Minister, Peter Altmaier. Read more

Geenex invests US$200 million in North Carolina PV projects

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 13:03 (PV-Tech)

Geenex, a renewable energy company which aims to draw upon ?German excellence, expertise and reliability?, has announced it will invest US$200 million in PV projects in North Carolina over the next two years. Read more

AEG Power Solutions signs 240MW PV deal for Eastern Europe

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 12:02 (PV-Tech)

AEG Power Solutions, a provider of renewable energy systems based in the Netherlands, has signed a contract with an unnamed Western European EPC company for 240MW of PV capacity in Eastern Europe. Read more

Altira sells renewable energy business

Wednesday, 1.30.2013 - 9:10 (Solarserver)

Altira AG (Frankfurt, Germany) has sold subsidiary Altira Renewables Management GmbH to newly formed RECAP Renewable Energy Capital Partners GmbH as a management buyout. The companies have not disclosed the price of the deal, which Altira describes as within its strategic realignment. Altira will no longer be involved with renewable energy, and will return to its core focus on small- and medium-enterprise financing in Germany. Read more