Greece adds 39 MW of PV in November 2012

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 23:03 (Solarserver)

According to figures released by Hellenic Electricity Market Operator SA, Greece added 39 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in November 2012, to reach 1.06 GW of installed capacity. This represents a modest decline from the 44 MW added in October 2012, for a total of 575 MW added in a ten-month period. 11 MW of this new capacity was rooftop PV smaller than 10 kW, to reach a total of 284 MW of small-scale PV. Read more

TrendForce: PV Oversupply conditions to continue into 2013

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 9:49 (Solarserver)

TrendForce (Taichung City, Taiwan) has issued an analysis of the global solar photovoltaic (PV) industry which predicts that current oversupply conditions will continue into 2013, with price pressures to intensify in the second half of the year. The company's EnergyTrend division expects PV cell makers to be affected the most by falling prices. EnergyTrend also notes that the demand center of the global PV industry is rapidly shifting from Europe to Asia, and expects Asia to be the larger PV market from 2013 onward. Read more

Sonnedix acquires 23.5 MW of PV plants from EDF EN

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 9:35 (Solarserver)

Sonnedix BV (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) has acquired two solar photovoltaic (PV) plants totaling 23.5 MW in Southern France from EDF Énergies Nouvelles SA (Paris France). The PV plants in Istres and Saint Martin de Crau have been in operation since October 2012. Both hold 20-year power purchase agreements with Électricité de France SA (Paris, France). Read more

Sullivan Solar Power donates free PV panels to low-income families in San Diego

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 23:00 (Solarserver)

On January 3rd, 2013, Sullivan Solar Power (San Diego, California, U.S.) announced that it will donate free solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to five low-income families in San Diego County, California. Sullivan Solar Power will distribute the free solar panels as part of 2012 Solar Holiday Drive. The company has formed a partnership with GRID Alternatives, which installs solar in communities that may not otherwise have access, with its Solar Affordable Housing Program. Read more

Tamil Nadu fails to hit 1,000MW bidding target

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 17:04 (PV-Tech)

The Indian state of Tamil Nadu has received only 499MW of bids for 1,000MW of solar projects that it opened to tender last week. Read more

Mage Solar and Salt Service install off-grid PV system on Florida Keys island

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 16:43 (PV-Tech)

Mage Solar, a provider of turnkey PV solutions, and Salt Service, a provider of renewable energy systems, have completed the installation of a 24kW off-grid PV system on Pigeon Key island in the Florida Keys. Read more

First Solar and Intermolecular prep disruptive new approaches to CdTe thin-film advancements

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 16:03 (PV-Tech)

First Solar and Intermolecular are planning to develop what they describe as ?disruptive new approaches? to boosting the solar cell conversion efficiencies of First Solar?s CdTe solar cell technology, extending a previous R&D collaboration established in mid-2012. Read more

Tamil Nadu solar solicitation brings lackluster response

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 15:54 (Solarserver)

A competitive solicitation held on January 4th, 2013 for solar energy generation by the Indian state of Tamil Nadu resulted in bids for only 499 MW of projects, less than half of the 1,000 MW available. Hindu Business Line blames concerns over payment security and grid access for the low turnout. SunEdison LLC (Beltsville, Maryland, US) submitted bids for 50 MW in four separate bids, with Welspun Corporation Ltd. (Mumbai, India) and ILFS Ltd. (Mumbai, India) bidding for 30 MW of projects each. Read more

LDK Solar regains compliance with NYSE listing requirements

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 15:45 (Solarserver)

LDK Solar Company Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) has announced that it has regained compliance with the New York Stock Exchange's (NYSE) requirement of an average closing price of USD 1 per share over a 30-day period. The NYSE notified LDK on November 16th, 2012 that its stock had fallen below the minimum bid price, as the third large Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer to receive such a warning in two months in the fall of 2012. Read more

What Does the Fiscal Cliff Deal Mean for the U.S. Solar Industry?

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 15:41 (Renewable Energy World)

Several weeks ago, we wrote on the potential implications of the ?fiscal cliff? for the U.S. solar industry if Congress and the President failed to reach an agreement to prevent dramatic tax increases and spending cuts, which would have taken effect January 1, 2013.  Sequestration would have led to a reduction in the value of 1603 cash grants by 7. Read more

ENF: Over 300 small Chinese solar companies stopped operating in 2012

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 15:39 (PV-Tech)

ASP declines in 2012, driven by industry overcapacity throughout the PV supply chain, forced over 350 companies in China, from equipment suppliers, polysilicon producers to module manufacturers, to stop operations entirely, according to market research firm ENF. Read more

LDK Solar escapes delisting on NYSE

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 14:31 (PV-Tech)

Without a reverse stock split, unlike competitor JA Solar, struggling PV manufacturer, LDK Solar has had its New York Stock Exchange NYSE delisting notice withdrawn. Read more

WAAREE Energies wins EPC contract for 5MW PV plant

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 14:11 (PV-Tech)

Indian solar manufacturer and project developer WAAREE Energies has secured a contract to provide EPC services for a 5MW PV plant in Gujurat, India. Read more

Countryside Renewables gets go-ahead for 5MW solar project

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 13:16 (Solarpowerportal)

Countryside Renewables (CRL), a specialist in developing and financing PV projects, has obtained planning permission to build its proposed 5MW solar project in Exning, Suffolk. Read more

SolarCity deployments grow 117% in 2012

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 13:03 (Solarserver)

SolarCity Corporation (San Mateo, California, U.S.) has provided an update on its operational progress for the fourth quarter and full year 2012, as well as providing guidance for 2013. SolarCity deployed 47 megawatt (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the fourth quarter of 2012, part of a total of 156 MW deployed over the full year, which represents a 117% increase over 2011. In 2013 SolarCity expects to deploy 250 MW of PV plants. Read more

ASTM re-issues solar properties measurement standard

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 12:56 (Solarserver)

ASTM International (West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, U.S.) has revised and reinstated a previously withdrawn test standard regarding the qualities of various materials' interaction with sunlight. ASTM E903, "Test Method for Solar Absorptance, Reflectance and Transmittance of Materials Using Integrated Spheres" covers the measurement of light properties of materials using spectrophotometers equipped with integrating spheres. Read more

NDR Energy to market Sacred Power solar PV, thermal systems

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 12:50 (Solarserver)

NDR Energy Group (Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sacred Power Corporation (Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.) to market Sacred Power's solar and wind power products to its customer base. Sacred Power provides a variety of solar technologies including solar PV, solar water heating and solar space heating technologies to government and commercial customers. Read more

Mitsubishi acquires 50% stake in 115MW French solar plant

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 12:28 (PV-Tech)

Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) has expanded into France with the acquisition of a 50% stake in EDF Energies Nouvelles? (EDF EN) 55MW plant located near Nancy. Read more

Fit drives steady increase in UK solar capacity

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 12:19 (Solarpowerportal)

Solar PV capacity in the UK continued to grow steadily through the first three quarters of 2012, driven by the high uptake of the feed-in tariff, according to government figures. Read more

Kazatomprom starts up solar PV module factory in Kazakhstan

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 9:43 (Solarserver)

On December 25th, 2012 NAC Kazatomprom JSC (Astana, Kazakhstan) started up the production line at its new solar photovoltaic (PV) module facility in Astana through its subsidiary Astana Solar LLP. The plant will have a production capacity of 50 MW annually as of the first quarter of 2013, with further expansion to 100 MW planned, and will utilize silicon produced entirely in Kazakhstan. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev officially started up the plant during a ceremony attended by high-level government and company officials. Read more

Algae.Tec Plans $200 Million Bond Sale to Fund US Biofuel Plants

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 15:42 (Renewable Energy World)

Algae.Tec Ltd., an Australian producer of algal oils used in clean fuel, plans to sell $200 million of bonds in Europe to fund expansion in the Americas. Read more

What's In Store for Hydropower in 2013?

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

This is one of those questions that you really need a crystal ball to answer. Hydropower is a dynamic industry that is constantly growing and changing. So what is on the horizon for this industry as we ring in 2013? The below list is by no means comprehensive and is just a snapshot of anticipated global hydro industry activity. Read more

TIAX becomes affiliate member of Joint Center for Energy Storage Research

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 22:53 (Solarserver)

On January 2nd, 2013, TIAX LLC (Lexington, Massachusetts, U.S.) announced that it has been selected by Argonne National Laboratory as an affiliate member company of the energy storage hub to be known as the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR). JCESR combines the R&D capabilities of five U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories with selected companies and research universities. Read more

Debating 4 Dirty Myths on Clean Energy

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 21:35 (Renewable Energy World)

As the US Presidential Election is now behind us and 2013 is beginning, it is critical that our country begin to focus on solving problems. As one of this generation's most pressing problems is related to energy and sustainability, my sincere hope is that the debate on this topic leads us forward in a way that benefits our economy, environment, and security. Good debate, based on facts and reality, will lead us to a better place. Poor debate, based on fiction and myths, will lead us nowhere. And going nowhere on one of the most important challenges of this generation is unacceptable. Read more

The Consumerization of Energy (Revisited)

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 21:04 (Renewable Energy World)

Last year I wrote an article on the consumerization of energy in which I predicted that ?Distributed energy technologies? will soon be able to provide electricity at costs and reliability levels that are competitive with grid power. For the first time in 100 years these technologies will enable consumers to bypass their local electric utility compa Read more

Rio+20 and the Future of Clean Energy

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 20:16 (Renewable Energy World)

In late June, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, two decades after its predecessor, the 1992 Earth Summit, was held to advance sustainable development through international cooperation. The "Rio+20? event drew the attendance of more than 100 Heads of State, and the top-level negotiated result from the conference was captured in a 53-page document called "The Future We Want." Read more

Stephen Lovegrove appointed new permanent secretary at DECC

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 18:51 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department for Energy and Climate Change has appointed Stephen Lovegrove as its new permanent secretary. Read more

Tory modernisers promise renewable energy will be ?norm? by 2020

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 16:07 (Solarpowerportal)

A group of ?progressive Conservatives? has pledged to put the UK?s green economy at the centre of the party?s 2015 general election campaign and make sustainable energy generation the ?norm? by 2020. Read more

Kerala State Electricity Board seeks approval for 300MW off-grid PV plan

Monday, 1.7.2013 - 15:43 (PV-Tech)

The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is reportedly seeking approval for its plan to install 300MW of off-grid PV and has submitted plans to the Indian state?s electricity regulatory commission. Read more