AWS Solution to represent German PV inverter producer PLATINUM in India

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 15:57 (Solarserver)

AW Solution GmbH (Berlin, Germany and Delhi, India) announced that it will start a business association with the German solar photovoltaic (PV) string inverter manufacturer Platinum GmbH (Wangen im Allgäu, Germany) for the Indian market in November 2013. According to the company´s information, AWS represents and supports several German key technology providers in India with local service and engineering teams. Read more

India adds 118 MW of PV capacity in September 2013

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 9:00 (Solarserver)

India added 111 MW of grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity and 7 MW of off-grid PV in September 2013, according to figures released by the nation's ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). This is a slight decline from the previous month but an improvement on prior months, and brings India to 2.08 GW of grid-tied and 139 MW of off-grid PV. This includes 395 MW of grid-tied and 14 MW of off-grid added from April 1st through September 30th, 2013. Read more

PV Taiwan 2013: Heraeus develops customised back-side tabbing paste for Taiwan market

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 2:55 (PV-Tech)

The Heraeus Photovoltaics Business Unit is showcasing a customised back-side tabbing paste, especially developed for the Taiwan market at PV Taiwan 2013, being held in Tapei this week. Read more

PV Taiwan 2013: GET subsidiary to boost solar module production

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 2:13 (PV-Tech)

Ahead of this week’s leading PV technical conference and exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan International Photovoltaic Exhibition (PV Taiwan 2013), wafer manufacturer, Green Energy Technology (GET) has said that its PV module manufacturing subsidiary, Apollo Solar Energy would expand production. Read more

Two US-based module suppliers tout outsourcing milestones

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 1:52 (PV-Tech)

The ‘fabless’ and ‘asset-lite’ business model exists, albeit at a relatively small-scale, despite market research firm, IHS believing the business model has little chance of success in the PV industry. However, several tier 1 PV module suppliers turned PV energy suppliers (PVEPs) such as SunPower and SunEdison have gone down that path in recent years. Read more

Abengoa among companies chosen to build 450 MW of solar PV and 200 MW of solar CSP in South Africa

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 17:52 (Solarserver)

South Africa's Department of Energy (DoE) has chosen preferred bidders for six solar photovoltaic (PV) projects totaling 450 MW and two concentrating solar power (CSP) projects totaling 200 MW through the third round of its Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP). Read more

Haraeus and DuPont end long-running patent dispute

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 17:48 (PV-Tech)

Haraeus and DuPont have announced the end of their trade dispute over metal pastes used in the manufacture of solar panels. Read more

TGE launches new solar monitoring package

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 16:56 (Solarpowerportal)

Cheshire-based renewables company TGE Group has launched a new solar monitoring package. Read more

Arizona Solar group asks for probes after APS lies

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 16:07 (Solarserver)

An Arizona Republic investigation on October 20th, 2013, revealed the utility monopoly Arizona Public Service (APS, Phoenix, AZ, U.S.) repeatedly lied about funnelling money to political organizations to attack solar photovoltaic (PV) customers. Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association (AriSEIA) on October 22nd, 2013, called for the Arizona Corporation Commission to investigate whether ratepayer funds were funnelled in this political scheme. On October 25th, 2013, the Alliance for Solar Choice (San Francisco, CA, U.S.) started seeking probes as well. Read more

First Solar, University of Queensland to build 3.3 MW solar PV research plant in Gatton, Australia

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 15:52 (Solarserver)

The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, has signed a contract with First Solar Pty Ltd. (Tempe, Arizona) on the construction of a solar photovoltaic (PV) research facility at Gatton, 90km west of Brisbane. The 3.275 megawatt PV plant, with over 34,000 panels in a ground-mounted array, will be Queensland's largest solar power installation. First Solar will install its thin-film cadmium telluride PV modules on a 12.6ha former airstrip site at UQ's Gatton campus. Read more

Swaziland to gain a 100MW solar farm

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 14:59 (PV-Tech)

Swaziland in southern Africa is line for a 100MW solar farm, according to local media reports. Read more

Lark Energy and Armstrong Energy partner to construct 30MW of solar farms

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 14:06 (Solarpowerportal)

Solar developer Lark Energy has partnered with Armstrong Energy to develop and construct three solar farm projects totalling 30MW across Lincolnshire and Rutland. Read more

France announces PV FiT review

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 13:47 (PV-Tech)

France has announced it will review the subsidies received by solar and other renewable technologies in response to falling costs and growing grid concerns. Read more

Manz to commercialize new world record CIGS solar PV technology

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 13:20 (Solarserver)

Manz AG (Reutlingen, Germany) CEO Dieter Manz says that ZSW's new world record copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) solar photovoltaic (PV) cell offer new opportunities to cut production costs. The 20.8% efficient thin film PV cell represents the highest efficiency reached with CIGS technology, and is higher than efficiencies achieved with multicrystalline silicon PV. Read more

SoLayTec receives second order for ALD tool for PERC solar PV cells from Chinese customer

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 13:11 (Solarserver)

SoLayTec BV (Eindhoven, The Netherlands) reports that it has received a second order from a “tier one” Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer for a tool to begin producing passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) cells. Read more

JAG Energy Group to build 13MW solar park in Japan

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 12:51 (PV-Tech)

JAG Energy Group have been contracted to build a 13MW, 14.3 hectare solar park in Kanagawa, part of the Greater Tokyo region in Japan. Read more

Liebheit announced as Heraeus’ new global manager

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 12:44 (PV-Tech)

Andreas Liebheit is joining the Germany-based silver PV paste manufacturer, Heraeus from his previous role of managing director for Hanwha Solar One. Read more

Xcel Energy Two-Faced on Value of Solar Power

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 11:44 (Renewable Energy World)

Two weeks ago, I listened — incredulously — to Minnesota’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, suggest that solar energy offers its ratepayers no value as an environmental hedge against carbon emissions or as a price hedge against natural gas fuel price fluctuations. (See and share the infographic related to this post.) But just three days later, Xcel wa Read more

Stem Offers Power-Storage Systems Using Solar Lease Model

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 11:37 (Renewable Energy World)

Stem Inc., a provider of energy-storage technology, is offering battery systems to commercial and industrial customers with no upfront costs by adapting a financing model that’s accelerated the installation of rooftop solar panels. Read more

Indian state of Madhya Pradesh reaches 98.2 MW of utility-scale solar PV

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 10:19 (Solarserver)

The Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has commissioned 60.9 MW of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plants from April 1st through September 30th, 2013, according to figures from the state's Commissioner of New and Renewable Energy. This brings Madhya Pradesh to 98.2 MW installed as of September 30th, 2013, and is evidence that while the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan hold the large majority of installed PV, other states are increasing their capacities. Read more

UK RHI, RHPP programs continue to fail solar thermal growth

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 10:02 (Solarserver)

The UK has installed only eight solar thermal systems totaling 100 kW-thermal in the third quarter of 2013 through its Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) programs. As with previous months, this is much less than 1% of the capacity supported with these programs, 98.3% of which is taken up by biomass boilers. It also shows the two programs' utter failure to spur growth in the British solar thermal industry in any meaningful way. Read more

115 MW of solar PV goes online through the UK's feed-in tariff in Q3 2013

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 8:54 (Solarserver)

The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) reports that 44.9 MW of solar photovoltaics (PV) were commissioned through the nation's feed-in tariff in September 2013, to bring the UK to 115 MW commissioned through the program in the third quarter of 2013. Third quarter 2013 deployment levels are a 12% decline from the third quarter of 2012 and a 22% sequential decline. However, this figure does not represent the overall size of the UK market, as it does not include statistics from the Renewables Obligation (RO) program, which is more popular for large ground-mounted PV projects. Read more

LDK Solar enters into second forbearance agreement over 2014 notes

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 8:48 (Solarserver)

LDK Solar Company Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) has entered into a new 30-day forbearance agreement with holders of bonds due in 2014, relating to an unpaid interest payment due in August 2013. The interest is still unpaid, and LDK says that it is attempting to come to a consensual agreement. This is the second 30-day forbearance agreement on the notes, and expires on November 26th, 2013. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne introduces Zep compatible PV module in the U.S.

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 8:43 (Solarserver)

Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. (Shangai, China) in October 2013 announced the availability of its residential Zep compatible solar photovoltaic (PV) module in the United States in partnership with Zep Solar Inc. (San Rafael, CA, USA) in the beginning of 2014. The PV module combines Hanwha SolarOne’s HSL Series with integrated grounding and mounting systems from Zep Solar. This, according to the companies, will reduce installation costs and speed installation by four-to-five times over traditional racking solutions. Read more

French firms complete 2.5MW plant in Romania

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 6:59 (PV-Tech)

Module manufacturer Voltec Solar and project developer Ecosun Expert have finished work on a 2.5MW solar farm in Romania. Read more

Kuraray invests in barrier films start-up to ramp glass encapsulant replacement

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 5:15 (PV-Tech)

Japan-based specialty chemical company, Kuraray Co has invested in US-based start-up Vitriflex Inc to support the manufacturing ramp of its flexible ultra-barrier film that can be used to replace glass as an encapsulant in electronic devices, including solar PV products for consumer applications. Financial details were not disclosed. Read more

Ascent Solar guides 22% increase in revenue as flexible CIGS consumer products take-off

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 5:15 (PV-Tech)

Manufacturer of consumer-driven flexible CIGS thin-film products, Ascent Solar said preliminary sales in the third quarter are expected to reach US$275,000, an increase of approximately 22% over second quarter. Read more

BLM Reloading After Colorado Solar Land Auction No-Shows

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 3:33 (Renewable Energy World)

Dusting off its agenda after the weeks-long U.S. government federal shutdown, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) last week held its first competitive auction for public lands in designated Solar Energy Zones (SEZ) in Colorado — but nobody offered to buy. Read more

Google-Backed Atlantic Offshore Wind Cable Shifts Focus to New Jersey

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 11:21 (Renewable Energy World)

Atlantic Grid Development LLC, the company planning an undersea power-transmission line backed by Google Inc. (GOOG), is shifting its goal to moving electricity across New Jersey instead of connecting offshore wind farms. Read more

US Solar Surge: Flipping Switches on a Hoover Dam of Utility-scale Concentrated Solar Power

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 14:17 (Renewable Energy World)

During this month’s U.S. government shutdown, an astonishing 1.3 GW of CSP began commercial operation, thanks to the Department of Energy’s former loan guarantee program for clean energy. Another several gigawatts is in construction. Read more

Lords narrowly reject energy decarbonisation target

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 18:16 (Solarpowerportal)

A proposal to add an amendment to the Energy Bill that would force the government to set out a decarbonisation strategy next year has been defeated. Read more

Ohio’s Successful RPS Program Under Attack in State Senate

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 17:17 (Renewable Energy World)

Ohio’s renewable energy initiative, set in 2008, has been an economic and clean energy driver, lowering prices, creating local jobs and spurring investment.  But the state senate is considering a bill, SB 5hat would dramatically lower the renewable energy requirements and seems to make compliance virtually optional. Renewable energy requirements, l Read more

Solar Conference in Saudi Arabia focuses on challenges of desert climate for PV systems

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 16:01 (Solarserver)

Climatic challenges like dust, haze and sandstorms will be the main topic of the Desert Solar Conference, to take place on November 13th, 2013, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The conference is organised by Solarplaza (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and the Saudi Arabia Solar Industry Association (SASIA). It is part of an international PV trade mission to Saudi Arabia between 10th and 14th November. Read more

Flood of bids delays round three of South Africa’s renewables programme

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

Huge interest has led to the South African government delaying an announcement on a final list of preferred bidders in the latest round of its national renewable energy programme. Read more

Stem Inc. launches project finance fund for energy storage

Tuesday, 10.29.2013 - 9:57 (Solarserver)

Stem Inc. (Millbrae, CA, USA) on October 24th, 2013 announced it has secured funding to accelerate the adoption of its energy storage solution. With this project finance fund, commercial and industrial customers can deploy a Stem energy system at no upfront cost, the company notes. The fund is backed by up to USD 5 million in investment from Clean Feet Investors I, LLC (Farmington, CT, USA). Read more