Fraunhofer ISE develops 24% low-cost n-type solar cell with TOPCon passivation

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 16:14 (PV-Tech)

Fraunhofer ISE said it had developed a low-cost rear contact Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact ‘TOPCon’ n-Type solar cell that has achieved a conversion efficiency of 24%. Read more

Vermont renewable industry calls for increase in state net metering cap

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 16:14 (Solarserver)

Renewable Energy Vermont (REV, Montpelier, Vermont, U.S.) has sent a letter to the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont, calling on him to strengthen the state's net metering program by lifting a cap. Current utilities in Vermont can close off their net metering programs to new solar photovoltaic (PV) system owners when 4% of peak demand is met by PV. Read more

Imec pushes i-PERC solar cell to 20.2% efficiency with lower processing costs

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 14:02 (PV-Tech)

R&D centre, imec has implemented a laser doping process to its i-PERC solar cell that pushes conversion efficiencies to 20.2%, while claiming lower processing costs that could result in faster commercial adoption. Read more

Fraunhofer ISE unveils 24% efficient n-type solar PV cell

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 23:25 (Solarserver)

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE, Freiburg, Germany) has unveiled a new 24% efficient solar photovoltaic (PV) cell, based on a passivated contact covering the entire rear surface. The PV cell is based on n-type silicon, unlike the majority of commercial PV cells today, which utilize p-type silicon. Read more

No changes at present to solar PV feed-in tariff in German coalition agreement

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 21:03 (Solarserver)

While it will water down goals and lessen support for other renewable energy sources, the coalition agreement between Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) and Christian Democrats (CDU) will not alter the current feed-in tariff for solar photovoltaics (PV) at this time, according to German Energy Blog. Read more

Coalition deal in Germany could mean boost for solar

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 15:53 (PV-Tech)

The settlement of coalition talks over the make-up of the next German government could include changes to renewable energy policies that favour solar power generation. Read more

EU imposes provisional duties on solar glass from China

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 15:25 (Solarserver)

The European Union has imposed provisional anti-dumping duties of 17%-42% on imports of Chinese glass for use in solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, beginning on November 28th, 2013. Six named companies will receive duties ranging from 17-42%, nine other cooperating companies will receive a 38.4% tariff rate, and all other companies a 42.1% tariff. Read more

EU to impose 42.1% anti-dumping duties on Chinese solar glass firms

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 14:13 (Solarpowerportal)

The EU is to apply a 42.1% anti-dumping duty on Chinese solar glass manufacturers, according to a document published in the organisation’s official journal. Read more

Low Carbon and Macquarie partner for 300MW UK solar project

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 13:24 (Solarpowerportal)

Renewable energy investment company Low Carbon has announced that it will collaborate with Macquarie Capital on a solar farm portfolio of up to 300MW. Read more

SunEdison to build largest solar array in New York City

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 12:51 (PV-Tech)

SunEdison is to build a 10MW array on Staten Island, the New York mayor’s office has confirmed. Read more

EU to impose 42.1% anti-dumping duties on Chinese solar glass firms

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 12:45 (PV-Tech)

The EU is to apply a 42.1% anti-dumping duty on Chinese solar glass manufacturers, according to a document published in the organisation’s official journal. Read more

New Tests Help Make Solar Panel Moisture Barriers Better

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 11:59 (Renewable Energy World)

Moisture — in the form of humidity, water spills, or rainfall — spells early demise for cell phones, light-emitting diode (LED) displays, TVs, and solar photovoltaic (PV) panels worldwide. Read more

Solar-only auction for Brazilian state of Pernambuco

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 11:45 (PV-Tech)

The Brazilian state of Pernambuco is to host Brazil’s first solar-only energy tender auction on 20 December 2013. Read more

ZSW produces 10.3% efficient Kesterite solar PV cell

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 9:14 (Solarserver)

The Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW, Stuttgart, Germany) reports that it has achieved a 10.3% efficiency with a new production process for Kesterite thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. This sets a new European record for Kesterite thin-film PV, and the efficiency was verified by Fraunhofer ISE (Freiburg, Germany). The cell was made with a printing process, which ZSW says is simpler than the process which produced the world record 11.1% Kesterite cell in the United States. Read more

U.S. regulators ease interconnection procedures for small renewables including solar PV

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 9:09 (Solarserver)

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC, Latham, New York, U.S.) has made changes to the nation's Small Generator Interconnection Procedures (SGIP), which the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) says should allow a more efficient interconnection process. IREC notes that a summary has shown two significant modifications to the review process which allow small renewable energy generators to safely interconnect quickly without the need for a lengthy study. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne to supply modules for 42.5 MW PV project in Ontario

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 8:58 (Solarserver)

Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. (Shanghai) has announced that it will supply 170,000 of its solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to a 42.5 MW PV project on four sites in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hanwha SolarOne has already begun shipments of its HSC 60 Poly Can-Am PV modules, which are also made in Ontario. Hanwha Q-Cells (Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany) is building the four PV plants, and expects to complete all four in early 2014. Read more

Duke Energy to build 30 MW of solar PV plants in North Carolina

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 8:54 (Solarserver)

Duke Energy (Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.) has begun construction of three solar photovoltaic (PV) plants totaling 30 MW in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The three are the 20 MW Dogwood Solar Power Project in Halifax County, and two 5 MW PV plants, one in Bertie County and one in Pitt County. SunEnergy1 (Mooresville, North Carolina, U.S.) will build the three plants, from which electricity will be sold through long-term, fixed-price contracts. The projects will utilize ReneSola's 300 watt and 305 watt Virtus II PV modules. Read more

Kenya Postpones Renewable Energy Drive to Reduce Power Costs

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 16:19 (Renewable Energy World)

Kenya suspended issuing new licenses for wind farms and solar plants until 2017 as it prioritizes development of cheaper fuel-based sources to help cut electricity prices, EnergySecretary Davis Chirchir said. Read more

What the Energy Future Looks Like: West Village, University of California at Davis

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 15:59 (Renewable Energy World)

In the global competition for appealing clean energy solutions, a leading entry is the new West Village at the University of California at Davis (UC Davis), which today celebrated significant progress toward its goal of becoming the largest planned “zero-net energy” community in the United States. Read more

UN Conference Overlooks Rising Power of Wind and Other Renewables

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 15:45 (Renewable Energy World)

Another annual United Nations conference on climate change has ended and international negotiators once again failed to agree to a new treaty on reducing global greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Countries gathering the past two weeks in Warsaw made earnest speeches, said they understood the challenge that humans face from increasi Read more

Barker opens Oxford PV’s new laboratory

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 13:36 (Solarpowerportal)

The energy and climate change minister Greg Barker has opened Oxford PV’s new fabrication and test facilities at Begbroke Science Park. Read more

Enel Green Power joins Chile PV construction bandwagon

Wednesday, 11.27.2013 - 12:55 (PV-Tech)

Renewable energy developer, Enel Green Power, has begun construction on a 36MW PV plant in Chile. Read more