Conergy completes insolvency process with Mounting Systems sell off

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 17:26 (PV-Tech)

Conergy’s solar racking equipment arm, Mounting Systems, has been bought by Frankfurt based investment firm, Nordwest Industrie Group. Read more

Small Size Enhances Charge Transfer in Quantum Dots for Solar Photovoltaics

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Quantum dots — tiny semiconductor crystals with diameters measured in billionths of a meter — have enormous potential for applications that make use of their ability to absorb or emit light and/or electric charges. Examples include more vividly colored light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photovoltaic solar cells, nanoscale transistors, and biosensors. But because these applications have differing — sometimes opposite — requirements, finding ways to control the dots’ optical and electronic properties is crucial to their success. Read more

Ingeteam supplied 86MW of inverters to 12 French PV projects in six months

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 13:58 (PV-Tech)

French electrical engineering firm Ingeteam announced that it has supplied inverters to 12 PV plants totalling 86MW that have been connected over the last six months in France. Read more

Enphase touts continued market share gains for microinverters in US market

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 13:54 (PV-Tech)

Enphase Energy has claimed its microinverter installations increased 62% in the US during the first nine months of the year compared to the same period a year ago. Read more

DuPont’s ‘Tedlar’ and ‘Solamet’ products pass Sharp’s own QA tests

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 13:13 (PV-Tech)

Long-term quality assurance testing at Sharp Corporation on DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions backsheet and metallisation pastes have been concluded with the materials passing stringent tests. Read more

Daqo signs two-year, 3,000 metric ton polysilicon supply agreement

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 9:06 (Solarserver)

Daqo New Energy Corp. (Chongqing, China) has announced that its Xinjiang subsidiary has signed a two-year spot-price polysilicon supply framework contract with an un-named solar photovoltaic (PV) maker. Daqo says that the contract will account for roughly 20% of Xinjiang Daqo's polysilicon capacity in 2014, and 15% in 2015, with selling prices negotiated based on spot prices. According to the company's estimates of future capacities, this will mean around 1,200 metric tons of polysilicon in 2014 and 1,800 metric tons in 2015. Read more

Dominion commissions 28.6 MW of PV plants in Indiana

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 8:51 (Solarserver)

Dominion Resources Inc. (Richmond, Virginia, U.S.) has commissioned three solar photovoltaic (PV) plants totaling 28.6 MW in the U.S. state of Indiana. Dominion will sell the electricity generated by the Indy Solar 1, 2 and 3 plants to Indianapolis Power and Light (Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.) under a 15-year power purchase agreement. Two of the projects are southeast of Indianapolis in Marion Township and the third is southwest of Indianapolis. Read more

OCI completes 41 MW solar PV plant in Texas

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 18:34 (Solarserver)

OCI Solar Power LLC (San Antonio, Texas, U.S.) and RES Americas (Broomfield, Colorado, U.S.) have completed the first 41 MW phase of a 400 MW project for municipal utility CPS Energy (San Antonio, Texas, U.S.). Read more

Global solar installations to hit 43GW in 2014 predicts Mercom

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 18:00 (PV-Tech)

Global solar installations will reach the 43GW mark in 2014, according to clean energy consultancy Mercom. Read more

Tokyo Electron slashes valuation of thin-film operations

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 16:06 (PV-Tech)

Having acquired amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film equipment supplier Oerlikon Solar for over US$280 million in 2012, Tokyo Electron (TEL) has made an impairment charge on the operations of around US$214 million, revaluing the operations at around US$71 million. Read more

Mercom: Global solar market to hit 43 GW in 2014

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 15:56 (Solarserver)

Mercom Capital Group LLC (Austin, Texas, U.S.) has released a forecast for global solar installations “in the 43 GW range” in 2014. This would be a 15% growth on the 37.5 GW that the company estimates for 2013. Read more

GD Solar completes 50 MW solar PV plant in China

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 15:16 (Solarserver)

Goldpoly New Energy Holdings Ltd. (Hong Kong) reports that a 50 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant which it may acquire has been completed and connected to the grid. The company entered into an agreement to potentially acquire companies owning 195 MW of PV projects in China on November 27th, 2013. Read more

First Solar tops 4GW in Europe with 48MW order from France

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 12:54 (PV-Tech)

US thin-film module manufacturer First Solar will pass the 4GW installed capacity mark in Europe following a 48MW deal in France. Read more

Industry closes in on half a million UK homes with solar

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 12:44 (Solarpowerportal)

Over 495,000 homes across the UK are now solar powered, according to the latest statistics published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Read more

Sunpower secures 20MW order from Japan’s Ecomax

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 11:58 (PV-Tech)

Solar energy firm Sunpower has secured a 20MW order from Japanese low-carbon energy firm Ecomax. Read more

Solar Energy South East Asia: Solar pioneer backs rapid exansion of Thai rooftop PV

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 11:31 (PV-Tech)

Rooftop PV capacity could expand very quickly in Thailand, given the right level of support and development of suitable business models, Wandee Khunchornyakong, chair of Thai PV company SPCG has said. Read more

India solar: SECI awards 8.75 MW of rooftop solar PV plants

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 11:06 (Solarserver)

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has awarded 8.75 MW of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in nine cities to 22 companies, including Tata Power Solar (Mumbai) and Waaree Energies Pvt. Ltd. (Mumbai). This represents the results of a solicitation through the third phase of SECI's rooftop PV program. Through the third phase, SECI has awarded contracts to build 2 MW of PV plants in Chennai, 1 MW in eight other cities and less than 1 MW in Chandigarh and Gwalior. Read more

Solar PV equipment: Meyer Burger completes USD 16 million contract for coating systems

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 9:01 (Solarserver)

Meyer Burger (Thun, Switzerland) has completed a USD 16 million deal with an un-named Asian solar photovoltaic (PV) cell maker to supply coating systems for the manufacture of hetero-junction cells. The company plans to deliver the HELiA plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and HELiA physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating systems in the first quarter of 2014. This is the third large order that Meyer Burger has concluded in the past week, for a total of USD 37 million. Read more

India solar: SECI awards 8.75 of rooftop solar PV plants

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 8:56 (Solarserver)

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has awarded 8.75 MW of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in nine cities to 22 companies, including Tata Power Solar (Mumbai) and Waaree Energies Pvt. Ltd. (Mumbai). This represents the results of a solicitation through the third phase of SECI's rooftop PV program. Through the third phase, SECI has awarded contracts to build 2 MW of PV plants in Chennai, 1 MW in eight other cities and less than 1 MW in Chandigarh and Gwalior. Read more

Juwi wins planning permission for 7.23MW of new solar

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 5:42 (Solarpowerportal)

Solihull-based solar developer juwi Renewable Energies has announced that it has received planning permission for 7.23MW of new solar capacity. Read more

UK Approves 450 Million Pound Offshore Wind Port Project Plan

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 15:34 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.K. approved a 450-million pound ($736 million) project to build manufacturing and port facilities for the offshore wind industry in northeast England, expanding the country’s drive to develop the technology. Read more

US Proposes Energy Tax Reform: Here's What It Means for Renewables

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 21:17 (Renewable Energy World)

For those clamoring for (and against) the year-end-expiring legislation, and anyone in favor of some tax-code simplification, today the government has offered an early holiday present: proposed reform for some key areas including the production tax credit (PTC) and investment tax credit (ITC). Read more

Updated: What the Proposed US Energy Tax Reforms Mean for Renewables

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 21:17 (Renewable Energy World)

For those clamoring for (and against) the year-end-expiring legislation, and anyone in favor of some tax-code simplification, today the government has offered an early holiday present: proposed reform for some key areas including the production tax credit (PTC) and investment tax credit (ITC). Read more

Will Political U-turn Support the UK Anaerobic Digestion Industry?

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 15:58 (Renewable Energy World)

Mrs Thatcher famously said “the lady’s not for turning.” But the same can’t quite be said for the coalition government, which is modelled very closely to the conservatism of the Thatcher cabinet – they make more U-turns than a lost learner driver. However, the second thoughts over anaerobic digestion have been cause for cheer. This means that 50-kW Read more

In This Season of Giving Consider Renewable Energy Charities

Wednesday, 12.18.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

It’s easy to get caught up in the holiday bustle: shopping, decorating, parties, and preparation. Our to-do lists can seem endless, but we carry on because it is that special time of year, a season of giving. Read more