Research on solar cells, quantum computing and lighting devices: NREL demonstrates self-assembling quantum dots

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 17:25 (Solarserver)

On February 8th, 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced that a team of scientists from NREL and other labs have demonstrated a process whereby quantum dots can self-assemble at optimal locations in nanowires. This could improve solar cells, quantum computing, and lighting devices. The quantum dots could be used to charge converters for better light-harvesting, as in the case of photovoltaic (PV) cells. Read more

Wacker Chemie stops short-time work at Burghausen polysilicon plant referring to growing PV industry demand

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 15:46 (Solarserver)

Citing growing demand from its solar photovoltaic (PV) industry customers, Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany) has stopped the short-time work schedule at its polysilicon production facility in Burghausen, Germany. Wacker had introduced short-time hours for 700 employees at the site in October 2012. The company is ramping up its current production, which had been reduced to two-thirds of full capacity. Read more

Recombination loss improvements key to Panasonic HIT cell efficiency of 24.7%

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 13:08 (PV-Tech)

Panansonic has produced an advanced version of its hybrid HIT solar cell with a record conversion efficiency of 24.7%, 0.8% higher than before. Read more

Yole Développement: Inverter market to reach USD 71 billion by 2020

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 11:46 (Solarserver)

Yole Développement (Lyon, France) has released a new report which estimates that the market for inverters reached USD 45 billion in 2012 and will reach USD 71 billion by 2020. "Inverter market trends for 2013-2020 and major technology changes" focuses on multiple applications of the technology, including inverters which accompany solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy generation. The report also looks at markets for inverter sub-components. Read more

GTM Research: Third-party financing taking over US residential PV market

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 11:08 (Solarserver)

GTM Research (Boston, Massachusetts, US) has released a new report which finds that third-party financing of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has become the dominant business model in four leading US state residential PV markets. "Residential Solar PV Financing: The Vendor, Installer and Financier Landscape, 2013-2016" finds that third-party financed residential PV comprises more than 50% of new residential PV capacity in California, Arizona, Colorado and Massachusetts, and is gaining traction in at least ten other states. Read more

Belgium installs 525 MW of PV in 2012

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 11:02 (Solarserver)

A total of 525 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity was installed in Belgium in 2012, to bring the nation to 2.57 GW of cumulative installations, according to the Belgium Association for Renewable Energy (APERe). This is a significant fall from the 988 MW installed in 2011, however the Belgian PV market has been highly uneven from year to year. Almost half of new capacity in 234 MW was in Wallonia, which has traditionally been a much smaller market than Flanders. Read more

Jamaica's Solar Industry Receives Major Boost from USSolar

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 19:59 (Renewable Energy World)

In many ways, Jamaica is the ideal solar market.  It enjoys semi-equatorial sunshine all year round.  The island nation  also has extremely high grid-utility prices, making solar energy an attractive option for homeowners and businesses  looking to reduce costs.   And lastly, the country suffers from a devastating trade imbalance in which the energ Read more

100 GW of Solar PV Now Installed in the World Today

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 18:54 (Renewable Energy World)

Cumulative global installed solar PV capacity has topped the 100-gigawatt (GW) milestone, according to preliminary numbers from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA). Roughly 30 GW worldwide was connected to the grid in 2012, about the same as in 2011; there could be another 1-2 GW added to that 2012 total once final numbers come out in May. Read more

Trony Solar?s audit committee resigns

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 18:15 (PV-Tech)

China-based silicon thin-film manufacturer, Trony Solar which had its shares halted on the Hong Kong stock exchange due to accounting anomalies last year, said in a stock market filing that its audit committee dealing with the accounting issues had resigned. Read more

SolarCure earns Seven Seals Award for its Adopt-A-Solar-Panel program

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 17:24 (Solarserver)

On February 7th, 2013, SolarCure (Colonia, New Jersey, U.S.) announced that it has received the Seven Seals Award from the New Jersey Chapter of Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). The award recognizes the company for pledging its support of veteran employees, serving in all branches of the military reserves. SolarCure offers any business, brand or organization in the nation a way to set their message apart from their competitors with the Adopt-A-Solar-Panel program, the company notes. Read more

Frost & Sullivan: New renewable energy policies to negatively impact solar, wind inverter markets in Europe

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 17:16 (Solarserver)

Frost & Sullivan has released a new report stating that policy changes in the renewable energy sector and the ongoing debt crisis are set to have a profound impact on the market for frequency inverters in the solar and wind energy industries across Europe. The new report, ?Strategic Analysis of the Frequency Inverters Market in Solar and Wind Energy Industry?, finds that frequency inverters in the global solar and wind energy markets earned USD 6.00 billion and USD 2.84 billion, respectively, in 2011. Read more

Panasonic achieves 24.7% efficient solar PV cell with HIT technology

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 15:51 (Solarserver)

Panasonic Corporation (Osaka, Japan) has achieved a 24.7% cell efficiency with its HIT solar photovoltaic (PV) technology at the research level, using a 98 micrometer-thick, 102 square centimeter cell. This is the highest efficiency yet reached for a monocrystalline silicon PV cell under standard sunlight levels at a size greater than 100 square centimeters. The company credits a new cell production technology which enables it to reduce recombination losses as well as optical and electrical improvements for the higher efficiency. Read more

Vikram Solar commissions 40MW PV plant in Rajasthan

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 14:54 (PV-Tech)

Module manufacturer Vikram Solar has commissioned a 40MW PV facility in Rajasthan, India. Read more

Amtech?s quarterly solar sales increase to US$4.3 million

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 13:52 (PV-Tech)

Amtech Systems reported first fiscal quarter 2013 results last week that showed sales within its solar segment rising to US$4.3 million, up from US$2.8 million in the previous quarter. Read more

NPD Solarbuzz: UK PV installations surpass 2GW milestone

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 11:55 (PV-Tech)

Cumulative UK PV capacity has surpassed the 2GW mark following a record year of PV installations in 2012, according to the forthcoming NPD Solarbuzz Marketbuzz 2013 report. Read more

Spanish solar and renewable organizations threaten legal action over tariff cuts

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 11:40 (Solarserver)

Four Spanish solar and renewable energy associations have issued a joint statement condemning recent cuts to the nation's feed-in tariff and threatening legal action at the national and European level. Anpier, APPA, Protermosolar and UNEF also argue that the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism (MINETUR) has discriminated against the industry and presented distorted estimates of the economics of renewable generation. Read more

Phoenix Solar to shed subsidiaries, CFO Köhler appointed CEO

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 11:05 (Solarserver)

Phoenix Solar AG (Sulzemoos, Germany) has announced that it will disassociate itself from its subsidiaries in Spain, Italy and Oman, as well as divesting itself from its solar photovoltaic (PV) components & systems business. This will include an unspecified number of employee layoffs. The company emphasizes that other regional subsidiaries including North America and Singapore are doing well. Additionally, Phoenix Solar announced a number of board and executive changes, including the appointment of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Dr. Bernd Köhler as CEO effective March 1st, 2013. Read more

Report: UK solar PV installations top 2GW

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 9:48 (Solarpowerportal)

A year of record PV demand has seen the amount of solar installed in the UK exceed 2GW, according to the upcoming NPD Solarbuzz Marketbuzz 2013 report. Read more

Phoenix Solar?s CEO resigns; more restructuring on higher losses

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 8:00 (PV-Tech)

Further restructuring efforts are needed at Phoenix Solar to stem losses and focus on profitable business segments. Founder and CEO Dr. Andreas Hänel has also resigned his position. Read more

New York Solar Market Shows Significant Promise for 2013

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 0:52 (Renewable Energy World)

Over the last year, the New York market has emerged as a solar hot spot. Several state and local incentive programs have been adopted or expanded, and the state now ranks 12th in terms of solar installed capacity, according to the most recent U.S. Solar Market Insight Report. Positive momentum continues in the state, and 2013 will be an even more p Read more

GE Snatches Wind Installation Crown from Vestas

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Preliminary rankings of global wind installation capacity show something not seen in 12 years: longtime market leader Vestas looking up at someone else. Read more

U.S.-East Africa Collaboration: From Start-Up to Top-Gear in the Geothermal Industry

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The East African hotbed called the Rift Valley is already validated in the global geothermal sector by successful operations in Kenya and beyond nearby borders, and is poised to be one of the fastest growing and sustained geothermal markets in the world in the coming decades. Read more

ENATREL completes 1.38MW PV plant in Nicaragua

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 17:21 (PV-Tech)

Nicaragua?s state utility firm National Electricity Transmission Company (ENATREL) has completed the installation of a 1.38MW PV facility located 12km from the city of Diriamba in Carazo province, Nicaragua. Read more

Sunlabob Renewable Energy to build 13 off-grid PV systems in Sierra Leone, Africa

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 17:10 (Solarserver)

On February 8th, 2013, Sunlabob Renewable Energy (Vientiane, Laos) announced that it has received two contracts to build 13 turnkey solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays in Sierra Leone (Afric). Under the contracts, Sunlabob will design, supply, and install twelve 5 kilowatt (kW) PV systems and one 16 kW system in off-grid areas. Read more

China's Hainan Province Mulls Electric Vehicles Demonstration Project

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 16:41 (Renewable Energy World)

Industry leaders and experts were all positive concerning the future of Hainan province's electric vehicles market at the 2012 Global New Energy Vehicle Conference (GNEV) held in Boao and Haikou, two cities in Hainan province, China in January. Experts highlighted the challenges and opportunities of making the province an electric vehicle demonstration island, and said further research in tandem with favorable government policies is necessary. Read more

Portuguese PV capacity close to 200MW in November 2012

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 13:01 (PV-Tech)

Cumulative installed PV capacity in Portugal hit 199MW at the end of November 2012, according to statistics published by the Portuguese Directorate General for Geology and Energy (DGGE). Read more

Portuguese PV capacity close to 2GW in November 2012

Tuesday, 2.12.2013 - 13:01 (PV-Tech)

Cumulative installed PV capacity in Portugal hit 199MW at the end of November 2012, according to statistics published by the Portuguese Directorate General for Geology and Energy (DGGE). Read more