RFP issued for renewables on Sir Richard Branson's island

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 19:31 (Solarserver)

On February 12th, 2013, Carbon War Room (Washington, D.C., U.S.), Homer Energy (Boulder, Colorado, U.S.) and Reznick Think Energy LLC (Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.) have issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the provision of renewable energy and energy services on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, the home of Sir Richard Branson. The RFP, which was launched on behalf of Virgin Limited Edition, aims to reduce and/or eliminate the use of fossil fuels for electricity on Necker Island and to install systems that provide savings and reduce costs, including ground-mounted and rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays. Read more

UAE-based Mulk Holdings opens factory in Serbia, which will include PV products

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 19:10 (Solarserver)

On February 10th, 2013, Mulk Holdings (Sharjah, United Arab Emirates) announced that it has recently inaugurated phase 1 of its USD 20 million factory in Serbia. The facility will be the Mulk Holdings' European headquarters and global design center as well as the manufacturing base for composite panels, aluminum coil coating products and solar photovoltaic (PV) products. Read more

Tier 1 Polysilicon Producers Rationalize Supply to PV Industry

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 17:30 (Renewable Energy World)

Polysilicon suppliers to the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry have been significantly lowering plant utilization rates during the past six months, with average quarterly utilization rates falling below 70 percent, as released in the latest NPD Solarbuzz Q4'12 Polysilicon and Wafer Supply Chain Quarterly Report. Read more

Awakening Decentralised Photovoltaic Solar Power in Lebanon

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Back in 2008, engineers from a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) project in Lebanon visited a remote public school in the northern most region of the country, known as Rajem Issa Public School. The school catered to approximately 150 students from pre-school to the 9th grade, who spent their morning without power -- the school turns off the diesel backup generator to save on fuel costs during electricity outages. After the engineers assessed the school's facilities, lighting fixtures, IT equipment, and deteriorating electricity supply, utility electricity returned to its insufficient and unreliable supply of 120 Volts, when it should be 220 Volts. Read more

Nicaragua's first utility-scale PV plant under construction

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 12:56 (Solarserver)

Nicaraguan grid operator Enatrel (Managua, Nicaragua) has announced that the nation's first utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plant at 1.38 MW is being built in the Carazo Department. The project is being constructed through the government's "Project for the Introduction of Clean Energy through Solar Energy Systems". Nicaragua expects to commission the plant in 2013. Read more

Western Wind shareholders reject Brookfield takeover

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 12:52 (Solarserver)

Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners LP (Toronto, Canada) has failed in its bid to take over Western Wind Energy Corporation (Vancouver, Canada), by failing to acquire the acceptance of 50% of shareholders for its bid of USD 2.60 per share. Western Wind had urged shareholders to reject the offer, noting that its 30 MW Yabucoa solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Puerto Rico is nearing financial close. Shareholders had also rejected a Brookfield offer of USD 2.50 per share in 2011. Read more

North American consortium to develop two PV projects in Ecuador

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 12:32 (PV-Tech)

A North American consortium comprising SunWize Technologies, Solexica Energy Corporation, JCM Capital, and Radical Energyis is to develop two solar photovoltaic projects in Ecuador. Read more

Fraunhofer, TÜV workshop on fire protection: PV is not more dangerous than traditional electrical installations

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 9:21 (Solarserver)

Noting that solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are different but not more dangerous than traditional electrical installations, Fraunhofer ISE (Freiburg, Germany) and TÜV Rheinland (Köln, Germany) held a workshop on January 24th, 2013 to explore fire safety issues. The organizations stressed that the best fire protection is to follow existing regulations and hire qualified, skilled workers. The workshop was attended by 120 participants, including manufacturers, researchers, and representatives from fire departments and insurance companies. Read more

UK PV installations through feed-in tariff stabilize at 18% of prior year levels

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 9:13 (Solarserver)

According to the latest statistics from the UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), solar photovoltaic (PV) installations through the nation's feed-in tariff appear to have stabilized at a level of roughly 24 MW per month. Installations for the five weeks between January 7th, 2013 and February 13th, 2013 totalled 4.8 to 5.9 MW per week. If this continues through the remainder of the first quarter, it will represent roughly 18% of the capacity installed in the first quarter of 2012. Read more

Third-Party Residential Solar Surging in California; Nearly a Billion-Dollar Business

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 21:46 (Renewable Energy World)

Statistics released this week by SunRun and the PV Solar Report show the growing popularity of residential solar energy in general, and third party-owned solar in particular. Read more

Independence Solar installs 300 kW rooftop PV array in Connecticut

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 19:23 (Solarserver)

On February 13th, 2013, Independence Solar (Cherry Hill, New Jersey, U.S.) announced that it and its installation partner Pat Munger Construction Co. (Branford, Connecticut, U.S.) have completed a 300 kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) array in Guildford, Connecticut. The roof-mounted system, comprised of 1,248 solar PV panels, is expected to supply 100% of the electricity used by a 12,800 square foot distribution facility annually. Read more

67.9 MW of solar added in US PJM Interconnect market in January 2013

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 19:16 (Solarserver)

SRECTrade reports that 67.9 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal projects were added in the PJM Interconnect market, which covers 10 US states, in January 2013. The largest state markets were Maryland with 38.4 MW and Pennsylvania with 31.2 MW. SRECTrade's totals cover PV and solar thermal plants which are certified for participation in solar renewable energy credit (SREC) markets. Additionally, the company reports that 16.4 MW of certified solar projects were added in Massachusetts. Read more

Azure Power completes 40MW plant in India

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 16:26 (PV-Tech)

Solar developer Azure Power India has expanded its 5MW facility in Nagaur, Rajasthan, with an additional 35MW making it the largest project commissioned at a single location under India?s National Solar Mission. Read more

Solar Flow-Through applies for 37 MW of PV through Ontario small FIT program

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 12:48 (Solarserver)

Solar Flow-Through LP (Vancouver, Canada) reports that it has filed applications for 126 projects to participate in the nation's feed-in tariff (FIT) program in January 2013, to total roughly 37 MW-DC. Solar Flow-Through has partnered with two First Nation tribes as well as a community co-op in order to increase the priority points for its projects through the program. All projects are commercial rooftop PV plants 600 kW and smaller, a limit set by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA, Toronto, Canada) for the current FIT round. Read more

Finolex Cables to build 5MW solar plant in India

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 12:11 (PV-Tech)

Finolex Cables has announced that it is to construct a 5MW solar plant in the village of Urse in India?s Pune district. Read more

Strata Solar plans to build 100 MW PV plant in North Carolina

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 9:08 (Solarserver)

Strata Solar (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) has announced plans to build a 100MW-DC solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Duplin County in the US state of North Carolina. Strata Solar had previously focused on projects between 5 MW and 7 MW, but cites the importance of cost reduction given the potential expiration of the investment tax credit. The company plans to file an application with the North Carolina Utilities Commission by the end of February 2013. Read more

Making Biomass Part of the Energy Mix

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 15:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Biomass as a source for power and heat generation promises to play an important role in the energy mix of the future. Energy derived from biomass?which burns organic material from wood or agricultural residues compressed into pellets?is an attractive, low-carbon option for generating electricity, uniquely qualified to meet governmental energy objectives (see Figure 1 below). Unlike solar or wind, biomass produces constant power since it doesn't depend on daylight or the weather. It also offers an opportunity to repurpose existing coal plants that may struggle for profitability in the future as loads decrease and carbon costs soar. Read more

Kalaeloa Renewable Energy Park ready to break ground

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 16:24 (PV-Tech)

The 5MW Kalaeloa Renewable Energy Park in Hawaii is now ready to break ground after receiving environmental assessment approval in early January. Read more

German Compromise Limits Power-Price Increases, Ensures Election-Year Battle

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 16:20 (Renewable Energy World)

Germany's environment and economy ministers, coalition partners from different parties who have clashed over the country's shift from nuclear power, forged a joint plan to slow power-price increases caused by subsidies for renewable energy. Read more

Tenergie gets green light for 50MWp PV projects in Senegal

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 15:27 (PV-Tech)

Plans by renewable energy company Tenergie to develop 50MW of PV capacity in Senegal have been given the go-ahead by the country?s Ministry of Energy and Mines. Read more

Outlook for Renewable Energy Projects and Finance in Canada

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Developers and investors alike are looking to understand where the next opportunities will be for renewable energy projects in Canada and how the next stage of Ontario?s market will evolve. The outlook for financing is another key area of interest with many projects entering the execution phase in 2013. The following thought-leadership piece tackle Read more

German governments reject environment minister?s renewables cap

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 12:38 (PV-Tech)

Germany?s federal and state governments have failed to agree on a proposal to bring the country?s renewable energy incentive scheme under control. Read more

Alliance for Rural Electrification names new Secretary General

Friday, 2.15.2013 - 12:19 (PV-Tech)

Off-grid renewable energy association, the Brussels-based Alliance for Rural Electrification, has appointed a new Secretary General. Read more