Bridge Bank provides over USD 13 million funding for PV installations

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 15:31 (Solarserver)

On March 20th, 2013, Bridge Bank (San Jose, California, US), a subsidiary of Bridge Capital Holdings, announced that it recently secured USD 13 million in funding for several major solar photovoltaic (PV) installations located in New Jersey, Rhode Island and North Carolina. Bridge Bank's Energy and Infrastructure Group (EIG) provided USD 7.2 million in funding to True Green Capital Management for the construction of a series of solar facility installations located in New Jersey, and for a solar installation project in Rhode Island. Read more

Fiscal breaks on offer for non-FiT Italian PV systems

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 13:53 (PV-Tech)

In line with Italy?s new national energy strategy, the Italian Revenue Agency will introduce tax breaks for off grid PV systems without access to the country?s feed-in tariff. Read more

European Renewables Inverter Market Could Hit $6.7 Billion

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 13:50 (Renewable Energy World)

The inverter market for renewable energy systems in Europe earned more than ?3.58 billion ($4.63 billion) in 2012 and this figure could rise to ?5.24 billion ($6.77 billion) in 2018, according to new research. Read more

JA Solar ships 2MW of solar modules for North Africa project

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 13:12 (PV-Tech)

Chinese manufacturer JA Solar has announced the delivery of solar modules for a 2MW solar power plant in the city of Kenitra, Morocco. Read more

World Future Council: Feed-in tariffs the best policy to promote renewables globally

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 12:37 (Solarserver)

The World Future Council (Hamburg, Germany) and Heinrich Böll Foundation (Berlin, Germany) have released a report which finds that feed-in tariff (FIT) policies are the best policy to promote the development of renewable energy in Africa. ?Powering Africa Through Feed-In Tariffs? examines FIT policies in 13 African nations, looking at the factors driving each policy and their socio-economic impacts, as well as the per-requisites for successful implementation. The report states that when designed for local conditions FIT policies increase the overall energy production of nations and contribute to community empowerment. Read more

German government abandons plans to cap feed-in tariff, introduce retroactive charges

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 9:19 (Solarserver)

The CDU/Liberal coalition government in Germany has abandoned its plans to cap the cost of the nation's feed-in tariff and introduce retroactive taxes on renewable energy producers, according to MP Hans-Josef Fell (Green). The changes proposed by Environment Minister Altmaier (CDU) were widely expected to fail, and have been described by the press and environmental community as political posturing. Fell credits the defeat to Socialist and Green leadership of German states in the Bundesrat. Read more

Bosch shuts down solar division; total loss amounts to ?2.4 billion

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 16:35 (PV-Tech)

The start of 2014 will herald an end to Bosch?s activities in the solar PV industry, the company has announced. Read more

Solar Glut Outlasting Suntech as Customers Seek New Supply

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 16:25 (Renewable Energy World)

A day after Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. became the solar industry's biggest corporate failure, workers continued to load and unload trucks at its main factory in China, adding to the global oversupply of panels. Read more

Fitch affirms Topaz Solar Farms senior notes rating

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 15:33 (Solarserver)

On March 20th, 2013, Fitch Ratings (New York, New York, US) announced that it has affirmed the BBB- rating on USD 850 million senior secured notes due 2039 at Topaz Solar Farms LLC. The rating outlook remains stable. The Topaz Solar Farm, a 550 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) facility, is under construction in San Luis Obispo County, California. Read more

Bosch ends solar division after ?2.4 billion loss

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 15:22 (Solarpowerportal)

The start of 2014 will herald an end to Bosch?s activities in the solar PV industry, the company has announced. Read more

Karnataka allocates 130MW of solar projects

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 14:47 (PV-Tech)

The Indian state of Karnataka has allocated 130MW of solar power projects for tender next month. Read more

NewWorld Capital finances Soltage solar portfolio

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 13:01 (PV-Tech)

NewWorld Environmental Infrastructure is to invest in an 11.6MW portfolio of solar projects of projects in Connecticut and Massachusetts developed by Soltage. Read more

RHC: Solar thermal increasingly used for process heat applications

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 12:42 (Solarserver)

The European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling (RHC) estimates that by 2050, 20% of the energy used for low-temperature industrial heat could be provided by solar thermal technology, in a report on its March 15th, 2013 solar process heat workshop. The RHC states that some of the industries with the highest potential include beer brewing, food processing, and transport equipment cleaning. RHC Platform leaders also stressed the importance of research funding in the sector. Read more

Trina Solar unveils 35 mm solar PV module frames

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 12:32 (Solarserver)

Trina Solar Ltd. (Changzhou, China) has released a new slimmer frame design for its 72-cell monocrystalline and 60-cell polycrystalline solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. The new modules with 35 mm-thick frames are currently available. The new frame means a 5% reduction in weight to 14.9 kg for 72-cell monocrystalline PV modules and 18.6 kg for 60-cell polycrystalline PV modules. Read more

Kansai Electric and TonenGeneral Sekiyu to develop 30MW PV plant in Japan

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 12:10 (PV-Tech)

Japanese companies Kansai Electric Power Co. and TonenGeneral Sekiyu have teamed up to develop a 30MW solar power plant in the Japanese city of Arida in Wakayama prefecture. Read more

Bosch ?reviewing? future in solar

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 12:09 (PV-Tech)

Solar manufacturer Bosch Solar Energy is reviewing its future in the solar industry amid heavy losses suffered in 2012. Read more

Puppy Dogs and Solar Quotes: An Example of Cause Marketing

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 12:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Getting a free solar quote is probably the best way to open the door to a residential sale. People can finally see the numbers and get past their fear of solar being too expensive. The problem is that it can take a lot of time and marketing dollars to get people to get that quote. Wouldn?t it be great if people were actually enthusiastic about gett Read more

New Jersey, Rhode Island and North Carolina US$13 million funding for PV projects

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 11:18 (PV-Tech)

Professional business bank Bridge Bank Energy and Infrastructure Group (EIG) has announced the closure of a US$13 million financing deal for several solar installations in the US. Read more

Sunmark, Energía Llaima begin construction of solar thermal plant to support copper mining in Chile

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 8:51 (Solarserver)

Energía Llaima (Las Condes, Chile) and Sunmark A/S (Svendborg, Denmark) have begun construction of a solar thermal plant to support a mining operation in Northern Chile, which they say will be the largest plant of its type in the world. The Pampa Elvira solar thermal plant will supply process heat for the copper extraction process at Codelco's Gaby Mine in Sierra Gorda, Antofagasta Region. The companies expect to commission the USD 26 million plant during the second half of 2013. Read more

SunFunder crowdsourcing solar finance wins Facebook prize

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 0:05 (PV-Tech)

Facebook and the Cleantech Group last night awarded a $25,000 prize to a crowdfunding platform barely a year old. Read more

Unlocking Renewable Potential in the Caribbean

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Caribbean nations face an uncertain energy future. With an energy infrastructure designed in the era of low-priced and abundant oil, many of these nations depend almost entirely on petroleum to supply their electricity demands. With oil prices hovering between $90 and $110 a barrel and projected to rise, island nations reliant on heavy fuel oil for their electrical generation are being hard hit. Read more

Vestas Chiefs Signal Worst Is Over as Turnaround Work Continues

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 13:31 (Renewable Energy World)

Vestas Wind Systems A/S Chairman Bert Nordberg and Chief Executive Officer Ditlev Engel said the worst may be over for the wind turbine maker, which has lost 91 percent of its value since 2008. Read more

Australia to maintain 20% by 2020 renewable energy target

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 15:21 (Solarserver)

On March 21st, 2013 Australia's ruling Labor Government expressed its commitment to the nation's goal of 20% renewable energy by 2020 as a minimum target, in its statement on a review of the program. Australian Minister for Climate Change Greg Combet (Labor) has highlighted the contrast with Liberal Party plans to abolish the Renewable Energy Target (RET) if elected, which he says would take the nation backward. The Climate Change Authority's RET review was published in December 2012. Read more

Ecoult awarded energy storage funding through Australian government

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 15:19 (Solarserver)

On March 20th, 2013, Ecoult (Sydney, Australia) announced that it has received a funding from the Australian government to conduct small/mid-sized storage projects. The funding, which was awarded through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), will be used by Ecoult to deliver cost effective storage solutions using Deka UltraBattery technology for homes and businesses in Australia and around the world. Read more

The Clouds are Getting Greener: Apple Data Centers Powered by 100% Renewables

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 14:57 (Renewable Energy World)

Just one year after Greenpeace called out Apple for its use of fossil fuels in its "How Green Is Your Cloud" report ? which graded Apple no higher than a "D" in four categories consisting of energy transparency, infrastructure siting, energy efficiency, and renewables and advocacy ? Apple announced that its data centers are now powered by 100 percent renewable energy. In fact, renewables contribute to 75 percent of its entire corporate operations energy needs, according to its website. Read more

AEG RES orders recover in Q4 2012 despite weak polysilicon market

Friday, 3.22.2013 - 9:06 (Solarserver)

AEG Power Solutions BV (Zwanenburg, The Netherlands) has released financial results for the fourth quarter of 2012, reporting a 3.4% year-over-year fall in revenues to EUR 64.0 million (USD 82.6 million) and 13% EBITDA margin in its Renewable Energy Solutions (RES) business. During the fourth quarter the company's orders increased to EUR 70.5 million (USD 91.0 million), a 67% rise over the previous quarter and a 151% higher than the year prior. AEG has adjusted its business plans due to the ongoing collapse of the polysilicon equipment market, which has led to EUR 127 million (USD 164 million) in fourth quarter charges. Read more