KACO supplies inverters to South Africa projects

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 16:38 (PV-Tech)

Manufacturer KACO new energy has begun supplying its inverters to large-scale solar projects in South Africa. Read more

Uttar Pradesh issues tender for 200 MW-AC of new PV projects

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 15:59 (Solarserver)

On March 15th, 2013 the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh issued a tender for 200 MW-AC of new solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity, following on the finalization of its solar policy calling for 500 MW of new solar capacity in the state by March 2017. The solicitation will use a standard reverse-bidding selection process, and not require bidders to meet the lowest bid price, as have many Indian states. The program also provides power purchase contracts of only 10 years, although there is the possibility of extending these contracts for another 15 years at prevailing prices. Read more

Singulus and Chinese PV producer M-Cells sign agreement, expand cooperation on crystalline silicon solar cells

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 12:22 (Solarserver)

Singulus Technologies AG (Kahl am Main, Germany), supplier of equipment and process technology for silicon and thin-film solar cells signed a letter of intent (LOI) with M-Cells, a solar photovoltaic (PV) cell producer in China, on March 12th, 2013. Singulus and M-Cells agreed in this LOI to expand the technologic cooperation for the mass production of crystalline silicon cells, Singulus announces. Read more

Suntech executives reportedly detained by Chinese police

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 9:20 (PV-Tech)

According to reports, Suntech Power Holdings Dr. Shi, the ousted Executive Chairman and current CEO, David King have both been detained by Chinese police. Read more

Solar Frontier, Yano Industry complete 3.3 MW PV plants in Japan

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 22:17 (Solarserver)

On March 21st, 2013 Solar Frontier K.K. (Tokyo, Japan) and Yano Industry Co. Ltd. (Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan) announced that they have completed solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants with a total generation capacity of 3.3 megawatts (MW) in Japan. The solar projects, located in Kunitomi, Miyazaki Prefecture, include a 2.2 MW plant operated by Solar Frontier and a 1.1 MW plant operated by Yano Industry. Read more

ClearSky Advisors: Arizona solar market will survive loss of incentives

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 22:11 (Solarserver)

ClearSky Advisors Inc. (Toronto, Canada), an independent research and advisory firm focused on energy and renewable energy markets, states that uncertainty now surrounds the future prospects of Arizona's solar industry as the state's solar incentive program was severely curtailed in February 2013. Read more

meeco Group installs solar PV systems at 67 schools in Mauritius

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 22:00 (Solarserver)

On March 21st, 2013, meeco Group (Zug, Switzerland) announced that it has installed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at 67 schools of the Bureau de l'Éducation Catholique (BEC) in Mauritius. In June 2012, Solar-Ernte-Technik Ltd. (SETL), a subsidiary of the LEAL Group, and joint venture (JV) partner of meeco Group, received the 750 kilowatt (kW) public tender aiming at installing solar power rooftop installations on each of the 67 BEC schools in Mauritius. Read more

ib vogt works with Hanwha SolarOne to develop two UK solar parks

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 19:26 (Solarpowerportal)

Germany-based solar developer ib vogt is working with Chinese solar manufacturer Hanwha SolarOne to complete two new large-scale solar projects in the UK. Read more

JA Solar cuts capacity as business flat-lines

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 18:14 (PV-Tech)

JA Solar?s strategy of shifting sales from solar cells to modules has been achieved but at the cost of flat-lining business that started in 2011 and is expected to continue in 2013. Read more

Uttar Pradesh releases 200MW tender

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 18:01 (PV-Tech)

The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has released a tender for the procurement of 200MW of solar PV. Read more

JA Solar reports losses despite shipment boom in Q4 2012

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 16:03 (Solarserver)

JA Solar Holding Company Ltd. (Shanghai, China) has released financial results for the fourth quarter of 2012, reporting a boom in shipments to 500 MW, but a 14% year-over-year decline in revenues to USD 268 million. Like all solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers, JA Solar has been impacted by falling PV prices, and reported a -33% operating margin and USD 102 million loss in the fourth quarter. To adapt the company has been integrating downstream, and emphasizes its shift from primarily producing PV cells to modules over the course of 2012. Read more

NRG Skips the Utility, Powers Consumers with Solar Energy

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 14:29 (Renewable Energy World)

NRG Energy Inc., the biggest power provider to U.S. utilities, has become a renegade in the $370 billion energy-distribution industry by providing electricity directly to consumers. Read more

5 Middle East Solar Markets to Watch

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Solar markets in the Middle East are poised for massive growth, but evaluating new solar market opportunities can be an extremely difficult challenge. Market potential often depends on a number of complicated factors and assumptions that are either hard to quantify or difficult to compare side by side for different regions. Even worse still is the fact that the immense amount of news and data surrounding emerging markets in the middle east can become so overwhelming that it is nearly impossible to separate the wheat from the chaff and determine exactly which pieces of data have significance and which should be outright ignored. Read more

Sunerg plans expansion with new production line

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 12:33 (PV-Tech)

Italian PV manufacturer Sunerg Solar is to open a second production line at its factory in the region of Umbria. Read more

JA Solar to supply PV modules for 2 MW solar PV plant in Morocco

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 12:15 (Solarserver)

JA Solar Holding Company Ltd. (Shanghai, China) has begun delivery of its polycrystalline solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to JET Energy International (Térnara, Morocco) for a 2 MW PV plant in Kenitra, Morocco. JET will serve as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the project, which is expected to be the largest PV plant in North Africa when completed in the first quarter of 2013. The plant will comprise 7,150 PV modules. Read more

Policy Support for Solar Power Grows in Sub-Saharan Nations

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 10:42 (Renewable Energy World)

Much of sub-Saharan Africa has experienced remarkable economic growth since the start of the 21st century. Six of the ten fastest-growing economies worldwide between 2000 and 2010 were in the region and, if current growth rates continue, Africa's GDP should increase three-fold by 2030 and seven-fold by 2050. Read more

Aleo Solar responds to pending sale by Bosch

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 8:49 (Solarserver)

Aleo solar AG (Prenzlau, Germany) CEO and Chief Financial Officer York zu Putlitz has issued a statement regarding majority stakeholder Robert Bosch GmbH's (Gerlingen, Germany) decision to quit the solar business, noting that it has already taken action including divesting from Bosch CISTech (Brandenburg, Germany). Bosch holds a 91% stake in aleo solar, which it plans to sell, but has assured the company of financing until the end of March 2014. Aleo has also postponed its 2012 financial results until March 28, 2013. Read more

SAG Solarstrom achieves positive operating margin, increased sales and installation volume in 2012

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 8:31 (Solarserver)

SAG Solarstrom AG (Freiburg, Germany) has released selected 2012 financial results, reporting a 28% decline in revenues to EUR 189 million (USD 245 million), a 4.7% operating margin and profit of EUR 1.1 million (USD 1.4 million). Read more

Wind Power Peaks in the UK, Denmark, US

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 17:18 (Renewable Energy World)

Wind energy generated more than 5 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity consistently over a 48-hour period last week, enough to power more than 10 percent of the country's overall electricity needs, and the equivalent of nearly four out of every 10 homes. Also, a record 5.296 GW of wind was present on the grid at one point, measured as average generation over a half-hour period. Read more

When Should Geothermal Heat Pumps Qualify for State Renewable Energy Credits?

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

A relatively new policy being considered for state renewable energy standards (RESs) is to allow geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) to be treated the same as traditional renewable energy sources for awarding renewable energy credits (RECs). Read more

Austin Energy installs 224 kW rooftop PV plant at USD 2.21 per watt

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 21:57 (Solarserver)

Austin Energy (Austin, Texas, US) has installed a 244 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) rooftop system on the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas. The installed cost of the solar system is about USD 2.21 per watt of capacity, as compared to about USD 7.00 per watt in 2004, Austin Energy emphasizes. Read more

MiaSolé and KSK Energy Ventures commission 11.6MW Rajasthan project

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 19:10 (PV-Tech)

An 11.6MW project in Rajasthan, India, has been commissioned by thin-film CIGS manufacturer MiaSolé and Indian developer KSK Energy Ventures. Read more

EU calls for Europe-wide renewables policy

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 16:39 (Solarpowerportal)

The European Union should introduce universal renewable energy support mechanisms for all member states to reduce tension between conflicting policies. Read more

Wallonia, Belgium, adopts new green certificates scheme

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 14:06 (PV-Tech)

A new green certificate (GC) mechanism has been adopted by the government of Wallonia, Belgium, approving ?Qualiwatt? which supersedes the ?Solwat? GC. Read more

Romania To Scale Back Subsidies

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Romania, which Ernst & Young called "Eastern Europe's renewables haven" just a few months ago, now plans to follow other nations' recent moves in scaling back renewable energy subsidies to avoid further consumer price increases, the nation's minister-delegate for energy, Constantin Nita, announced in early March. The country is planning to cut the maximum value of its green certificates this summer or early in 2014, Nita said. Read more

How Energy Efficiency's Story is Changing

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Not so long ago, news about energy efficiency focused on what the U.S. could or should do, but wasn?t doing to save energy. It was a tale of woe. That?s no longer the case. Now, report after report tells the story of a burgeoning energy efficiency market that is achieving a level of surprising savings. Consider a few news items over the last week. Read more

Renewables: They Are Who We Thought They Were

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Dwight D. Eisenhower once said that it is not only necessary to do the right thing, but to do it the right way, as well. Sustainability is all too often just a fluffy word that implies doing the right thing, but it is important to make sure we are doing it the right way. When it comes to renewable energy, reports generally promote the greenness of Read more

EU urged to adopt Europe-wide renewables policy

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 12:54 (PV-Tech)

The European Union should introduce universal renewable energy support mechanisms for all member states to reduce tension between conflicting policies. Read more

Renewable Solutions appoints David Hunt head of commercial division

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 12:14 (Solarpowerportal)

Renewable Solutions UK has announced that David Hunt will head up the British microgeneration company?s recently launched commercial energy division. Read more

EU report calls for integrated European renewable energy policies, recommends feed-in tariffs

Monday, 3.25.2013 - 8:38 (Solarserver)

The European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy has released a report calling for an integrated, EU-wide renewable energy support mechanism, and recommending feed-in tariffs over quota models. ?Challenges and opportunities of renewable energies in the European single market? has been adopted by the committee. According to MP Hans-Josef Fell (Green), the report's authors had originally intended to replace national feed-in tariffs with an EU-wide quota system, however, Green Party members were able to convince a majority of the committee that feed-in tariffs are a superior model. Read more