SMA maintains profitability despite shipment, revenue decline in 2012

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 15:21 (Solarserver)

SMA Solar Technology AG (Niestetal, Germany) has released financial results for 2012, reporting a 5% drop in shipments to 7.2 GW and a 13% fall in revenues to EUR 1.5 billion (USD 1.9 million). SMA reported a 7% operating margin, half the percentage it reported in 2011, and has proposed a EUR 0.60 (USD 0.77) per share dividend. The company has also released its market estimate for 2012, estimating that 31 GW of solar PV systems were installed, a 7% increase over 2011. Read more

Asia Report: Let the Suntech Fallout Begin

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 10:01 (Renewable Energy World)

For now Suntech is still going about its business after the company's major debt default and restructuring. But a major concern is already playing out: customers concerned about product warranties are already exploring different supplier options. "For any developer, it's pretty impossible to put that technology in a project now because lenders are going to want to see a financially stable entity standing behind the warranty," said Recurrent Energy president Arno Harris. Read more

Asia Growth, Mega-Deals Define 2012's Top Solar PV EPC Firms

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 19:45 (Renewable Energy World)

First Solar completed over 500 megawatts (MW) of solar PV projects in 2012, nabbing the top spot among worldwide solar PV integrator/EPC firms (engineering, procurement and construction), according to IHS/IMS Research, which tracks more than 600 EPC firms and nearly 10,000 projects. Read more

Solarcentury launches international expansion with senior appointments

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 17:39 (PV-Tech)

British PV company Solarcentury has announced a series of international appointments as part of its plan to expand into new markets. Read more

LDK Solar Takeover Continues with Share Sale

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 16:33 (Renewable Energy World)

Most of the attention in the solar sector these last few weeks has been focused on Suntech (NYSE: STP), the former high-flyer that was forced into bankruptcy earlier this month after it defaulted on more than $500 million worth of bonds. But now the similarly struggling LDK (NYSE: LDK) has made it back into the headlines as well, with word that the Read more

First Solar becomes the world's largest PV EPC in 2012

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 15:24 (Solarserver)

First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Arizona, US) became the largest engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor in the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry in 2012, according to new rankings by IMS Research, now part of IHS Inc. (Longwood, Colorado, US). First Solar installed over 500 MW of PV projects in 2012, a 50% increase over 2011. IHS also reports that SunEdison LLC (Beltsville, Maryland, US) and SunPower (San Jose, California, US) have also made the top 15 EPCs, with 390 MW and 190 MW installed respectively. Read more

Centrosolar to dispose of PV glass operations; 2012 revenue down 22%

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 15:07 (PV-Tech)

PV manufacturer and project developer Centrosolar is to dispose of its solar glass operations due to falling market prices and sales volumes. Read more

Foxconn plans solar portfolio in Asia, Europe and America

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 14:31 (PV-Tech)

Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer Foxconn has announced a portfolio of solar projects in China, America, Europe and China. Read more

Report: First Solar takes global EPC top spot

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 13:54 (PV-Tech)

US giant First Solar became the world?s largest engineering, procurement and construction contractor (EPC) last year, according to rankings from IHS Research. Read more

India achieves 1.4GW cumulative capacity

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 13:08 (PV-Tech)

India has achieved a total a cumulative capacity of 1,447MW for grid-connected solar PV. Read more

LDK Solar sells remaining new shares at discount

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 12:59 (PV-Tech)

Struggling China-based PV manufacturer LDK Solar has sold shares to Hong Kong-based Fulai Investments for around 30% less than it charged only last month. Read more

XsunX to cooperate with solar start-ups in Africa and Caribbean

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 12:22 (Solarserver)

On March 25th, 2013, XsunX Inc. (Aliso Viejo, California, U.S.), developer of thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) cross-industry technology, announced that it is working with solar start-up firms in developing regions including Africa and the Caribbean. XsunX signed letters-of-intents (LOI) with some "undisclosed" customers in those regions, and will configure solutions to deliver CIGS manufacturing capabilities targeting the initial deployment plans by firms in these regions. Read more

Solar Frontier to restart module production at Miyazaki plant

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 12:13 (PV-Tech)

Japanese thin-film PV manufacturer Solar Frontier is planning to restart its module production line at its Miyazaki No.2 Plant in Kiyotakecho, Miyazaki, Japan, on 1 July 2013. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne and ib vogt team up to develop two UK solar plants

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 11:15 (PV-Tech)

Chinese solar manufacturer Hanwha SolarOne has joined forces with German PV developer ib vogt to develop two large-scale solar parks in the UK. Read more

11.6 MW solar PV plant commissioned in Rajasthan using MiaSole CIGS PV modules

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 9:06 (Solarserver)

KSK Energy Ventures Ltd. (Hyderabad, India) has commissioned a 11.6 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the Indian state of Rajasthan using MiaSole's copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film PV modules. The project was awarded under India's National Solar Mission, and was supported by USD 9 million in debt financing through the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank). MiaSole manufactured the PV modules in California's Silicon Valley. Read more

SunPower takes top place in Photon 2012 module yield test

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 9:05 (Solarserver)

Modules from SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California, US) have taken the three highest rankings in Photon International's 2012 module yield test, with performance ratios of 95.2%, 94.9% and 94.8%. SunPower's SPR-327NE-WHT-D module came in first place with an annual yield of 1,144 kWh/KW, based on the module's theoretical output of 1,202 kWh/kW. Modules from Seraphim Solar System Company Ltd. (Changzhou, China) came in fourth place with a performance ratio of 93.6%. Read more

Innotech Solar increases manufacturing capacity to 100 MW

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 8:59 (Solarserver)

Innotech Solar AS (Narvik, Norway) has announced that it is ramping up its solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing in Halle/Saale, Germany and Glava, Sweden to 100 MW. Innotech credits its novel production process, which involves the rehabilitation of low-efficiency PV cells. The company also notes that it may increase this capacity to 170 MW ?in the medium term?. Read more

Mascoma Withdraws Biofuel IPO, Citing 'Market Conditions'

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 16:11 (Renewable Energy World)

Mascoma Corp., a closely held biofuel company backed by billionaire Vinod Khosla, withdrew its registration for a planned initial public offering to raise as much as $100 million. Read more

Rwanda Set To Start Major Geothermal Development

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 20:54 (Renewable Energy World)

All eyes are zeroed in on East Africa geothermal development these days as various governments unveil capacity goals and project plans. The most recent announcement comes from Rwanda ? it is set to start drilling three exploratory wells near the Karisimbi volcano. The $27 million venture is scheduled to commence April 15th and last six weeks, according to local reports. If the testing is successful, the project is expected to have a capacity of up to 10 MW. Read more

U.K. Clean Energy Rules to Add 36% to Company Power Bills

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 18:39 (Renewable Energy World)

U.K. measures to curb carbon emissions may raise power and gas bills for the biggest corporate consumers by as much as 36 percent by 2020, the Department of Energy and Climate Change said. Read more

Australia Backs Renewable Energy Targets

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 14:02 (Renewable Energy World)

In response to a statutory review, The Australian Government's Climate Change Authority has committed to maintaining its renewable energy target (RET) of 20 percent of the nation's electricity (roughly 41,000 GWh) coming from renewable sources by 2020. The Government also emphasizes that 20 percent is only a minimum target, and leaves "the way open for improvements in energy efficiency to deliver a higher share of renewable energy." Read more

DECC: Government?s energy policies are reducing energy bills

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 13:22 (Solarpowerportal)

Energy bills are lower thanks to energy and climate change policies, according to new governmental analysis published today. Read more

Green Cards for Green Watts

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In the 1990 Golden Globe winning film "Green Card," Frenchman (and recent Russian resident) Gerard Depardieu and American Andie McDowell enter into a farcical marriage of convenience so he can become a U.S. resident and she can qualify for a beautiful co-op in New York City. While this romantic comedy is purely fictional (one hopes), it does portray one of the better known, real life residency programs offered by the U.S. Citizen and Immigrations Services (USCIS). Unbeknownst to many, however, is another USCIS residency program that is spurring foreign investment into renewable energy projects in the United States: The Employment-Based 5th Preference (EB-5) visa. Read more

Germany Moves to Tackle Rising Renewables Costs

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Proposals for reforms to Germany's renewable energy support policy have been tabled by the country's conservative federal environment minister Peter Altmaier. Read more

U.S. DOE to give priority to tribes in renewable energy contracts

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 12:28 (Solarserver)

On March 25th, 2013, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the Office of Environmental Management (EM) has teamed up with the DOE offices of Indian Energy and Economic Impact and Diversity to expand contracting opportunities for Tribal Nations across the complex. EM intends to develop a departmental strategy to eliminate barriers Tribal Nations are facing competing for contracts. Read more

The Good and Bad News of DoE Fiscal Year Budget Request

Wednesday, 3.27.2013 - 12:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The good news is the Department of Energy (DoE) FY 2013 budget request of $2,337 million for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs (EERE) shows a 29 percent increase from the enacted FY 2012 budget. The bad news is the FY 2013 has not been approved by Congress, as of this writing, see Table 1 below.  Table 1: FY 2013 DoE Budget Request   Read more