Conergy revenues fall but losses narrow in 2012

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 15:56 (Solarserver)

Conergy AG (Hamburg, Germany) has released results for the fourth quarter and full year 2012, reporting a 34% year-over-year decline in revenues to EUR 122 million (USD 156 million) and a -28% operating margin in the fourth quarter. Read more

Maine Introduces Feed-in Tariff Legislation

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 15:23 (Renewable Energy World)

After a long period of quiescence, Maine's state legislature has again taken up feed-in tariffs. Legislative document 1085 to establish the Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff was introduced 19 March 2013 and referred to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. Read more

Conergy optimistic about 2013

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 13:45 (PV-Tech)

Unshackled from its polysilicon purchasing contract with MEMC and tight financial controls, Conergy expects a positive cash flow in 2013. Read more

Solar PV named as part-financeable measure in Green Deal

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 16:54 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has confirmed that Green Deal finance can be used to part-fund the cost of installing solar PV. Read more

Remember eSolar? The Startup Wants To Raise $30M

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 16:43 (Renewable Energy World)

eSolar was a high-profile startup five years ago when concentrating solar power (CSP) or concentrating solar thermal power, drew huge interest from U.S. utilities and the company touted a design that aimed to build power plants efficiently. Then it became fairly quiet in the past two years. Read more

Schletter and partners: Commercial and utility-scale solar PV roadshow travels to California

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 16:32 (Solarserver)

Schletter (Tucson, Arizona, US), a producer of solar photovoltaic (PV) mounting systems, is hosting its second-annual nationwide Solar Roadshow and announces three upcoming stops in California: April 4th, 2013 in San Diego at Innotech Solar, April 5th, 2013 in Fremont at REFUsol, and April 9th, 2013 in Grass Valley at KACO new energy. The Solar Roadshow consists of 29 stops throughout the United States between March and June 2013, and focuses on commercial and utility-scale PV applications. Read more

British PV installation exceeds expectations: Kyocera solar tracking systems providing high yield in adverse weather conditions

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 16:20 (Solarserver)

Solar photovoltaic (PV) modules from Kyocera (Kyoto, Japan) offer high output even in adverse weather conditions, the company reports. Despite a very rainy year 2012, a British holiday resort to the north-east of Bristol was able to operate virtually independent of the main power grid in 2012, thanks to Kyocera PV panels. The modules in the resort?s 50 kWp installation are not fixed on a rooftop but rather can be positioned to face the sunlight with the aid of a dual-axis tracking system. This provides the site with a 35% higher solar power yield than comparably-sized static systems, Kyocera emphasizes. Read more

JinkoSolar donates 200 PV modules to earthquake-stricken school in Italy

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 16:10 (Solarserver)

On March 26th, 2013, JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. (Shanghai, China) announced that it has donated 200 polycrystalline modules for a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system in a school in Medolla, Italy. Medolla was one of the towns most affected by the earthquake that struck the Emilia Romagna region of Italy in May 2012. JinkoSolar partnered with Rock No War association and Tonello to deliver and install the PV system for the new school. Read more

Toshiba to build 100MW of solar in Japan

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 16:09 (PV-Tech)

Japanese electronics manufacturer Toshiba has announced its plans for the construction of solar projects with a combined capacity of 6.5MW in Tokyo according to reports. Read more

Kaco to supply inverters for 33 MW of solar PV plants in South Africa

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 16:07 (Solarserver)

Kaco New Energy GmbH (Neckarsulm, Germany) will supply inverters for two solar photovoltaic (PV) projects totaling 33 MW in South Africa's Northern Cape region. Kaco will supply its Powador 39.0 TL3 inverters to Tenesol SA (La Tour De Salvagny, France), which is serving as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the plants. The plants are under development by AE AMD Renewable Energy (Cape Town, South Africa), a joint venture between AMDA Energia (Zaragoza, Spain) and Tenesol. Read more

PacWest Equities acquires DayStar CIGS solar PV technology

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 15:58 (Solarserver)

PacWest Equities Inc. (Las Vegas, Nevada, US) has acquired the copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) solar photovoltaic (PV) technology portfolio of DayStar Technologies Inc. (Kelowna, Canada), in a deal valued at over USD 55 million. The deal includes the ownership of DayStar's 15-chamber CIGS production line, as well as a library of 51 patents, patents pending and international patents. The sale is subject to final approval by DayStar's shareholders, and the company has expressed confidence that it has the necessary majority to proceed. Read more

SunEdison reaches more than 1 GW of solar PV under management

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 15:48 (Solarserver)

SunEdison LLC (Belmont, California, US) has announced that it is now managing more than 1 GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) assets through its three renewable operations centers (ROCs). Read more

Gehrlicher Solar to construct 5.3MWp solar park on German conservation area

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 15:26 (PV-Tech)

Planning permission has been awarded to Gehrlicher Solar?s 5.3MWp solar park to be constructed on a state-protected water conservation area. Read more

aleo solar sees revenue fall as demand in key markets dwindles

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 14:50 (PV-Tech)

German manufacturer aleo solar has recorded a 39% drop in revenue in its 2012 annual report published today. Read more

Resolutions To Reverse the Unsustainable Solar Industry

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 14:30 (Renewable Energy World)

Viewing the solar industry (and all of its technologies) from the outside an observer would be confronted by two distinct views. View number one: THIS IS THE GREATEST TIME IN THE WORLD FOR SOLAR. GROWTH IS OFF OF THE CHARTS. THIS IS THE BEST YEAR YET. View number two: This is the worst time for manufacturers of photovoltaic technology. Enter at your own risk and consider failure the likely outcome. Read more

Bentley Motors factory hosts UK?s ?largest? rooftop PV array

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 13:13 (PV-Tech)

UK developer Lightsource Renewable Energy has announced the development of a 5MW rooftop solar array at Bentley Motors? factory, said to be the largest installation of its kind in the UK. Read more

Bulgaria to Suspend Up to 40% of Wind, Solar Power Capacity

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Bulgaria may suspend as much as 40 percent of wind and solar power capacity as part of its effort to stem oversupply and stabilize electricity generation Read more

Solar Cooperative Gets Panels on 1 in 10 Roofs in Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood of DC

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Read more

India's Off-grid Renewables Initiative Changing Lives

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Ladakh, a remote district of India's northernmost state, is currently benefiting from the largest off-grid renewable energy project in the world. The Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is spending INR473 billion (US$88.8 million) on decentralized solar and hydro technologies to bring energy security to this remote mountain region. Why Ladakh? Read more

Solar Storage Market Set for Rapid Growth

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

News that Germany plans to launch a ?50 million solar storage incentive is the latest indicator that solar storage's time has come. Read more

SMA Solar?s market share, sales, margins and workforce fall in 2012

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 12:19 (PV-Tech)

An increasingly competitive marketplace continues to erode SMA Solar Technology?s once dominant position in the PV inverter market. Read more

Lightsource completes UK?s largest rooftop array for Bentley Motors

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 12:15 (Solarpowerportal)

Bentley Motors? factory in Crewe is now home to the UK?s largest rooftop solar PV array following the completion of a 5MW installation by Lightsource Renewable Energy. Read more

Dow begins shipments of Enlight solar PV encapsulant from German factory

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 10:46 (Solarserver)

Dow Europe GmbH (Horgen, Switzerland) has completed its solar photovoltaic (PV) encapsulant film production line in Schkopau, Germany, and has begun shipping the first commercial quantities. The company began construction of the Enlight polyolefin film line in April 2012. Dow states that the expansion marks not only an increase in its global output of encapsulant films, but also means that it is able to supply its PV customers in Europe, Asia and the Americas from within these regions. Read more

China warns of retaliation over potential EU solar PV tariffs

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 9:32 (Solarserver)

While continuing calls for dialogue, Chinese trade authorities have warned that EU trade action regarding solar photovoltaic (PV) products may result in retaliation. In an interview published on the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) web site, Deputy International Trade Representative Chong Quan stressed the interdependent nature of the PV industry in China and the EU. However, he was clear that there would be repercussions for any trade action. Read more

Solar Frontier to-restart Miyazaki No. 2 solar PV module factory

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 8:26 (Solarserver)

Solar Frontier KK (Tokyo, Japan) has announced that it will restart production of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIS or CIGS) thin film solar photovoltaic (PV) modules at its Miyazaki No. 2 plant on July 1st, 2013. Production has been suspended at the factory, which has the capacity to produce 60 MW of PV modules annually, since the end of 2012. Solar Frontier will make minor equipment modifications to enable the manufacture of new products to be sold in Japan. Read more

Georgia legislators introduce bill for up to 2GW of rural solar

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 0:15 (PV-Tech)

Georgia could be poised to build up 2GW of large-scale solar if a bill introduced last week passes the state legislature. Read more

U.K. Renewable Power Grows 20 Percent on New Offshore Wind Farms

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 15:07 (Renewable Energy World)

U.K. renewable power generation surged 20 percent last year, boosted by new offshore wind farms, the Department of Energy and Climate Change said. Read more

Order focus: GTAT wins follow-on polysilicon technology and equipment deal

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 16:09 (PV-Tech)

Tawian-based polysilicon producer, Powertec Energy Corporation has signed a follow-on deal with GT Advanced Technologies to purchase polysilicon technology and equipment for a second-phase capacity expansion. Read more

John Hayes removed from DECC

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 13:15 (Solarpowerportal)

The energy minister John Hayes has been moved from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to become a senior consultant at 10 Downing Street. Read more

UK DECC delays launch of domestic Renewable Heat Incentive, yet again

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 10:54 (Solarserver)

On March 26th, 2013, the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) published its strategy on heating, reporting that it will again delay the launch of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) for domestic installations, this time to spring 2014. DECC will make an announcement in the summer of 2013 regarding tariff levels, methodology and eligibility criteria, and will extend Renewable Heat Premium Payments (RHPP) for another year. The nation's Solar Trade Association (STA) called the move a disappointment, and also called for a doubling of RHPP payments. Read more

US DOE launches the Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative

Thursday, 3.28.2013 - 9:18 (Solarserver)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled a new initiative to support American manufacturing of clean energy products, including solar technologies and batteries, with a focus on improving productivity. The Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative (CEMI) will include private sector partnerships, new DOE funding, and a new analysis of the clean energy manufacturing supply chain to inform future funding. Read more