Louisiana On the Brink of Dismantling Net Metering

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 17:41 (Renewable Energy World)

Louisiana's Public Service Commission (PSC) will vote this Wednesday, April 17th on whether to preserve or dismantle net metering in the state. The vote will answer the central question in the net metering docket (LPSC Docket number: R-31417) – how valuable is the solar energy produced from net-metered solar systems? Read more

Wattner acquires 22 MW of German PV plants

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 15:44 (Solarserver)

On April 11th, 2013, Wattner AG (Cologne, Germany) announced that it has acquired five solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants totaling about 22 megawatts (MW) in Germany. Read more

US Embassy in Japan to cover entire roof with solar PV

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 15:55 (Solarserver)

On April 12th, 2013, ABC Solar Japan (Tokyo, Japan) announced that it has been selected by the US Embassy in Tokyo for the installation of a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant. ABC Solar Japan will be responsible for providing solar integration services for research, design, automated documentation generation, application processing and submission for feed-in-tariff (FIT) revenue. Read more

Solar heating program in Vermont expands to new county

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 15:51 (Solarserver)

On April 11th, 2013, Energy Co-op of Vermont announced that it has expanded its Co-op Solar hot water heating program to include Addison County, Vermont. The Co-op Solar program is designed to help Vermonters save money and energy by using solar heating systems. In 2012, the program helped install over 40 solar hot water systems in Chittenden County, Vermont. Read more

Cumbrian residents oppose solar park plans

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 15:48 (Solarpowerportal)

Plans for a 5.6MW solar park in Cumbria have courted controversy from local residents. Read more

aleo solar expands range of solar power self-consumption options

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 15:39 (Solarserver)

On April 12th, 2013, aleo solar AG (Oldenburg, Germany) announced that it has made extensive additions to its portfolio for self-consumption solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The company states that self-consumption is now an attractive supplement to grid feed-in as residential electricity prices rising and solar power subsidies falling. Read more

ADB to loan USD 85 million to build three solar PV plants in Thailand

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 15:34 (Solarserver)

The Asian Development Bank (ADB, Mandaluyong City, Philippines) will provide USD 85 million in loans to Solarco to build three solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in Thailand, which together will have a capacity of 57 MW. Read more

LDK defaults on bond payment

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 15:25 (Solarserver)

LDK Solar Company Ltd. (Xinyu City, China) has failed to make full payments to the holders of USD 23.8 million worth of 4.75% convertible senior notes due 2013, as the second large Chinese manufacturer to default on bond payments in less than one month. Read more

Clean energy investment slump hits utility solar

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 13:40 (PV-Tech)

Investment in utility-scale solar and wind farms is the biggest victim of a worldwide slump in clean energy finance in the first quarter of 2013. Read more

Lightsource Renewable Energy claims one third of 2013 UK solar capacity

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 12:59 (PV-Tech)

UK solar energy developer Lightsource Renewable Energy has completed and commissioned over 133MWp of solar PV projects in the first quarter of 2013. Read more

ib vogt completes 55MWp of UK projects

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 12:44 (PV-Tech)

German solar developer ib vogt has completed about 30MWp of new solar power installations in the UK during the first quarter of 2013. Read more

SunPower to install two solar systems for Yolo County in California

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 12:20 (PV-Tech)

Solar system supplier SunPower is to construct two solar power projects for Yolo County in California. Read more

ReneSola secures module contract for 1.8MW New Mexico solar project

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 12:05 (PV-Tech)

PV manufacturer ReneSola has won a contract to supply its modules for installation at a 1.8MW solar project in Roswell, New Mexico. Read more

Lightsource connects 133MW of solar in 2013

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 11:37 (Solarpowerportal)

Lightsource Renewable Energy has connected over 130MW of solar capacity in the first quarter of 2013. Read more

Clenergy, CGN Solar Energy co-operate on 300MW of Chinese PV projects

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 11:31 (PV-Tech)

Clenergy International, a manufacturer of PV mounting products, and CGN Solar Energy, a Chinese solar power provider, have signed an investment and development agreement for several projects in Lijiang, China. Read more

APS and AMEC complete 17MW Arizona solar plant

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 11:21 (PV-Tech)

Global project constructor firm AMEC and Arizona Public Service (APS) Co have jointly completed a 17MW solar farm, the fifth project under the APS’ AZ Sun solar programme. Read more

LDK Solar defaults on US$23.7 million bond

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 10:48 (PV-Tech)

Chinese manufacturer LDK Solar has technically defaulted on repayment of a loan after making only partial payment on a $23.7 million bond due 15 April. Read more

Envarrior Consulting launches off-grid solar lighting program for rural India

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 10:39 (Solarserver)

Envarrior Consulting Services (Ahmedabad, India) has launched a multi-phased program in collaboration with un-named companies to install over 50,000 solar street lights in Indian villages by the year 2020. The “Akshay Urja – Gram Sumruddhi” solar power project will attempt to procure carbon credits from the solar street lights which are scheduled to be commissioned in rural parts of Indian states. Read more

KfW to fund 14 MW solar PV plant in El Salvador

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 10:34 (Solarserver)

Development bank KfW (Frankfurt, Germany) will loan EUR 39 million (USD 51 million) to Comisión del Río Lempa Hidroeléctrica (CEL) to support the building of a 14 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in El Salvador, as the largest PV project announced to date in Central America. CEL will operate the plant, which will comprise 57,000 crystalline silicon PV modules, on a site 90 km east of San Salvador. The company plans to commission the plant in 2014. Read more

BNEF: Solar investments fall in 1Q 2013 on lower prices

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 8:27 (Solarserver)

Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF, New York, New York, US) has released a new analysis which finds that global investments in clean energy declined 22% year-over-year to USD 40.6 billion in the first quarter of 2013. BNEF states that this was driven by a large downturn in wind and solar project financing, noting that investments are at the lowest level of any quarter in since 2009. The company also notes that investments in installations smaller than 1 MW, mostly solar photovoltaic (PV) plants, fell 8% to USD 18.5 billion. This is less than the 16.5% decline in PV module prices. Read more

Spectrolab reaches 37.8% solar PV cell efficiency

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 8:24 (Solarserver)

Spectrolab (Sylmar, California, US) has achieved a 37.8% conversion efficiency with its multi-junction solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, setting a new world record for PV cell efficiency under a standard concentration of one sun. (1 kW/m2). The new efficiency was verified by the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL, Golden, Colorado, US). Spectrolab speculates that the technology will be able to reach 45% under low concentrations. Read more

PhilNewEnergy to build 35 MW solar PV plant in the Philippines

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 8:20 (Solarserver)

The Phillipines' Board of Investments (BOI) has approved PhilNewEnergy Inc.'s plan to build a 35 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the Philippine province of Davao del Sur on the island of Mindanao. The plant will help the nation reach its goal of tripling its renewable energy capacity to 15.3 GW by 2030, including 285 MW of solar. PhilNewEnergy expects to commission the USD 80.8 million plant in March 2015. Read more

Utilities Across the US Embracing Solar Energy

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 6:00 (Renewable Energy World)

For the sixth year in a row, the U.S. Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has ranked utilities across the nation in terms of how much solar energy they have incorporated into their user base. This year's report shows that solar is spreading quickly across the country with new entrants from North Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio joining the old standbys. Read more

Vilsack, LaHood Sign "Farm to Fly" Biofuel Agreement

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In Washington DC, at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is extending for five years its agreement to work with the Federal Aviation Administration and other partners to help develop a viable biofuel for the aviation industry. Read more

VC Funding in Renewable Energy: Tracking the New Normal

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 20:20 (Renewable Energy World)

Clean energy investments worldwide slid 22 percent in 1Q13 to $40.6 billion, their lowest level in four years, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). The biggest declines were in the U.S. (54 percent), Europe (25 percent), and China (15 percent), while investments in Asia were robust: $8.2 billion in Japan, and the rest of Asia ex-India and China increased 47 percent to $10.1 billion. Asset finance (equity, debt, and balance sheet funds) for utility-scale projects dropped off 34 percent to $19.3 billion. VC and private equity (PE) funds fell 29 percent year-on-year to $1.3 billion. Read more

IRS Defines Start of Construction for the Production Tax Credit

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 15:50 (Renewable Energy World)

The Internal Revenue Service explained today what developers must do this year to be considered to have started construction of new renewable energy projects. Read more

2030: A Future Roadmap for Renewables?

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

A recent European Commission Green Paper seeking views on the development of intermediate renewable energy and climate targets for 2030 has prompted calls from the industry to adopt a three part approach, targeting renewable energy, energy efficiency and emissions reduction. Formally opening an ongoing debate, the consultation — the Commission says Read more

2030: A future roadmap for renewables?

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 13:33 (Renewable Energy World)

A recent European Commission Green Paper seeking views on the development of intermediate renewable energy and climate targets for 2030 has prompted calls from the industry to adopt a three part approach, targeting renewable energy, energy efficiency and emissions reduction. Formally opening an ongoing debate, the consultation – the Commission says Read more

Energy nominee Moniz promises early action on energy storage

Tuesday, 4.16.2013 - 0:06 (PV-Tech)

Ernest Moniz, Barack Obama’s nominee for energy secretary, last week told a Senate committee that he would set a timetable to consider energy storage, the holy grail of renewable integration, within 30 days of taking office. Read more