China Sunergy to present 1500V PV module at SNEC trade show

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 22:56 (Solarserver)

China Sunergy Company Ltd. (Nanjing, China) has announced that it will introduce a 1500V solar photovoltaic (PV) module at the SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Conference and Exhibition on May 15th, 2013 in Shanghai. The 1500V module will enable the design of high-voltage PV plants, which China Sunergy notes will reduce power losses in transformers and enable less cable usage for transmission. The company will also exhibit its QSAR II270-60M module, Waratah 260-60P module and double glass polycrystalline silicon module. Read more

SMA America launches new distribution program

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 22:52 (Solarserver)

On May 8th, 2013, SMA America (Rocklin, California, US) announced that it has introduced a new distribution program in the U.S. Through the new program, SMA America will partner with full-service distributors in the residential, commercial and off-grid segments, providing enhanced benefits to solar professionals and offering greater product availability. Read more

Suniva to expand PV module manufacturing

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 12:37 (Solarserver)

Suniva Inc. (Norcross, Georgia, US) has announced that it will expand its solar photovoltaic (PV) module assembly operations in the US state of Georgia, including hiring 48 new employees. The company plans to ramp up its module assembly to round-the-clock shifts, seven days per week. Suniva has been producing high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon PV cells 24 hours a day, seven days a week since it began production in 2008. Read more

World Bank to loan USD 660 million to support CSP, CPV in the MENA region

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 8:28 (Solarserver)

On May 3rd, 2013 the World Bank's (Washington DC, US) Climate Investment Funds (CIF) approved an revised plan to provide USD 660 million to support the building of 1.12 GW of concentrating solar power (CSP) and concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) plants in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Through the plan, the African Development Bank (AfDB, Tunis, Tunisia) and World Bank will support CSP plants in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. The organizations expect to leverage an additional USD 5 billion from other donors and private funds. Read more

Brief: Solar PV Manufacturer Solopower Sells Off Equipment, Prepares for Layoffs

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 22:24 (Renewable Energy World)

SoloPower, a manufacturer of photovoltaic solar modules, sold thousands of dollars' worth of equipment from its California headquarters last week and is preparing for more layoffs, according to a report from the Oregonian. Read more

Massachusetts Solar: Healthy Mix of Business Sense, Environmental Awareness and Public Engagement

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 20:11 (Renewable Energy World)

It's not often that I hear about renewable energy installations near my hometown in Southeastern Massachusetts – many towns in that area seem to have a vocal dose of NIMBY-ism. So when I heard that auto-auction company Manheim was unveiling a 3.5-megawatt installation in Dighton, Mass., I jumped at the chance to go take a look and was pleasantly surprised at what I found. Read more

Lightsource liaises with local community over Wells 5.4MW solar farm

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 17:25 (Solarpowerportal)

Lightsource Renewable Energy, the UK’s largest solar developer, is planning to install a 5.4MW solar farm across 16 hectares of land at Crapnell Farm near Wells. Read more

Energy Expert Predicts Solar Could Upend Major Utility in California on Price

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 17:09 (Renewable Energy World)

Based on the falling costs of solar and rising electric prices, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), one of the largest utilities in the country that serves northern California, may not be able to compete with residential solar soon. That’s according to a recent piece at think tank, The Energy Collective by energy expert Douglas Short, President of Exas Read more

Clean energy fund to acquire 60% share in Thai solar portfolio

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 16:33 (PV-Tech)

Asset management firm Armstrong’s new South East Asia Clean Energy Fund is to acquire a stake in six solar projects in Central and Northeast Thailand being developed by Symbior Solar Siam, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based energy company Symbior Energy. Read more

Construction begins on Noor 1 solar CSP plant in Morocco

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 15:39 (Solarserver)

In a ceremony presided over by Moroccan King Mohammed VI, workers have begun construction of the Noor 1 concentrating solar power (CSP) plant 200 km south of Marrakesh in Morocco. Read more

Study exposes ‘major flaws’ in case against Chinese solar duties

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 15:29 (Solarpowerportal)

A new report has called into question claims that trade duties could result in 38,600 UK job losses and cost the economy £3.46 billion. Read more

China Merchants New Energy to build 300 MW solar PV plant in Western China

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 15:27 (Solarserver)

China Merchants New Energy Group Ltd. (Hong Kong, China) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Investment Company Ltd. (Urumqi, China) have signed an agreement to invest in and build a 300 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the Xinjiang region of China. Read more

Wafer production forecast to grow by 19% in 2013

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 13:50 (PV-Tech)

Solar PV wafer production is forecast to surpass 30GW and recover to 2011 levels, according to the latest NPD Solarbuzz Polysilicon and Wafer Supply Chain Quarterly. Read more

Study exposes ‘major flaws’ in case against Chinese solar duties

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 13:16 (PV-Tech)

EU ProSun has commissioned a report criticising a study from Prognos as “highly questionable” which claimed tariffs on Chinese manufacturers could cost the European solar industry €27.8 billion. Read more

Investor group to sue Czech government over solar tax

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 13:13 (PV-Tech)

A group of foreign and local solar investors is planning to sue the Czech government for a tax introduced on the country’s solar power plants. Read more

Solar Fred's Guide to Positive Yelp Solar Installer Reviews

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Whether you're in the solar business or any consumer-facing business, you can’t ignore Yelp today or in the foreseeable future. First of all, it won't ever go away, and it is only getting stronger. In fact, it’s even more important now in the age of “Siri,” Apple’s voice-activated concierge for the iPhone. If someone asks Siri, “Who are the best so Read more

Real Goods Solar launches pre-engineered PV systems for US residential customers

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 12:33 (Solarserver)

Real Goods Solar Inc. (Louisville, Colorado, US) has unveiled a line of complete, pre-engineered solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for residential customers in the United States. Systems are available with prices starting at less than USD 6,000. Real Goods notes that its PowerOn offering can be used in conjunction with its leasing and financing options. Read more

Picasolar wins MIT NSTAR Clean Energy Prize

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 12:29 (Solarserver)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, US) has recognized three solar companies as winners of the MIT Clean Energy Prize, including awarding the NSTAR MIT Clean Energy Prize of USD 150,000 to Picasolar (Fayetteville, Arkansas, US). In addition to Picasolar, MIT recognized Sistine Solar (Cambridge, Massachusetts, US) with the USD 20,000 Chevron Renewable Energy Track prize, and chose SunHub (Cambridge, Massachusetts, US) for the MIT Exec Ed Audience Choice Award. Read more

ReneSola solar panels to equip several community-scale Vermont projects

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 12:11 (PV-Tech)

PV manufacturer ReneSola is to supply solar modules to three community-scale solar power projects in Vermont developed by AllEarth Renewables. Read more

ReneSola solar planes to equip several community-scale Vermont projects

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 12:11 (PV-Tech)

PV manufacturer ReneSola is to supply solar modules to three community-scale solar power projects in Vermont developed by AllEarth Renewables. Read more

EU duties risks British Solar Renewables’ £300 million UK solar pipeline

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 11:39 (Solarpowerportal)

The potential imposition of punitive duties on all Chinese-manufactured solar products has caused British Solar Renewables to re-evaluate its planned £300 million investment in the sector. Read more

Solaria Corporation to construct large-scale PV project in China

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 11:12 (PV-Tech)

California-based low-cost solar module manufacturer Solaria Corporation has expanded its operations into the Chinese market with the construction of a series of large-scale solar projects in China. Read more

SolarEdge obtains global certification for 2nd generation smart junction boxes, reaches milestone of two million PV power optimizers shipped

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 11:06 (Solarserver)

SolarEdge Technologies (Hod Hasharon, Israel) on May 13th, 2013 obtained certification for its second generation of smart junction box products. The certification is valid for European IEC and EN as well as North American UL standards. SolarEdge smart junction boxes represent the solar photovoltaic (PV) module-embedded version of the market-leading SolarEdge power optimizer, incorporating power optimization, safety and module-level monitoring into a junction box. Read more

Leading US rooftop solar companies join forces to defend DG policy

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 10:00 (PV-Tech)

SolarCity, Sungevity, Sunrun, Verengo and other leading US rooftop solar companies have joined forces to defend distributed generation incentives Read more

US rooftop solar companies join forces to defend distibuted generation policy

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 10:00 (PV-Tech)

SolarCity, Sungevity, Sunrun, Verengo and other leading US rooftop solar companies have joined forces to defend distributed generation incentives Read more

India to hold separate bids for solar projects with and without domestic content under NSM Phase 2

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 8:24 (Solarserver)

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has released a draft “Methodology for Implementation” for 750 MW of new grid-tied solar electric capacity under phase 2 of the National Solar Mission (NSM), including a separate bidding process for projects with and without domestic content. RESolve Energy Consultants (Chennai, India) states that other than this detail, most of the guidelines in the document are similar to those released by the nation's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in its draft NSM phase 2 guidelines. SECI is currently soliciting stakeholder feedback, after which final regulations will be determined. Read more

GTM: Rate structure can determine solar PV project viability in the US

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 8:18 (Solarserver)

Stating that the US solar photovoltaic (PV) market is headed for a “dramatic transformation” with the pending expiration of federal tax incentives, Greentech Media Research (GTM, Boston, Massachusetts, US) has released a white paper examining retail electricity rate structures. “Rate Design Matters: The Impact of Tariff Structure on Solar Project Economics in the US” states that retail electricity rates are often the deciding factor in the economics of customer-sited PV systems. The paper describes a price “tipping point” that can lead to mass adoption. Read more

Suzlon Energy No Longer Top Indian Wind Turbine Supplier

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 16:34 (Renewable Energy World)

Suzlon Energy Ltd. ceded its position as India's top wind-turbine supplier in the year ended March 31 for the first time in at least a decade, according to figures from an industry group. Read more

Three Ways to Increase Hydropower Efficiency and Revenues

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Recently, the Department of Energy conducted a study with the Electric Power Research Institute on quantifying the value of hydropower, based on a 3 year examination of the Western Electric Coordination Council region. Read more

Legislation introduced in US senate to assist rural renewable energy

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 22:49 (Solarserver)

U.S. Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) have introduced an energy legislation to be included in the 2013 Farm Bill, which includes several provisions expected to create jobs throughout Minnesota and the country. The Rural Energy Investment Act will help farmers, ranchers, and rural communities by encouraging the growth of agricultural energy technologies, including advanced biofuels, biogas, biomass, and renewable energies. Read more

Marine Energy Breakthrough: New Technology Multiplies Potential

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Marine energy is the 'best of the best' amongst green energy sources: it has the greatest potential (in theory, the planet's oceans could supply the entire world with renewable energy), tidal and ocean current power plants are under water and therefore completely invisible, they produce electricity from 100 percent renewable energy sources (the water in the globe's oceans will always move around, well, at least until the sun swallows the moon), they are safe, and the icing on the cake is that they actually have positive environmental effects. Positive? Yes, studies have shown that marine life thrive in marine energy parks. Read more

China Merchants New Energy plans 300MW of Chinese PV through new JV

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 13:36 (PV-Tech)

China Merchants New Energy Group Limited has inked a joint venture agreement with state-owned Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Investment Co which seeks to invest and build a 300MW PV plant in China. Read more

Hyundai Motor plans ‘largest’ rooftop PV array at Asan Factory

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 11:46 (PV-Tech)

South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company is planning to install what it claims will be the nation’s largest rooftop PV power plant at its manufacturing factory in Asan, in South Chungcheong Province. Read more

Springtime for Tesla

Monday, 5.13.2013 - 18:42 (Renewable Energy World)

In my past couple blog posts, I've written about the electric car market and inventor Nikola Tesla , but I'd be remiss if I didn't take a moment to talk about Telsa Motors and the very big waves the company has been making lately. Tesla is having a very, very good May so far. Stock prices raised eyebrows on Wall Street, the company turned its first Read more