ConEdison Development acquires 50% stake in two Sempra PV plants

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 20:56 (Solarserver)

On May 21st, 2013, Sempra U.S. Gas & Power (San Diego, California, US) announced that Consolidated Edison Development has agreed to acquire a 50% stake in two Sempra's large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in the U.S. Under the agreement, Consolidated Edison Development and Sempra each will own a 50% interest the 150-megawatt (MW) Copper Mountain Solar 2 plant near Las Vegas, Nevada, and the 150-MW Mesquite Solar 1 power plant near Phoenix, Arizona. Read more

ABB to manufacture utility-scale PV inverters in South Africa

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 19:05 (PV-Tech)

To meet a series of utility-scale PV projects in South Africa as part of the South African Department of Energy’s (DoE) Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), ABB is planning to open the new PV inverter production line at its existing facilities in Johannesburg in 2014. Read more

Lead-Acid Batteries: Merely A Launch Pad for Something Better?

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

There’s finally been some good news for a change: According to a recent analysis performed by market research company IHS, the market for photovoltaic storage systems is about to boom. In Germany alone, the total capacity is set to increase from eight to 4,900 megawatts (MW) between now and 2017. The success of storage systems is dependent on one condition, however: They must be able to pay for themselves within the estimated 20-year lifetime of a solar plant, as well as operate reliably in basements throughout the year. Read more

Berlin PV institute approves Meyer Burger DragonBack solar photovoltaic measurement technology

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 11:09 (Solarserver)

Photovoltaik Institut Berlin AG (PI, Berlin) has approved Meyer Burger's (Zug, Switzerland) DragonBack measurement method for high efficiency solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. DragonBack was developed by Meyer Burger metrology subsidiary Pasan SA (Neuchâtel, Switzerland) in cooperation with the SUPSI-ISAAC- Swiss PV Module Test Center (Canobbio, Switzerland). Meyer Burger notes that the system is upgradeable on existing Pasan High-Light solar simulators, and offers a high degree of precision combined with high volume throughput. Read more

Fronius USA Solar Electronics Division launches new service program

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 20:51 (Solarserver)

Fronius USA Solar Electronics Division has launched the new Fronius Service Program. The service program helps solar photovoltaic (PV) system installers maximize customer energy yields by certifying them to complete board-level replacements in the field, reducing system downtime to minutes instead of days. Read more

Ascent Solar Technologies opens retail locations in Colorado

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 20:40 (Solarserver)

On May 21st, 2013, Ascent Solar Technologies Inc. (Thornton, Colorado, US) announced that it has opened the company's retail locations in Colorado. Read more

Martifer Solar to build 30 MW-AC solar PV plant in Mexico

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 20:29 (Solarserver)

Martifer Solar SA (Oliveira De Frades, Portugal) has announced that it will supply engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services to Gauss Energía (Mexico City, Mexico) for a 30 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Read more

Martifer Solar wins EPC contract for Latin America’s ‘largest PV plant’

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 18:23 (PV-Tech)

Portuguese EPC firm Martifer Solar has been awarded an EPC contract for a 30MW PV facility in Mexico, which, according to the company, will represent the largest PV plant in Latin America to date. Read more

Lightsource Renewable Energy acquires new solar farm developed by Solarcentury

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 17:59 (Solarpowerportal)

Lightsource Renewable Energy has announced the acquisition of a 6.3MW solar park in Southampton, developed and built by Solarcentury. Read more

Installations in India flat-line

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 17:48 (PV-Tech)

India has only achieved 60% of its targeted solar installation goal so far, according to a report by clean energy communications and consulting firm Mercom Capital. Read more

SolarAid reaches Google Global Impact Challenge finals

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 16:06 (Solarpowerportal)

The UK-based charity SolarAid has been selected as one of 10 Google Global Impact Challenge finalists. Read more

Japanese solar PV market grows three-fold

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 15:33 (Solarserver)

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) reports that 1.56 GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity has been added in the nation between April 1st, 2012 and February 28th, 2013. Read more

German government to supply an additional EUR 50 million for solar PV R&D

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 15:27 (Solarserver)

The German federal government has announced that it will supply an additional EUR 50 million (USD 64 million) to support solar photovoltaic (PV) research and development (R&D). Read more

EU Solar Import Duties Seen Hurting China-U.K. Companies

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The European Union is poised to penalize imports of Chinese solar products, a move that would increase Europe’s cost for most photovoltaic panels an estimated 45 percent overnight. Read more

Streamlined Permitting Can Significantly Reduce Costs, Time for Installing Residential Solar

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

A recent report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL) looks at how the permitting process can impact the costs and time it takes to install solar. The report, “The Impact of City-level Permitting Processes on Residential Photovoltaic Installation Prices and Development Times: An Empirical Analysis of Solar Systems in California Citie Read more

LADWP finalises 150MW solar FiT programme

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 13:59 (PV-Tech)

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has finalised its 150MW solar feed-in tariff (FiT) which it claims is the largest solar incentive scheme for any US city. Read more

‘No to trade protectionism’ say Chinese solar companies

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 13:44 (PV-Tech)

Three of the world’s largest solar companies gathered at the Grand Hyatt Beijing Hotel today to protest against European Commission plans to levy tariffs as high as 67.9% on Chinese products. Read more

UK energy minister in Brussels to lobby EC over solar duties

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 12:34 (PV-Tech)

The UK’s energy and climate change minister, Greg Barker, has arrived in Brussels today to lobby the European Commission (EC) over proposed plans to impose trade duties on Chinese-manufactured solar products. Read more

Greg Barker travels to Brussels to lobby EU over solar duties

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 11:59 (Solarpowerportal)

The UK’s minister for energy and climate change, Greg Barker, has arrived in Brussels today to lobby the European Commission (EC) over proposed plans to impose trade duties on Chinese-manufactured solar products. Read more

Greg Barker in Brussels to lobby EC over solar duties

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 11:59 (Solarpowerportal)

The UK’s minister for energy and climate change, Greg Barker, has arrived in Brussels today to lobby the European Commission (EC) over proposed plans to impose trade duties on Chinese-manufactured solar products. Read more

Centrosolar shareholders approve financial restructuring plan

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 11:05 (Solarserver)

A May 22nd, 2013, meeting of the shareholders of Centrosolar AG (Munich) has approved the company's financial restructuring plan, after bond creditors approved the plan a day prior. This plan includes a share merger, a capital increase and other measures which will be implemented in the second half of 2013. Centrosolar's management board first unveiled this plan in February 2013. Read more

RESolve releases analysis of Gujarat solar PV plants

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 8:50 (Solarserver)

RESolve Energy Consultants (Chennai, India) has released an analysis of solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in the Indian state of Gujarat, finding that the performance of most plants has been around 18% capacity utilization factor (Energy measured (kWh) / (365*24*installed capacity of the plant). “Sunrise in Gujarat” found M/s Konark Gujarat Pvt Ltd to have the highest performance among plants that were operational for at least one year, and M/s NKG Infrastructure Ltd was the highest performing plant in the Charanka solar park. Read more

Powerway to supply mounting systems for 3 MW solar PV plant in Chile

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 8:43 (Solarserver)

Powerway Renewable Energy Co. Ltd. (Foshan, China) has signed an agreement to supply its Groundscrew mounting systems for a 3 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Chile. This project is larger than any currently operational PV plant in the nation, though many larger projects are being planned. Powerway says that it was chosen in part due to its warranties and certifications of quality. Read more

Google Reels In Wind-Kite Firm Makani

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 18:28 (Renewable Energy World)

Extending its already deep reach into renewable energy, Google reportedly has acquired a startup and its flying-kite wind turbines that promise to tap better wind energy resources at higher altitudes with far lower costs and more efficient output. Read more

Tracking and Analyzing Energy Legislation Across the US

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 17:02 (Renewable Energy World)

A new online database created by Colorado State University's (CSU) Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) aims to serve anyone interested in clean energy legislation in any state in the U.S., or even those who are crafting policy themselves. Read more

U.K. Urged to Boost Clean Energy Over Natural Gas

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 14:25 (Renewable Energy World)

Britain, under pressure to build new power stations, could save as much as 100 billion pounds ($150 billion) through 2050 by spending on wind, nuclear and carbon capture rather than gas, the government’s climate adviser said. Read more

UK Urged to Boost Clean Energy Over Natural Gas

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 14:25 (Renewable Energy World)

Britain, under pressure to build new power stations, could save as much as 100 billion pounds ($150 billion) through 2050 by spending on wind, nuclear and carbon capture rather than gas, the government’s climate adviser said. Read more

Belltown Alpha Renewables launches with £50 million development fund

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 13:40 (Solarpowerportal)

Belltown Power and Alpha Renewables have partnered to form Belltown Apha Renewables with plans to build, own and operate small and medium-scale renewable energy sites across the UK. Read more

Chile green-lighted 206MW of PV capacity in April

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 12:43 (PV-Tech)

Chilean authorities green-lighted four solar power projects with a total capacity of 206MW in April, according to a report published this month by Centro de Energias Renovables (CER), a Chilean renewable energy research group. Read more

Japan installed 1.6GW of PV from April 2012 to February 2013

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 11:34 (PV-Tech)

Japan installed 1,559MW of PV capacity between 1 April 2012 and 28 February 2013, according to statistics compiled by Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy and published by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Read more

Tesla Motors Repays DOE Loan 9 Years Early

Thursday, 5.23.2013 - 0:25 (Renewable Energy World)

U.S. electric vehicle maker Telsa Motors has paid back its 2010 loan awarded by the Department of Energy. Following payments made in 2012 and earlier in 2013, the May 22 payment of $451.8 million repays the full loan amount with interest. Read more