Soventix announces construction of one of the largest roof-mounted PV plants in South Africa

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 17:51 (Solarserver)

Soventix South Africa (Johannesburg), a provider of solar photovoltaic (PV) project development and construction has been awarded a contract for one of the largest roof-mounted PV plants in South Africa. As a pilot project, the first EPC contract was signed for a system size of 304 kWp which can be extended to up to 560 kWp in a second construction phase. Read more

Power-One appoints UK micro-inverter specialist

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 17:06 (Solarpowerportal)

Power-One has appointed David Jacobs as product specialist for the inverter manufacturer’s Aurora Micro range of micro-inverters. Read more

WTO rejects Canadian appeal over feed-in tariff ruling

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 15:58 (Solarserver)

On May 6th, 2013 the World Trade Organization (WTO) rejected Canada's appeal against a ruling which found that the domestic content requirement in Ontario's feed-in tariff to be in violation of international trade rules. Read more

Envaris to build 19 MW PV plant in England

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 15:11 (Solarserver)

Envaris GmbH (Berlin) has won a contract to build a 19.2 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Suffolk, England, which will the largest in the nation when complete. Read more

Fforde on Feed-in Tariffs: Literary Use of "Feed-in Tariffs" Comes of Age

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Feed-in tariffs, the terminology at least, has come of age. The term can now be found in a prolific English novelist's most recent book. Jasper Fforde's use of the words in fiction is an open acknowledgment that the term and the idea it conveys have become mainstream in the English language. Read more

SMA supplies inverters to 128MW ‘mega’ thin-film plant

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 12:46 (PV-Tech)

German manufacturer SMA is to supply 114 of its Sunny Central 900CP XT inverters to what is said to be Europe’s largest thin-film PV power plant in Templin in Brandenburg, Germany. Read more

Conergy expands Romanian presence with another 2MW PV plant

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 11:54 (PV-Tech)

After entering the Romanian market in January, Conergy is set to expand its footprint in the country with the addition of a 2MW PV plant in the Romanian region of Slobozia. Read more

SunFunder announces further project finance after repaying first loan in nine months

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 23:50 (PV-Tech)

A San Francisco-based crowd sourcing solar financing start-up yesterday announced a new programme with a UK solar products supplier to developing countries after last week announcing that it had repaid its first loan to investors within just nine months. Read more

Canadian PV project developer P2 Solar launches Indian subsidiary

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 18:02 (Solarserver)

P2 Solar Inc. (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) announced that it has formed a new subsidiary, Jagat Energy Private Ltd., in India to become a player in the rapidly growing energy markets in India. The formation of Jagat Energy in India will allow P2 Solar to comply with certain local government and corporate requirements that normally preclude foreign participation, the company notes. Read more

ET Solar installs 1 MW rooftop PV plant in Germany

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 18:00 (Solarserver)

ET Solutions AG’s subsidiary ET Solar has completed a 1 megawatt (MW) rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The PV plant is located on the roof of a building which is currently being converted into a logistics center for STL Holding GmbH. Read more

aleo solar offers self-consumption PV solutions in Italy

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 17:57 (Solarserver)

aleo solar AG (Oldenburg, Germany) presents solar power self-consumption solutions at Solarexpo in Milan (Italy). The company's product range for the Italian market includes storage solutions, a combination of heat pumps with photovoltaics (PV) as well as a two-in-one PVT hybrid module. aleo solar accentuates that its self-consumption products and services will make solar PV systems attractive in Italy even without fixed feed-in-tariff (FiTs). Read more

Phoenix Solar Singapore to construct 36MW of new solar capacity in Thailand

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 17:48 (PV-Tech)

The Singapore subsidiary of German EPC, Phoenix Solar, has won the contract to engineer 36MW of new solar power capacity in Thailand. Read more

Citizens Solar Holdings secures US$26 million for five solar projects

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 17:33 (PV-Tech)

Citizens Solar Holdings, a company which forms part of non-profit firm Citizens Energy, has secured a US$26 million credit facility which will be used to fund the construction of five PV projects in Massachusetts, US. Read more

A Marriage Proposal Between Solar Wafer Startup 1366 and Japan's Tokuyama

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 17:30 (Renewable Energy World)

Silicon wafer startup 1366 Technologies said it's teaming up with big Japanese silicon producer Tokuyama for a research and development deal that should boost 1366's sales after it starts mass production. Read more

First Solar to Lay off 150 Employees in North America

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 16:59 (Renewable Energy World)

Arizona-based First Solar Inc. said Monday the company is playing to lay off 150 North American workers over the next few weeks as it restructures its global operations, according to a report from The Arizona Republic. Read more

First Solar to Lay Off 150 Employees in North America

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 16:59 (Renewable Energy World)

Arizona-based First Solar Inc. said Monday the company is playing to lay off 150 North American workers over the next few weeks as it restructures its global operations, according to a report from The Arizona Republic. Read more

Myanmar to host world’s third largest solar plant

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 16:17 (PV-Tech)

Thailand-based Green Earth Power (GEP) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Myanmar’s Ministry of Electric Power to construct a US$275 million plant. Read more

South West Water embraces solar after generating over 1GWh in 2012

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 16:14 (Solarpowerportal)

South West Water has installed more solar panels across its operational sites after the company’s existing solar assets generated more than one million kilowatt-hours in 2012. Read more

Reports: European Commission set to impose duties on Chinese solar manufacturers

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 14:35 (PV-Tech)

European Union trade commissioner Karel De Gucht is to offer support to EU ProSun’s complaint against Chinese module manufacturers by imposing trade duties on solar imports from China, according to various media reports. Read more

The Need for Reliable Solar Power at Sea

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In light of recent at-sea power failures on major cruise liners, smaller vessels are tuning into the need to ensure their own systems are dependable and won't strand crews and passengers at sea. Reliable and efficient power is vital on any size or type of boat or ship, but it's too often overlooked in efforts to keep costs down. Installing power redundancy and marine-grade power systems safeguards boaters from discomfort, danger and marred reputations that can result from on-board power outages. Read more

The Making of a New Midwestern Solar Energy Standard

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Last week, a solar energy standard moved one step closer to passage in the Minnesota state legislature, with an innovative new approach to financing solar power.  It’s a powerful first step for what would be one of the more robust policies to support distributed, local solar power in the country. The policy has three key pieces, outlined below. A S Read more

Northampton Saints install solar at Franklin’s Gardens

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 13:37 (Solarpowerportal)

Northampton Saints rugby club has installed 200 solar panels on its iconic stadium Franklin’s Gardens. Read more

Narec Distributed Energy offers free solar thermodynamic panel testing

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 13:02 (Solarpowerportal)

Narec Distributed Energy is offering to test the performance of solar thermodynamic panels for free at its independent test centre in Northumberland. Read more

Narec offers free solar thermodynamic panel testing

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 13:02 (Solarpowerportal)

Narec is offering to test the performance of solar thermodynamic panels for free at its independent test centre in Northumberland. Read more

WTO rejects Ontario appeal against solar local content ruling

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 12:48 (PV-Tech)

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has rejected Canada’s appeal and upheld the its own ruling that Ontario’s domestic content policy violates global trade rules. Read more

German PV module manufacturer Alfasolar files for insolvency

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 12:12 (Solarserver)

On April 26th, 2013, a district court in Hanover approved Alfasolar GmbH's (Hanover, Germany) application for provisional insolvency, and appointed Manuel Sack as preliminary insolvency administrator. The company states that production and business operations will be maintained, including deliveries to customers during restructuring. Read more

REPS repeal bill pushed through committee in North Carolina

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 12:09 (Solarserver)

In what the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA, Washington DC, US) has called a “dirty trick”, the chair of a state senate committee in the US state of North Carolina has approved a bill to repeal the state's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS), despite a lack of clarity as to whether or the measure had a majority. Senate Finance Committee Chair Bill Rabon (R) called S 365 to a voice vote, without counting votes, before passing the bill out of committee. The bill will now go to the Senate Commerce Committee, and must be approved by both houses of the North Carolina general assembly and signed by the governor before taking effect. Read more

Report: European Commission will recommend tariffs on Chinese solar products

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 12:00 (Solarpowerportal)

The European Union could be set to impose significant duties on all imported Chinese solar PV modules and associated key components, according to various reports. Read more

Chinese Lightway Solar to build 50 MW PV plant in Romania

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 8:55 (Solarserver)

The government of Hebei Province, China, has approved Lightway Solar's (Gaobeidian, China) plan to acquire a Romanian company and build a 50 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Giurgiu County, Romania. This will involve a total investment of USD 99 million, including USD 3.2 million to acquire Sun Graden Colibasi (Colibaşi, Romania). Lightway must invest USD 30 million, while the other USD 69 million can come from bank loans. Read more

Massachusetts increases solar PV goal to 1.6 GW by 2020

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 8:42 (Solarserver)

Deval Patrick, governor of the US state of Massachusetts, has announced an increase in his state's solar photovoltaic (PV) goal to 1.6 GW by 2020, as it has met the 2017 goal of 250 MW. Governor Patrick's office also says that as Massachusetts approaches a cap of 400 MW of PV supported through its renewable portfolio standard (RPS), state energy officials are “fast-tracking” an expansion to the program. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA, Washington DC, US) has applauded these moves. Read more

EU-China Solar Trade War Entering Endgame?

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 6:43 (Renewable Energy World)

A report indicating the European Commission has decided to recommend duties on Chinese solar panels appears to usher in the final stage of the European/Chinese version of solar trade wars. Read more

New AWEA Leadership Urges Strategy, Unity for US Wind Industry

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 14:53 (Renewable Energy World)

Kicking off the AWEA Windpower 2013 event in Chicago, the new leadership of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) took to the stage and underscored a five-point plan to build a viable and sustainable industry centered around developing a unified message backed by personal contributions. Read more

Proinso supplies inverters for first grid PV project on Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 13:36 (PV-Tech)

Proinso, a supplier of PV equipment, has delivered 5MW worth of inverters for installation at, it claims, the first on-grid solar project on the India-owned Andaman and Nicobar islands. Read more

The Finnish hydrogen Roadmap: Hydrogen to Join Electricity in Ending Traffic Pollution

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Global expectations for hydrogen are currently sky-high. Transport applications stand at the threshold of commercialisation, while ahead lies an investment boom in the hydrogen distribution network. The changeover to hydrogen based on natural gas would already mean a potential saving of billion in Finland's balance of payments. If hydrogen could then be produced from domestic renewable raw material, our car and bus traffic would eventually be practically self-sufficient and leave a significantly reduced carbon footprint. The above was revealed in the Finnish hydrogen roadmap published recently. Read more

The Finnish Hydrogen Roadmap: Hydrogen to Join Electricity in Ending Traffic Pollution

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Global expectations for hydrogen are currently sky-high. Transport applications stand at the threshold of commercialisation, while ahead lies an investment boom in the hydrogen distribution network. The changeover to hydrogen based on natural gas would already mean a potential saving of billion in Finland's balance of payments. If hydrogen could then be produced from domestic renewable raw material, our car and bus traffic would eventually be practically self-sufficient and leave a significantly reduced carbon footprint. The above was revealed in the Finnish hydrogen roadmap published recently. Read more

Enphase shows continued growth in Q1 2013 results

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 23:16 (Solarserver)

Enphase Energy Inc. (Petaluma, California, US) has released first quarter 2013 results, reporting a 7% year-over-year growth in revenues to USD 45.6 million, a -21% operating margin and a net loss of USD 10.4 million. Read more

Bill to Expand Renewables in Rural Colorado Awaits Governor's Signature

Tuesday, 5.7.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

It looks like Colorado is set to expand the amount of renewable energy in the state once again now that Colorado Senate Bill 252 passed Colorado’s House of Representatives. The bill passed through the House on Monday, April 30 and was passed again by the Senate. It now heads to Gov. John Hickenlooper’s (D) desk. The bill would expand the amount of Read more