Small bondholders start court proceedings against Suntech Power Holdings

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 15:20 (PV-Tech)

Certain Suntech Power Holdings bondholders have started legal proceedings to recoup investments after the statutory 60-day hold on filing claims after the company defaulted in its US$541 million convertible note, expired. Read more

New PV Module Encapsulation Materials Led By New Cell Types

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 15:16 (Renewable Energy World)

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is a recipe of highly engineered materials and components, sandwiched with specific functions and working together to harness sunlight and convert it into electricity. One of those layers is the encapsulation film which protects the solar cell and ensures its performance and reliability; its role is to provide optical and electrical transmissivity and keep out moisture. Read more

PV bottleneck raises fears of grid overcapacity in Hokkaido

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 13:10 (PV-Tech)

Officials from Hokkaido Electric Power in Japan are being forced to review applications made by large-scale PV developers due to fears these installations could exceed the grid’s capacity. Read more

Recovery Report: Japan PV Manufacturers Find Their Domestic Sweet Spot

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Almost one decade ago, Japanese PV makers dominated global PV production – Sharp, Kyocera, Sanyo (now part of Panasonic) and Mitsubishi Electric represented about 50 percent of global production in 2005. When German and other European markets expanded quickly, a great number of companies in Europe and Asia, specifically China, jumped into the “potentially” profitable PV industry. They rapidly ramped up their production and brought down costs, leaving Japanese companies behind. Read more

Cameron sidesteps question on solar planning changes

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 17:31 (Solarpowerportal)

Prime minister David Cameron today remained non-committal when asked by an MP if he would extend powers enabling communities to more easily block windfarms to solar energy projects. Read more

IHS: Anti-dumping duties to add to decline of EU solar PV market

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 15:52 (Solarserver)

IHS (Englewood, Colorado, US) has released a new analysis which predicts that EU anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) products will cause a 1.3 GW decline in the European PV market in the second half of 2013. Read more

Aruba signs MOU with BYD for widespread deployment of solar PV, energy storage and electric vehicles

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 15:20 (Solarserver)

On June 11th, 2013, Aruba's Prime Minister Mike Eman and top Aruban officials signed an memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BYD Americas President Stella Li which outlines a path for the nation to move to a zero-carbon footprint and energy independence to 2020. Read more

First Solar reiterates 2013 revenue guidance as it plans major stock issue

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 15:17 (PV-Tech)

The leading PVEP (Photovoltaics energy provider) First Solar plans to offer over 9 million new shares to raise funds to build PV power plants. Read more

Councillors refuse Suffolk solar farm

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 14:55 (Solarpowerportal)

Councillors today foiled an application from Hive Energy to build a 10MW solar farm on a field in Suffolk after objections from local residents including TV star Griff Rhys Jones. Read more

Asola finds a buyer: STGCON takes over

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 13:22 (PV-Tech)

Electronics manufacturer STGCON is to buy PV module manufacturer Asola Solarpower, which filed for insolvency in April. Read more

Alternergy named second fastest growing UK company

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 13:10 (Solarpowerportal)

Solar panel distributor Alternergy has been toppled from its place at the top of a list of fast-growing UK companies. Read more

Is the IRS Considering Solar REITs?

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

On June 7, 2013, the IRS released the public version of the private letter ruling (PLR) that it issued to Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc. prior to that company’s IPO in April. Contrary to some industry observer's expectations, the ruling doesn't break new ground. It certainly doesn't reflect IRS agreement that solar and wind farms are good REIT assets. Read more

Former Irish energy boss launches solar PV fund for England and France

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 12:33 (Solarpowerportal)

The former head of Irish Energy provider, Bord Gais, has launched a new investment fund aimed at the solar PV market. Read more

Innotech Solar factory celebrates 10th anniversary; 0.5 GW of PV modules produced since 2003

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 12:01 (Solarserver)

Located in the Swedish village of Glava, the solar photovoltaic (PV) module factory of the Scandinavian-German manufacturer, Innotech Solar (ITS), is celebrating its 10th anniversary. A total of 2.2 million PV modules have been manufactured here since production started in 2003, which corresponds to a cumulative output of around 0.5 GW, the company reports. Read more

Solargiga to supply 370 MW of solar PV modules to Sharp in 2013

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 11:56 (Solarserver)

Solargiga Energy Holdings Ltd. (Cayman Islands) has announced that it will supply Sharp Corporation (Osaka, Japan) with 370 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in fiscal year 2013, following a “decade-long” supply and sales partnership between the two companies. Solargiga notes that commissioning PV modules from third companies to meet Sharp's full demand, as its production capacity is not currently sufficient to supply this amount. The company began supplying modules to Sharp in 2013, adding to its previous supply of ingots, wafers and cells, and is Sharp's largest supplier in China. Read more

CAUSE Amps up Efforts to Keep Net-Metering Flowing with Study Request

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 10:04 (Renewable Energy World)

Californians Against Utilities Stopping Solar Energy (CAUSE) is increasing its efforts to support clean, locally produced energy. The recently minted advocacy organization, which formed this past April, is comprised of solar companies, advocates and doctors. Now they have joined with the American Lung Association to petition the California Energy C Read more

NPD Solarbuzz: UK solar PV demand grows to 520 MW in Q1 2013

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 8:58 (Solarserver)

NPD Solarbuzz (Santa Clara, California, US) reports that demand for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in the United Kingdom (UK) grew to 520 MW in the first quarter of 2013, buoyed by a push from large-scale ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) projects completed in March 2013. The company notes that cumulative UK PV demand has now exceeded 2.5 GW, with 93% of this demand coming the last two years. NPD Solarbuzz VP Finlay Colville also notes that the nation's PV industry is now seeing stable policies and support from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), which is allowing increased confidence for PV project developers. Read more

Lark Energy gets approval for 100 MW of UK solar PV projects

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 8:55 (Solarserver)

Lark Energy (Market Deeping, UK) notes that it has recently secured planning permission for five solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in the UK totaling 100 MW. Lark will take the lead role in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) on the majority of these projects, along with supplying ongoing operations & maintenance services. Projects include PV plants on two airfields in Suffolk, as well as another plant in Suffolk and projects in Norfolk and Lincolnshire. Read more

California solar industry ready to ramp up following shutdown of nuclear plant

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 8:51 (Solarserver)

On June 7th, 2013 Southern California Edison (SCE, Rosemead, California, US) announced that it will permanently close the troubled San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in Southern California. Units 2 and 3 of the plant have been out of service since January 31st, 2012, following the discovery of a leak inside a steam generator. Following news of the shutdown, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA, Washington, DC, US) issued statement declaring the solar industry ready to ramp up efforts in California to ensure adequate electricity generation capacity. Read more

Clock’s Ticking to Submit Nominations for the Projects of the Year Awards

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

A solar installation built adjacent to a natural gas-fired power plant in Florida; a hydroelectric plant needed to meet an expected 6 percent annual growth in Chile; a coal-fired power plant that also burns biomass in Virginia; and a solar power plant built on a former lignite mining strip in Germany. These projects and more are some of the past wi Read more

Hydropower Back on Political Agenda as Central Europe Floods

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 19:49 (Renewable Energy World)

There was an extra level of excitement and anticipation at the Renewable Energy World Europe and Power-Gen Europe Conference and Exhibition in Vienna last week. Not just because more than 13,000 of the world’s renewable energy and power industry had gathered to hear the latest developments and to see top power leaders debate Europe’s energy future, Read more

Renewable Energy Investments Shift to Developing Nations

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 17:32 (Renewable Energy World)

Renewable energy investments are shifting to developing nations as countries from Morocco to Chile pursue power sources that wean them off fossil fuel imports, two studies promoted by the United Nations said. Read more

Country-Based Action to Achieve Universal Access to Energy

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 17:23 (Renewable Energy World)

About 1.2 billion people still lack access to electricity, and 2.8 billion have to rely on wood or other biomass to cook and heat their homes, said a recent report produced by a multi-agency team led by the World Bank. Read more

Goldpoly completes acquisition of China Merchants New Energy Holdings

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 13:59 (PV-Tech)

Goldpoly New Energy Holdings is celebrating the successful acquisition of approximately 92.17% of the entire issued share capital of China Merchants New Energy Holdings on 10 June. Read more

Soitec and Maxwell Technologies win US$1.39 million contract for storage R&D

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 13:35 (PV-Tech)

The California Energy Commission will fund a two-phase research programme combining an energy storage system with concentrated PV technology. Read more

Spanish trade groups petition EU to intervene in “discriminatory” Spanish policies

Wednesday, 6.12.2013 - 11:49 (Solarserver)

Describing a “flagrant breach of European Directives”, a group of seventeen Spanish and international renewable energy trade associations has petitioned the European Parliament to require Spain to revise its regulations in the electricity sector. The group states that Spain's policies, including retroactive cuts to production hours and new taxes, both make impossible the development of renewable energy as well as threatening legal certainty. It also states that the goal of reducing the tariff deficit can be accomplished by non-discriminatory means. Read more