SMA’s manufacturing facility declared zero scope 2 carbon neutral

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 12:23 (Solarpowerportal)

Inverters manufactured by SMA Solar Technology AG have been officially crowned zero carbon following an independent audit. Read more

Applications to Massachusetts SREC program spike to 619 MW in May 2013

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 11:45 (Solarserver)

Developers in the US state of Massachusetts applied for solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) for 619 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in May 2013, according to data from the state's Department of Energy Resources (DOER), as cited by SRECTrade (San Francisco, California, U.S.). These projects bring the state to 906 MW registered in the program, well in excess of a 400 MW cap. DOER announced both emergency regulations to address the excess applications and a proposal for a new regulation to increase the program by 1.2 GW on June 7th, 2013. Read more

Liquid phase crystallization technology promises Masdar PV 14% module efficiencies

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 10:09 (PV-Tech)

An R&D collaboration between Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and silicon thin film manufacturer, Masdar PV could potentially enable module efficiencies above 20%. Read more

Liquid phase crystallisation technology promises Masdar PV 14% module efficiencies

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 10:09 (PV-Tech)

An R&D collaboration between Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and silicon thin-film manufacturer, Masdar PV, could potentially enable module efficiencies above 20%. Read more

Rethinking Solar Array Field Conventions

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 20:14 (Renewable Energy World)

How strange that the development of many solar array fields has largely become an exercise in massive excavation, grading and stormwater management. This is ironic when we consider that such projects carry the “sustainable” tag. Yet there is a better way. Such terrains can be developed with minimal disturbance to the site footprint, within an existing regulatory framework and with less impact to sensitive environmental features. Read more

Mercom: Global solar market to increase to 38 GW in 2013 as center shifts to Asia

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 18:41 (Solarserver)

Mercom Capital LLC (Austin, Texas, US) has released its “Global Solar Forecast” predicting that solar photovoltaic (PV) installations will increase 23% in 2013 to 38 GW, led by China and Japan. The company expects Japan alone to install more than 7 GW in 2013, compensating for declining demand in Germany and Italy. Mercom also warns of the dangers of the trade war between the EU and China intensifying. Read more

China's central government proposes measures to support the nation's solar PV industry

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 15:54 (Solarserver)

At a meeting of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Premier Li Keqiang discussed measures to support the nation's solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, including policies to stimulate domestic demand. Read more

Three Key Features of Los Angeles' New Local Solar Program

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 15:11 (Renewable Energy World)

Officially launched in January after years of development, a new CLEAN (feed-in tariff) program from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (the city’s municipal electric utility) promises 100 MW of new local renewable energy by 2016.  In absolute size, the program will be among the largest CLEAN programs in the U.S., but compared to the siz Read more

Solar Frontier produces 14.6% efficient CIGS solar PV module

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 15:08 (Solarserver)

Solar Frontier has produced a 14.6% efficient copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS or CIS) solar photovoltaic (PV) module on a mass production line at its factory in Miyazaki, Japan. Read more

London City Airport adopts solar lighting

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 14:40 (Solarpowerportal)

London City Airport has invested £10,000 in two new solar-powered runway guard lights. Read more

Shoring up Solar in Massachusetts

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Massachusetts officials are preparing to take a number of steps to shore up one of the state’s key solar power subsidies, including spending millions of dollars to buy up the credits developers use to help finance their projects. Read more

Qatar Solar Technologies Plans to Acquire 30% Stake in SolarWorld

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 13:51 (Renewable Energy World)

SolarWorld AG (SWV), Germany’s biggest maker of solar panels, rose the most in four months after newspapers reported that Qatar Solar Technologies will help finance a restructuring by acquiring a 30 percent stake. Read more

Intersolar EU 2013: BayWa to distribute Solar-Fabrik modules

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 12:50 (PV-Tech)

Solar-Fabrik has signed a distribution partnership with BayWa re renewable energy GmbH. Read more

Intersolar Europe 2013: IBC Solar to showcase rural electrification projects

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 12:46 (PV-Tech)

PV system integrator, IBC Solar is planning to showcase independent power supply solutions for remote, off-grid locations at Intersolar Europe this week. Read more

Intersolar EU 2013: LDK Solar launches M3 power wafer for 19% cell efficiencies

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 11:21 (PV-Tech)

Having guided higher wafer shipments for the second quarter of 2013 due to customer adoption of its M2 multicrystalline wafers, LDK Solar is launching its next generation M3 power wafer at Intersolar Europe this week. Read more

Champion CIS thin-film module at Solar Frontier verified at 14.6% conversion efficiency

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 10:20 (PV-Tech)

Claiming to be closing the gap with mainstream polycrystalline silicon module technology, Solar Frontier’s latest champion CIS thin-film module has reached a conversion efficiency of 14.6% Read more

Mercom: Global solar PV market to increase to 38 GW in 2013 as center shifts to Asia

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 9:50 (Solarserver)

Mercom Capital LLC (Austin, Texas, US) has released its “Global Solar Forecast” predicting that solar photovoltaic (PV) installations will increase 23% in 2013 to 38 GW, led by China and Japan. The company expects Japan alone to install more than 7 GW in 2013, compensating for declining demand in Germany and Italy. Mercom also warns of the dangers of the trade war between the EU and China intensifying. Read more

Kyocera to supply 30 MW of solar PV systems for agricultural project in Japan

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 9:41 (Solarserver)

Kyocera Corporation (Kyoto, Japan) has received a USD 90 million order to supply 30 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to the National Federal of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (Zen-Noh, Japan) and Mitsubishi Corporation (Tokyo, Japan). Kyocera will supply roughly 124,000 242-watt PV modules as well as engineering, construction and maintenance services for PV systems to be installed at 80 Zen-Noh group facilities, including barns, distribution centers and parking lots. Read more

Intersolar EU 2013: TSMC Solar takes champion CIGS module to 15.7% efficiency

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 8:03 (PV-Tech)

Having set a record CIGS module conversion efficiency record at the beginning of the year, TSMC Solar has announced a new champion record of 15.7%. Read more

Renewable Energy in Myanmar: Not Just Clean, It’s Necessary

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Myanmar is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and a youthful workforce, but with many of its people living in extreme poverty, the newly opening economy is attracting the interest of investors and aid workers alike. In the middle of the fastest growing region in the world, East Asia, Myanmar holds great promise as the next big market. Growth rates have exceeded 5 percent since 2010 when the country released human rights icon Aung San Suu Kyi and held elections, and 8 percent growth rates are within reach. McKinsey analysts estimate that Myanmar could quadruple its GDP by 2030 to US$200 billion. Read more

Kenya Launches Renewable Energy Portal

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 13:05 (Renewable Energy World)

  The lack of access to comprehensive, accurate and reliable information on the renewable energy regulatory landscape in Kenya has been a significant barrier to private sector participation. Types and number of licenses/clearances, application procedures, associated costs, contacts of related government agencies, expected turn-around time and the s Read more

Yingli Green strikes 3GW PV project pipeline in China

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 12:38 (PV-Tech)

Qujing municipal government in Yunnan province China has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Yingli Green Energy to provide around 21 PV power plants in the region with a total planned capacity of 3GW. Read more

CEC proposes plan for California utilities to reach 1.325 GW of energy storage by 2020

Tuesday, 6.18.2013 - 11:51 (Solarserver)

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has proposed a procurement plan energy storage targets for the state's three private utilities, to reach a cumulative total of 1.325 GW by 2020. The CEC calls for “viable and cost-effective” storage systems from among emerging technologies, with the goals of optimizing the state's grid, integrating renewable energy generation, and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. Read more