Asia-based solar cell customer qualifies Intevac’s ion implant tool

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 17:17 (PV-Tech)

Specialist PV equipment manufacturer, Intevac said it had successfully qualified its ‘ENERGi’ ion implantation production system that was announced and shipped in the first quarter of 2013 to an unidentified large solar cell manufacturer based in Asia. Read more

Goldpoly builds 111 MW of PV plants in Gansu, Fujian Provinces, China

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 15:58 (Solarserver)

Goldpoly New Energy Company (Hong Kong) and a subsidiary have commissioned two solar photovoltaic (PV) plants totalling 111 MW in different regions of China during June 2013. Read more

Sunrun Scores Financing for $630 Million in Rooftop Solar

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 22:28 (Renewable Energy World)

The residential solar market continues to ride a wave of mounting success as Sunrun announced that it’s secured financing to support more than $630 million in solar rooftop installations across the U.S. It received funds in three separate transactions from investors that include JPMorgan and U.S. Bank. Read more

Why India's Trade Policies Hurt the U.S. Solar Industry and Jobs

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 22:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Today, I testified before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing & Trade on behalf of the American workers and businesses in the U.S. solar industry about India’s restrictive and unfair trade practices. India is a country with some of the best solar resources in the world.  With the cost of solar continuing to decline, India’s solar sect Read more

Finally, Some Brilliant Solar Guerrilla Marketing for a Panel Manufacturer…from Nivea?

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 21:27 (Renewable Energy World)

I know times are tough for solar PV manufacturers, but if you want consumers to actually ask for your panel by name, you ought to copy this guerrilla marketing move by…Nivea. Yes, Nivea. Not a panel manufacturer, but a sunscreen and cosmetics company. And what exactly did Nivea do to promote solar PV?  Take a look for yourself: For those too excite Read more

Comtec Solar starts construction of 1GW N-type mono wafer plant in Malaysia

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 18:08 (PV-Tech)

China-based monocrystalline wafer producer, Comtec Solar, is constructing a new wafer plant at the Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone in Malaysia. Read more

What Makes Solar Startups an Attractive Investment for Energy Companies?

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 16:51 (Renewable Energy World)

Are utilities friends or foes when it comes to promoting solar energy generation? Read more

HMRC mulls impact of European court solar VAT ruling

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 15:48 (Solarpowerportal)

The government today said that it was considering the implications of a European Court of Justice judgement that could mean domestic PV installations are exempt from VAT. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne secures US$100 million three-year loan

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 15:46 (PV-Tech)

As part of shifting short-term debt to longer term loans, Hanwha SolarOne has raised a three-year US$100 million term loan facility with Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM). Read more

Touring Ivanpah: Photos from an Amazing Solar Project

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 15:20 (Renewable Energy World)

On Tuesday, I had a chance to tour one of the most exciting cleantech projects around — the 370-megawatt Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System near Ivanpah, California in the Mojave Desert. This project, owned and operated by NRG Energy with technology designed and developed by BrightSource Energy, and more than 92 percent complete as of late Ma Read more

Green Gulf to build large wafer and module assembly plants in Saudi Arabia

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 14:17 (PV-Tech)

Saudi Arabia-based renewable energy contractor, Green Gulf, signed initial agreements during Intersolar Europe last week with Kinetics for a 750MW solar wafer plant and a 200MW module assembly plant with Meyer Burger. Read more

Goldpoly connects 10.8MW Fujian PV project

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 14:09 (PV-Tech)

Chinese solar player Goldpoly has completed a 10.8MW PV project in the province of Fujian. Read more

Solar strike prices announced by government

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 14:02 (Solarpowerportal)

The government has released the strike price that large-scale solar will receive under the new Contracts for Difference mechanism. Read more

Solar Power Heads in a New Direction: Thinner

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Most efforts at improving solar cells have focused on increasing the efficiency of their energy conversion, or on lowering the cost of manufacturing. But now MIT researchers are opening another avenue for improvement, aiming to produce the thinnest and most lightweight solar panels possible. Read more

Using Technology to Reduce Solar Industry Soft Costs

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Soft costs are hindering solar industry growth in the U.S. What people can’t seem to agree on is why this is happening, or what to do about it. Read more

Canadian Solar partners with Samsung to build new module plant in Ontario

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 13:50 (PV-Tech)

Canadian Solar is to build a new PV module assembly plant to support the build-out of Samsung’s PV project pipeline in Ontario, Canada. Read more

LA mayor flips switch on solar feed-in-tariff

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 13:03 (PV-Tech)

Los Angeles today turned on what local officials claim is the biggest solar feed-in tariff (FiT) of any US city. Read more

Seraphim Solar receives TÜV SÜD ‘Thresher’ certification

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 12:52 (PV-Tech)

PV module manufacturer, Seraphim Solar System has been awarded ‘Thresher Certification’ from TÜV SÜD, the first company to do so. Read more

Curious About Permitting a Solar Project? Check out SolarPermit.org

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 12:19 (Renewable Energy World)

OK, the permitting process for solar projects in the U.S. is not very easy. That’s just one of the reasons why it’s usually a good idea to work with an accredited installer to wrangle the permitting process—above and beyond safety and the assurance that a system is properly installed. But across the U.S. there are literally thousands of authority h Read more

SunPower solar PV modules receive highest rating under Atlas 25+ testing program

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 11:41 (Solarserver)

SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California, U.S.) and Atlas Material Testing Technology LLC (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.) have released performance results for SunPower's solar photovoltaic (PV) modules under the Atlas 25+ Comprehensive Durability Testing Program. SunPower's E20/327 PV modules showed less than two percent power degradation upon completion of the test, which it describes as an “outstanding” result for the program. Additionally, the modules showed no visual aesthetic changes and no change in electro-luminescence. Read more

Clenergy, CGN to build another 118 MW of solar PV plants in Yunnan Province, China

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 11:34 (Solarserver)

Clenergy (Xiamen, China) and CGN Solar Energy Development Company Ltd. (Shenzhen, China) have entered into an investment and development agreement with Binchuan County in Southwest China for 118 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) plants, to be operational by the end of 2015. Clenergy and CGN will invest USD 195 million in a local project development company to provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for the projects. The companies' plan to build 18 MW of PV in Jinniu Town and 100 MW in Daying Town, with the first phases commissioned in early 2014. Read more

SunPower completes module installation at 250 MW CVSR solar PV plant

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 8:54 (Solarserver)

SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California, US) and Bechtel Corporation (San Francisco, California, US) installed the last of 749,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) modules at the 250 MW California Valley Solar Ranch (CVSR) PV plant on June 25th, 2013. The companies expect to commission the plant “in coming weeks”, as much as five months ahead of earlier estimates. CVSR is located in San Luis Obispo County and will be the largest PV plant in California, as well as the second-largest in the world. Read more

Indian state of Bihar opens solicitation for 100 MW of solar PV

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 8:49 (Solarserver)

The state power company in the Indian state of Bihar has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the development of 100 MW of grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) projects. Bihar State Power Holding Company Ltd. (Patna, India) will offer 25-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) to winning bidders. Developers may submit proposals through July 1st, 2013 at 1 PM. Read more

Intersolar North America to focus on solar financing

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 8:27 (Solarserver)

This years' Intersolar North America trade show in San Francisco, California will feature a focus on solar financing and third-party-owned solar, with presentations by representatives from SolarCity Corporation (San Mateo, California, US) and Sunrun Inc. (San Francisco, California, US). The trade show will take place in San Francisco's Moscone Center, July 8th – 11th, 2013. The accompanying conference at the Intercontinental Hotel will feature more than 200 speakers at 50 sessions and workshops, covering topics spanning technology, markets and business models. Read more

Finnish Fortum CHP Plant Dents Russian Dominance in Lithuania

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Russian gas supplier Gazprom’s 100 percent prevalence in Lithuania has been shaken up in the seaport city of Klaipeda, where Finnish energy firm Fortum has opened a $173-million combined heat and power plant (CHPP). The 20-MW biomass and waste-fuelled plant will produce 40 percent of Klaipeda’s heating needs and decrease its dependency on Russian gas approximately as much. Read more

Ofgem warns UK at risk of blackout

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 19:29 (Solarpowerportal)

Energy regulator Ofgem’s annual risk assessment for UK electricity supply says the risk of blackouts has increased since last October. Read more

UK shale gas exploration receives major boost

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 16:45 (Solarpowerportal)

The government has opened the door for shale gas companies to begin exploratory drilling across the UK in order to determine the fuel’s potential in the UK. Read more

Akuo Energy teams with Schwarzenegger body to develop PV in Mali

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 15:32 (PV-Tech)

French renewables developer Axuo Energy is teaming up with R20, the international environmental body set up by former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, to build 41MW of PV generation in Mali. Read more

UK Reveals Renewable Energy Strike Prices

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 15:27 (Renewable Energy World)

The UK government today revealed the strike prices for renewable energy that it proposes to pay under its contracts for difference scheme. Read more

Lark Energy sells 100MW, but still ‘UK focused’

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 15:16 (PV-Tech)

Lark Energy, the developer behind the UK’s largest solar farm, is selling 100MW of its permitted UK solar projects. Read more

REA: UK renewable heat budget far short of what is needed

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 15:14 (Solarserver)

The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has released a 2015/2016 budget for renewable heat, with GBP 430 million (USD 656 million) dedicated to the renewable heat incentive (RHI). This represents a 1.4% increase on the prior year's budget. Read more

Lark Energy sells 100MW, but still ‘UK focused’

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 14:45 (Solarpowerportal)

Lark Energy, the developer behind the UK’s largest solar farm, is selling 100MW of its permitted UK solar projects. Read more

Renewable Energy to Beat Gas in Power Mix by 2016, IEA Says

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 14:22 (Renewable Energy World)

Renewable energy may supply more electricity than nuclear reactors or natural gas by 2016, spurred by declining costs and growing demand in emerging markets, the International Energy Agency said. Read more

Only four confirmed Green Deal households so far

Thursday, 6.27.2013 - 12:08 (Solarpowerportal)

The Green Deal is facing renewed criticism after the government confirmed that just four households had signed a Green Deal plan since its launch in January. Read more