Ford Buying 3 MW of Large Mexican PV Project

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 19:30 (Renewable Energy World)

Ford Motor Co. signed an agreement with Sonora80M to purchase 3 megawatts of one of the largest photovoltaic (PV) farms being built in Mexico. Sonora80M’s 20 megawatt PV farm is located in Hermosillo in the Mexican state of Sonora, where the company fittingly produces hybrid and other electric vehicles. It’s latest effort by Ford, which already has Read more

NSP’s solar cell sales continue to rise

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 14:04 (PV-Tech)

Reporting its fifth consecutive month of increased revenue, Neo Solar Power (NSP) said that order visibility remained good and extended into the third quarter of 2013. Read more

Canadian Solar modules pass Fraunhofer ISE’s PID test

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 13:56 (PV-Tech)

Both multicrystalline and monocrystalline modules from Canadian Solar have passed the Fraunhofer ISE’s PID test in accordance with the draft IEC62804 (System Voltage Durability Qualification Test for Crystalline Silicon Modules). Read more

EU ProSun says duties sufficient for European PV industry recovery, welcomes negotiations

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 12:23 (Solarserver)

Trade group EU ProSun has released a statement applauding the decision by the European Commission to impose anti-dumping duties on imports of Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) products and expressing approval of pending negotiations between the EU and China. EU ProSun President and SolarWorld VP Milan Nitzschke also stated that the calculation of duties at the “lesser duty”, or roughly half the dumping margin of 88%, is sufficient for the recovery of the European PV industry. Read more

Massachusetts unveils new program to support an additional 1.2 GW of solar PV

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 20:21 (Solarserver)

On June 7th, 2031 the US state of Massachusetts has unveiled preliminary details of a new solar program, as well as an emergency regulation to address applications for solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) in excess of the state's cap of 400 MW. Read more

SolarTech wins 25MW of solar farm projects

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 17:23 (Solarpowerportal)

Renewable energy installer SolarTech Ltd has announced that it has secured over 25MW of solar farm contracts in the first four months of 2013. Read more

Solar CHP Innovations Offer Efficiency Kick, Future Energy Storage Options

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 15:54 (Renewable Energy World)

In late April IBM announced a new partnership with Airlight energy, ETH Zurich and Interstate University of Applied Sciences Buchs NTV. The group won a US$2.4 million grant from the Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation to develop a low-cost high-concentration photovoltaic thermal (HCPVT) system. Read more

New Mexico Approves Rock-Bottom PPA for State's Biggest Solar Plant

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 13:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission has given its blessing to the proposed power purchase agreement (PPA) between First Solar and El Paso Electric Power, for what will be the state's largest solar power plant. First Solar bought the 50-MW Macho Springs solar project a few months ago from Element Power, which developed it on land leased from the New Mexico State Land Office in Deming (Luna County). Read more

Wirsol to start construction of 5.94MW project in Germany

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 12:37 (PV-Tech)

German solar project developer Wirsol Solar has announced the construction of a 5.94MW project in Lobbach-Lobenfeld near Heidelberg, Germany. Read more

Bristol set to unveil ambitious solar strategy

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 12:31 (Solarpowerportal)

Bristol mayor George Ferguson is set to unveil a plan which he hopes will see the city installing 1GW of solar PV panels by 2020. Read more

Mainstream and Actis target 600MW of solar and wind in Chile

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 12:01 (PV-Tech)

International developer Mainstream Renewable Energy has formed a joint venture with investor Actis to deploy 600MW of solar and wind projects in Chile by 2016. Read more

Italy’s solar incentive programme suspended

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 11:36 (PV-Tech)

Italy’s Conto Energia V solar incentive programme will expire on 6 July 2013 having reached its cap of €6.7 billion and therefore cease any further investment into solar power. Read more

Palo Alto Streamlines Permitting Process for Residential Solar

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 9:22 (Renewable Energy World)

Palo Alto has taken another step towards making it easier than ever for residents of the California city to go solar. In addition to launching a feed-in tariff last year to support expansion of rooftop solar in the city, Palo Alto has now streamlined the permitting processes for residential and commercial solar photovoltaics (PVs).  Last week the c Read more

IHS: Global polysilicon prices to rise 18% due to Chinese duties on imports

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 9:02 (Solarserver)

IHS Inc. (Englewood, Colorado, US) predicts that global solar polysilicon prices will increase 18% to USD 19.50 per kilogram in June and July 2013, which it describes as a “major turnaround”, but still short of a major market correction. The company states that the main driver for this will be China's plans to impose anti-dumping tariffs on polysilicon from several nations. However, these nations supply much of the high-end polysilicon used in China, and IHS states that multiple factors will limit any price increase. Read more

Canadian Solar to sell 53.9 MW of PV projects in Ontario to BluEarth

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 8:54 (Solarserver)

A subsidiary of Canadian Solar Inc. (Guelph, Canada) has agreed to sell four solar photovoltaic (PV) projects totaling 53.9 MW-DC in Ontario to BluEarth Renewables Inc. (Calgary, Canada). Canadian Solar will supply engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for all four plants. The company expects to begin construction on the four plants in 2013, and plans to commission the plants in 2014. Read more

Krinner expands operations to North America

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 11:52 (PV-Tech)

Screw foundations manufacturer Krinner Schraubfundamente has opened a facility in Ontario, Canada, expanding its operations into North America. Read more

Yingli Green blows past SGS’s sand test

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 16:42 (PV-Tech)

With increasing numbers of PV power plants expected to be located in harsh conditions such as in the desert’s, leading PV module manufacturer and PVEP, Yingli Green Energy said its modules had passed the Blowing Sand Test, conducted by SGS. Read more

Green Energy Technology’s wafer production utilisation running at 95%

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 14:00 (PV-Tech)

Taiwan-based solar wafer producer, Green Energy Technology (GET) reported May 2013 revenue of NT$1,034.8 million, up 2.1% month-on-month and up 6.9% from the same period of 2012. Read more

Green Energy Technology’s wafer production utilization running at 95%

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 14:00 (PV-Tech)

Taiwan-based solar wafer producer, Green Energy Technology (GET) reported May, 2013 revenue of NT$1,034.8 million, up 2.1% month-on-month and up 6.9% from the same period of 2012. Read more

Climate Policies in Coal-Dependent Australia Leading to Surging Wind Development

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Australia’s wind development is driven by clean energy mandates, but the Gillard government's carbon tax has rendered building new coal plants non-competitive. Export policies for fossil fuels is beginning to fast-track liquefied natural gas out of the country to supply a very lucrative market in Asia. Read more

Project Permit: Cutting Red Tape for Green Energy

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Few outside of the solar industry realize how much of an impact local governments can have on the price tag of PV. But with solar module prices having dropped fast and far over the past few years, ‘soft’ costs like local permitting represent the most significant opportunity to keep rooftop solar prices trending down. Read more

EU Climate Commissioner Hedegaard: No more retroactive cuts to Spanish feed-in tariff

Friday, 6.7.2013 - 12:32 (Solarserver)

EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard has spoken out against retroactive feed-in tariff cuts on Catalan TV, in advance of the release of a final text of Spanish electricity sector reform. The National Association of Photovoltaic Energy Producers (ANPIER, Spain) notes that as an EU member, the government of Spain must consider this statement. The nation repeatedly imposed retroactive cuts to its feed-in tariff (FIT) under the previous Socialist government, and the currently ruling Popular Party froze the program in January 2012. Read more