Solar cell efficiency work bags award for student

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 16:46 (PV-Tech)

Stefen Fischer has been awarded the Best Student Presentation Award at the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) for his work to increase the efficiency of silicon solar cells. Read more

Clenergy’s SPS three-phase grid-connected inverters accredited by TÜV

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 13:43 (PV-Tech)

Clenergy has announced that TÜV Rheinland has accredited its SPS three-phase grid-connected inverters. Read more

ReneSola upgrades Q2, full year 2013 guidance on stronger shipments

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 9:10 (Solarserver)

ReneSola Ltd. (Jiashan, China) has updated its outlook for the second quarter of 2013, estimating that it shipped 760-770 MW of silicon wafers and solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, and earned revenues between USD 365-375 million. This represents a 16% increase over its previous revenue forecast for the quarter. ReneSola also upgraded its full year 2013 guidance, predicting shipments of 2.8-3.0 GW, including 1.6-1.8 GW of PV modules. Read more

Solar Helps New York Tackle High Electricity Costs, Utility to Solicit 100 MW

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 19:14 (Renewable Energy World)

New York has some of the highest electricity rates in the nation. But now more and more New Yorkers are turning to reliable solar to help manage their electricity costs. Read more

Gehrlicher Solar building 3MW plant on US landfill site

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 18:19 (PV-Tech)

Gehrlicher Solar America has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a 3MW PV power plant being built at a landfill site near the town of Scituate, Massachusetts. Read more

Thailand increases renewable targets including solar for rooftops

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 17:49 (PV-Tech)

The Thai Government has approved energy department plans to increase its renewables targets through 2021, which will include a 3GW target for PV installations. Read more

EMR delivery plan paints a ‘bleak outlook’ for sub 5MW solar

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 17:32 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has published its draft EMR Delivery Plan which has highlighted a number of concerns for the solar industry. Read more

Elon Musk Planning Solar-Powered ‘Hyperloop’ Tranport System

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 16:58 (Renewable Energy World)

Elon Musk, the billionaire chairman and chief executive officer of electric-vehicle maker Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA), will release designs next month for a system he has said would be capable of whisking people from Los Angeles to San Francisco via a tube. Read more

Canadian Solar facilities gain environment, health and safety certification

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 16:47 (PV-Tech)

Canadian Solar subsidiary Canadian Solar Manufacturing Ontario has been awarded certifications of conformance to health and safety management system OHSAS 18001:2007 and environmental management system ISO 14001: 2004 by TÜV Rheinland. Read more

New Jersey’s PSE&G Announces Third Round of Solar Loan Program

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 16:38 (Renewable Energy World)

After finishing two rounds of its successful solar loan program, New Jersey’s Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) has received approval to offer a third round of loans to 97.5 MW worth of residential and non-residential solar projects and is expected to announce a start date shortly. Solar Loan III is similar to the previous two program Read more

Hareon Solar reveals PERC and IBC cells developments at IEEE PVSC conference

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 16:11 (PV-Tech)

China-based tier 1 PV manufacturer, Hareon Solar Technology said it presented two papers at the 39thIEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) last month that demonstrated new technological developments for both Passivated Emitter and Rear Cells (PERC) and Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) solar cells. Read more

Solar Shakeout: Auction marks end to US-based Bluechip Energy

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 16:06 (PV-Tech)

An auction to sell the assets of bankrupt US-based PV module manufacturer, Bluechip Energy, also known as Advanced Solar Photonics has taken place, marking the end to the company’s operations. Read more

LIPA to solicit another 100 MW of solar PV

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 15:50 (Solarserver)

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA, Uniondale, New York, US) has announced that it will solicit 100 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects 100 kW to 2 MW in size through a new phase of its Clean Solar Initiative. Read more

Mecasolar exceeds 400MW supply of PV trackers

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 14:07 (PV-Tech)

Mecasolar has supplied 400MW of installed trackers across five continents, in 42 countries with 200MW of further orders worldwide. Read more

Cleantech Investments A Mixed Bag in 2Q13, But VCs Are Warming Up To Solar

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Investments in the renewable energy sector were a mixed bag during the second quarter of 2013, according to a trio of analyst reports and many of the same trends we've seen lately persist: the U.S. and Asia-Pacific regions were more active, and downstream activity continues to intensify. Read more

SPG acquires solar-grade silicon facility in Bitterfeld, Germany, from PV Crystalox

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 13:43 (Solarserver)

On July 17th, 2013 Silicon Products Research Engineering Production GmbH (SPG¸ Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany) announced the acquisition of PV Crystalox Solar PLC’s (PVCS) solar-grade silicon production facility located in Bitterfeld, Germany, through a management buy-out and private investment. SPG took over the facility and a part of the staff together with the associated responsibilities related to the repayment of grants and subsidies. Read more

Phoenix Solar expands Saudi Arabia’s largest ground mounted system

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 13:13 (PV-Tech)

Phoenix solar is extending the supposed largest ground mounted system in Saudi Arabia, at KASPARCH, Riyadh to 5.3MW. Read more

Exhibitor numbers at Intersolar North America drop 24%

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 13:12 (PV-Tech)

Intersolar North America finished in San Francisco on 11 July, having attracted over 17,000 attendees, but exhibitor numbers were down heavily compared to 2012. Read more

Viridian Solar launches new website for installers

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 12:53 (Solarpowerportal)

Viridian Solar has launched a new website dedicated to installers of its in-roof solar PV and thermal panels. Read more

Luvata’s solar operations adopt Toyota’s Lean approach

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 11:54 (PV-Tech)

Luvata’s solar ribbon manufacturing plant has been certified as Lean, the production philosophy made famous by Toyota. Read more

NRG purchases utility-scale solar project in Guam

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 11:49 (PV-Tech)

NRG Solar, a subsidiary of US independent electricity generator NRG Energy, has purchased a utility-scale 25.65MW solar project in Guam from Quantum Utility Generation. Read more

Voltalia commissions first utility-scale solar PV plant through French tender system

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 11:31 (Solarserver)

Voltalia (Paris) has connected a MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant to the grid in the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, as the first plant to be commissioned under the nation's tender system. The company states that it completed the plant in Castellet in record time. All told, 105 PV plants with a total capacity of 520 MW were awarded through the 2012 tender. Read more

NRG Solar acquires 26 MW PV project on the island of Guam in the western Pacific Ocean

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 11:25 (Solarserver)

NRG Solar LLC (Carlsbad, California, U.S.) has bought a 25.6 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project on the island of Guam in the western Pacific Ocean from an affiliate of Quantum Utility Generation LLC (QUG, Houston, Texas, U.S.). NRG will build, own and operate the PV plant, as well as selling all of the electricity generated to utility Guam Power Authority (Harmon, Guam) under two 25-year power purchase agreements. Guam currently relies on imported fuel oil and diesel to meet its entire electricity demand, at prices which are both high and volatile. Read more

New York State awards USD 54 million to support 64 MW of solar PV plants

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 9:17 (Solarserver)

Andrew Cuomo, governor of the US state of New York, has awarded USD 54 million to support 79 solar photovoltaic (PV) projects across the state through the NY-Sun Initiative. These projects will total 64 MW, and will be located at businesses, factories, municipal buildings, colleges and large commercial and industrial facilities. The State expects the majority to be commissioned in the first half of 2014. Read more

European Commission holds hearing on impact of EU solar PV tariffs

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 8:48 (Solarserver)

On July 17th, 2013, the European Commission held a hearing organized by trade group Alliance for Affordable Solar Energy (AFASE, Brussels) on the negative impacts of duties on Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) imports on European PV companies. In a press release before the event, AFASE stated that representatives of 30 companies would attend. The group states that tariffs have already led to order cancellations and job cuts, contrary to what it calls the “optimistic findings” of the European Commission. Read more

Dutch “National Energy Agreement” to include solar PV systems, heat pumps for 1-2 million households

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 15:22 (Solarserver)

The Dutch government, trade unions and environmental organizations have produced a draft “National Energy Agreement” which will include solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and heat pumps for between one and two million households in the nation. Read more

Could Renewable Energy Stop UK Lights from Going Out?

Wednesday, 7.17.2013 - 15:43 (Renewable Energy World)

Rising fuel bills and security of energy supply are on the management agenda as never before. The recent media coverage about the very real risk of UK lights going out in 2016 brings an added urgency. At worst, manufacturing industry has less than three years to take more control by finding new ways of stabilising energy costs and securing supplies that don’t rely on the grid. With time fast running out, could now be the moment for manufacturers to start taking renewable energy far more seriously? Read more