Order Focus: ReneSola supplies PV equipment to Pakistan

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 18:15 (PV-Tech)

Chinese manufacturer ReneSola is supplying its micro-inverters, string inverters and mounting products to a company in Pakistan. Read more

Solar Photovoltaic Inverter Prices to Fall Due to Fierce Global Competition

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 14:47 (Renewable Energy World)

Prices for solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters will fall sharply in 2013 under fierce global competition for market share, new analysis has found, while this competition will encourage innovation. Read more

BPVA partners with Glyndŵr University to offer MSc in Photovoltaics

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 12:20 (Solarpowerportal)

Glyndŵr University will be offering a masters degree in photovoltaics this September, making use of the Centre for Solar Energy Research (CESR) at the university’s campus. Read more

Natcore triples light-generated current in quantum dot film

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 9:34 (Solarserver)

Natcore Technology Inc. (Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S.) reports that it has met the key requirements to produce a quantum dot solar photovoltaic (PV) cell, in research conducted with Rice University (Houston, Texas, U.S.). The company additionally notes that when voltage was applied to a silicon dioxide film containing its 20nm geranium quantum dots, the film produced a current of 6 milliamps, a three-fold increase over the first attempts to make a QD layer device. Read more

UCLA develops 7.3% efficient transparent OPV film

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 8:51 (Solarserver)

Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA, Los Angeles) have developed a two-layer, transparent organic solar photovoltaic (OPV) film which represents a near doubling of the efficiency of a similar device created in 2012. The new tandem PV device developed by researchers at UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science achieves a 7.3% conversion efficiency. UCLA says that the film could be used in windows, sunroofs, smartphone displays and other surfaces, and can be produced in a variety of colors. Read more

Residential PV storage to hit 2.5GW by 2017: IHS

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 18:44 (PV-Tech)

Residential PV storage capacity could hit 2.5GW by 2017 as domestic solar generators increasingly look to consume the power they produce, a report claims. Read more

Solar Friendly Communities Help Mitigate Soft Costs

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 17:04 (Renewable Energy World)

Despite our growing industry’s best efforts, solar power remains unavailable to hundreds of communities across the country. The simple question is: Why? The answer lies in two words: soft costs. The soft costs of solar installations refer to the costs of customer acquisition, which includes permitting, inspection, interconnection, third party-finan Read more

California sets a new record for utility-scale solar PV, CSP output at just under 2.40 GW

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 16:55 (Solarserver)

Utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) generation in California peaked at 2.396 GW at 12:57 PM on July 31st, 2013, according to data from the California Independent System Operator (California ISO). This is a new record for the state. Read more

SunPower Producing Solar Panels at Full Speed and May Expand Capacity

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 16:32 (Renewable Energy World)

SunPower Corp., the second-largest U.S. solar manufacturer, is selling panels as fast as it can make them and is seeking ways to expand production capacity in anticipation of increasing global demand. Read more

Sharp's quarterly solar PV revenues double to USD 854 million on strong Japanese demand

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 15:31 (Solarserver)

Sharp Corporation (Tokyo) has released financial results for the financial quarter ending June 30th, 2013, reporting that revenues have doubled year-over-year USD 854 million in its Solar Cells division. The division also reported an 8.1% operating margin during the first quarter of fiscal year 2013 (FY 2013), a reversal from the loss reported a year ago Read more

Kyocera solar PV sales, margins boom on strong Japanese demand

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 14:48 (Solarserver)

Kyocera Corporation (Kyoto, Japan) has released financial results for the quarter ending June 30th, 2013, reporting a 44% year-over-year increase in revenues to USD 623 million in its Applied Ceramics division, which makes solar photovoltaic (PV) products. Read more

DuPont and GD Solar sign research and development agreement

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 14:25 (PV-Tech)

A strategic cooperation agreement has been signed between materials researcher and supplier DuPont and Chinese solar energy firm GD Solar, with the two companies set to collaborate on research and development into solar and PV technology. Read more

BNEF: June upswing for world PV market

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 14:01 (PV-Tech)

The global solar industry saw an uptick in shipments and firmer prices in June, according to a report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Read more

Deutsche Bank predicts imminent upturn for global solar industry

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 13:38 (Solarpowerportal)

The solar industry is on the brink of a sustained period of momentum, according to a bullish research note by Deutsche Bank published on Wednesday. Read more

SolarWorld extends US finance programme to boost American-made solar

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 11:57 (PV-Tech)

PV manufacturer SolarWorld has extended its ‘American-made’ solar financing programme to six more US states. Read more

Deutsche Bank predicts imminent upturn for solar industry

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 11:46 (PV-Tech)

The solar industry is on the brink of a sustained period of momentum, according to a bullish research note by Deutsche Bank published on Wednesday. Read more

Spain’s solar industry protests outside prison against ‘criminalisation of PV’

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 6:00 (PV-Tech)

Representatives of Spain’s solar industry protested outside a Barcelona prison on Wednesday against what they called the “criminalisation” of domestic solar energy use. Read more

First US Offshore Wind Leases Go to Deepwater

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 18:13 (Renewable Energy World)

Deepwater Wind New England is the winner of the first competitive lease sale of renewable energy in U.S. federal waters, pledging approximately $3.8 million for two sites in an auction yesterday (July 31) by the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). Read more

Britain Pledges $100 Million for Offshore Wind to Spur Economy

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 13:46 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.K., the world’s largest offshore-wind market, pledged funds to increase jobs in the industry sevenfold in a bid to spur economic recovery. Read more

Wind Farm Downscale on Environmental Consultation Outcomes

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 12:36 (Renewable Energy World)

A proposed onshore wind farm development in Sutherland, Scotland has been substantially reduced in size following an environmental impact consultation. Read more

Wind Forecasting with Super-Duper Computer

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 12:13 (Renewable Energy World)

New software has been developed which has been designed to improve current studies for estimating onshore and offshore wind production, and which may be applied throughout the whole operational life of such facilities, its developers say. Read more

A Shift in the Winds: Building a Wind Power Network

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 9:10 (Renewable Energy World)

A new network of offshore wind power is planned to be constructed along the East Coast. The key to this design is the creation of a main line that would serve as a “backbone” connecting wind farms together and alleviating the hassle of running individual power lines from each individual farm itself to the coast. The main transmission line is suppos Read more

How Clean Energy Victory Bonds Can Power Our Future

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 14:10 (Renewable Energy World)

While we weren’t looking, a major new market has developed and could be the next big thing for clean energy in the U.S. — it’s the market for green bonds. Especially exciting are the bonds being promoted by Green America, Clean Energy Victory Bonds. Another Investment Opportunity for the 75 Percent Clean Energy Victory Bonds (CEVBs) aren’t availabl Read more

Veriown Energy to build 3 MW of PV plants at University of the Virgin Islands

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 12:01 (Solarserver)

The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) and Veriown Energy, a subsidiary of New Generation Power (NGP, Chicago, IL), have signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA). In order to deliver the energy, Veriown Energy will construct three megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants for UVI’s two campuses. The photovoltaic arrays will use approximately 4.2 acres on St. Thomas Campus and 3.9 acres on Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix. The system is expected to produce million kilowatt-hours (kwh) of solar power annually. Read more

Britain Publishes Spreadsheet Used to Calculate Precedent-Setting Home Heat Tariffs

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 12:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The mid-July press release from Britain’s Department of Energy & Climate Change announcing the launch of long awaited feed-in tariffs for residential heating system was fairly straightforward. The press release explained what the tariffs were for, how much would be paid, and for how long. Read more

Azerbaijan Aims to Boost Output of Renewable Energy

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 12:00 (Renewable Energy World)

By 2020 the Azerbaijan government plans to increase its share of renewable energy sources to 9.7 percent of its total energy consumption, which is three times higher than today's rates. This goal is part of its recently approved plan “National Strategy for the Development of Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources in 2012-2020.” Read more

German renewable energy market: cooperatives play an increasing role, as more electricity is marketed directly

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 11:56 (Solarserver)

The German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar, Berlin) reports that the participation of cooperatives in renewable energy generation is increasing in the nation. To date, cooperatives have invested an estimated EUR 1.2 billion (USD 1.5 billion) in enough renewable energy generation to produce 580 GWh of electricity annually. Read more

Advanced Energy Economy: 14 renewable energy bills passed at U.S. states already in 2013

Thursday, 8.1.2013 - 8:54 (Solarserver)

Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) reports that the organization and its partners have participated in the passage of 14 bills to advance renewable energy at the U.S. state level in 2013. AEE also notes that no renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policies were rolled back during the most recent legislative sessions. The legislatures in most U.S. states have ended for summer recess, with the exception of legislatures that meet year-round. Read more