REC supplies 3.8 MW of PV modules for two Japanese PV projects

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 15:23 (Solarserver)

Renewable Energy Corporation ASA (REC, Sandvika, Norway) supplies in total 15,324 REC Peak Energy Series solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for two projects owned and operated by C-Energy, a subsidiary of the Japanese electric utility provider Chubu Electric Power Company. The 2.5 MW Toyobo Mie (Kusu) PV plant, located in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, started operation in July 2013 and is expected to generate 2.5 million kWh of solar power every year. Read more

JA Solar cells top 20% conversion efficiency

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 11:54 (PV-Tech)

Chinese solar cell producer JA Solar’s new p-type mono-crystalline silicon (‘mono-Si’) solar cells have surpassed a conversion effiency of 20%, as verified by the PV calibration laboratory at Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE), Freiburg, Germany. Read more

IHS: PV industry capital expenditures to rise 30% in 2014

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 8:27 (Solarserver)

IHS Inc. (Englewood, Colorado, U.S.) reports that the global solar photovoltaic (PV) industry is beginning to show the first signs of a return to supply-demand balance, which it expects to lead to the first annual increase in industry-wide PV capital investment in three years in 2014. Citing its “PV Manufacturing and Capital Spending Tool”, IHS predicts that global spending along the value chain from polysilicon to PV modules will increase 30% in 2014 to reach USD 3.0 billion. The company notes a sustained increase in capacity from emerging economies as a driving factor. Read more

Apple investor considers early stage backing for emerging solar technologies

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 20:57 (PV-Tech)

A leading venture capital firm is considering making its first investment in an early-stage solar start-up despite seeing its competitors lose hundreds of millions of dollars. Read more

VC firm considers early stage investments in emerging solar technologies

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 20:57 (PV-Tech)

A leading venture capital firm is considering making its first investment in an early-stage solar startup despite seeing its competitors lose hundreds of millions of dollars. Read more

Amonix sets new solar CPV module efficiency world record at 35.9%

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 19:59 (Solarserver)

Amonix Inc. (Seal Beach, California, U.S.) has achieved a 35.9% conversion efficiency with its concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) modules, as verified by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL, Golden, Colorado, U.S.). Read more

Japan Approves 19 GW of Commercial Solar in 2012 After Incentives

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 18:19 (Renewable Energy World)

Japan approved almost 19,000 megawatts of non-residential solar applications by the end of the 2012 fiscal year, as part of the nation’s incentive program for clean energy started in July that year. Read more

Poll: British public prefer solar to fracking

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 17:18 (Solarpowerportal)

The British public would prefer to have a solar farm located near them rather than a fracking well, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by the Solar Trade Association. Read more

Armstrong Asset Management commits US$30 million for SE Asia solar and biogas

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 17:13 (PV-Tech)

Armstrong Asset management has announced that it will commit US$30 million for solar PV and biogas projects in Southeast Asia. Read more

Local Permitting Makes a Bigger Difference as Solar Gets Cheap

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 17:09 (Renewable Energy World)

Going solar keeps getting cheaper, but most of the cost savings have come from less expensive solar panels.  “Soft costs,” like permitting and inspections, are a rising share of the cost of a solar installation.  Several years ago, these permits could increase the cost of a residential solar project (then around $8.00 per Watt) by 5-10% , highlight Read more

Analyzing the Hype of Musk's Solar-powered Hyperloop Transportation System

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 16:22 (Renewable Energy World)

Last week, technology billionaire Elon Musk revealed his ideas for "hyperloop," a speculative new mode of high-speed transportation. The system would propel car-sized compartments through low-pressure tubes (like pneumatic tubes once used to move mail through office buildings) at 1,000 km/h. Read more

JA Solar exceeds 20% efficiency with p-type mono-Si solar PV cell technology

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 15:38 (Solarserver)

JA Solar Holdings Company Ltd. (Shanghai, China) has achieved a greater than 20% conversion efficiency with its new class of p-type monocrystalline silicon (mono-Si) solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, as confirmed by Fraunhofer ISE (Freiburg, Germany). Read more

Envision Solar launches fully mobile, autonomous electric vehicle charging station

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 15:29 (Solarserver)

Envision Solar International, Inc., (San Diego, Calif.) on August 19th, 2013, announced that it has completed the engineering and fabrication of the world's first fully autonomous, fully mobile, fully renewable Electric Vehicle Charging station. The “EV ARC” is ready to ship to customers, the company notes. EV ARC according to Envision Solar is a cost-effective, easy-to-install, standalone solar photovoltaic (PV) charging station that requires no foundation, no trenching, no building permit and no grid connection. Read more

STA publishes ‘10 Commitments’ for solar farm developers

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 15:28 (Solarpowerportal)

The Solar Trade Association has published 10 commitments for solar farm developers to help ensure best practice in the increasingly controversial sector. Read more

Trina Solar results improve on higher shipments in Q2 2013

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 15:11 (Solarserver)

Trina Solar Ltd. (Changzhou, China) has reported a 54% year-over-year increase in solar photovoltaic (PV) module shipments in the second quarter of 2013 to 547 MW, which led to a 27% rise in revenues over the same period to USD 441 million. Read more

Innotech Solar expands sale of PV modules in Nordic markets

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 15:06 (Solarserver)

The Scandinavian-German module manufacturer Innotech Solar AS (ITS; Narvik, Norway) is intensifying its sale of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in Northern Europe with the appointment of experienced PV professional Peter Hansen who will be based in Copenhagen. “Northern Europe represents an exciting opportunity for Innotech Solar. The Nordic governments have long believed in promoting renewable energy and whilst historically these regions have not been regarded as major PV markets, this has changed”, says Hansen. Read more

Canadian Solar PV modules chosen for 600kW Caribbean PV project

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 15:01 (Solarserver)

Canadian Solar Inc. (Guelph, Canada) on August 19th, 2013, announced its modules would be used for a landmark solar photovoltaic (PV) project in the Leeward Islands.  Comet Solar, an Anguilla based solar installation company, selected Canadian Solar for the installation, which at 600KW is the largest commercial PV project permitted by the St. Kitts & Nevis Government to date.  Read more

Strong emerging market shipments boost Q2 fortunes for Trina Solar

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 14:03 (PV-Tech)

Trina Solar has said geographic diversification and pricing stabilisation helped it decrease its losses and post stronger than expected shipments in the second quarter of 2013. Read more

Solar manufacturers to increase investment for first time in three years: IHS

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 13:58 (PV-Tech)

Solar manufacturers will increase their expenditure for the first time in three years as they look to meet demand from emerging economies, according to IHS. Read more

AFASE: Minimum Chinese PV module price will feel like €0.60

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 11:54 (PV-Tech)

The minimum price per Watt imposed on Chinese PV module imports into the EU will feel much higher to installers and developers than the deal suggests, according to the Alliance for Affordable Solar Energy (AFASE). Read more

Petition to lower solar PPA tariff in India rejected

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 11:53 (PV-Tech)

The petition made by state-owned electricity distributor Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL) to cut the rate it pays for energy from 88 solar projects by 28% has been rejected. Read more

First auction of federal land for US solar farm projects announced

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 11:27 (PV-Tech)

The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning to hold its first competitive auction for public land for solar project development later this year. Read more

Solar thermal installations hit year low

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 11:10 (Solarpowerportal)

Solar thermal installations in July represented the lowest monthly deployment in all of 2013, according to statistics published by the STA, the HHIC and the ICOM energy association. Read more

Stion releases new, higher power CIGS solar PV modules

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 9:55 (Solarserver)

Stion Corp. (San Jose, California, U.S.) has released a new copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) module line which offers improved power ratings and temperature co-efficients. These modules have additionally been awarded key IEC and ANSI/UL certifications. The company's Elevation Series STO modules are available with ratings of 135-150 watts, a 10 watt improvement, and offer a 0.26%/degree C temperature coefficient. The modules have additionally received ANSI/UL 1703, IEC 61730 and IEC 611646 certification. Read more

Mercom: Macroeconomic, policy factors at play in Indian solar slump in Q2 2013

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 9:49 (Solarserver)

Mercom Capital (Austin, Texas, U.S.) says that Indian policymakers have been unable to navigate rapid changes in the global solar market and that protectionist policies have “all but paralyzed the sector”, in its latest quarterly report on India's solar market. Mercom notes that only 73 MW of solar capacity has been installed in India in the last three months. The company blames a number of factors, including a weak national currency, an estimated 10% increase in PV module prices, and state bidding practices which drive down prices to unsustainable levels. Read more

Solar renewable energy credit prices climb in August 2013 auction

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 9:38 (Solarserver)

SRECTrade (San Francisco, California, U.S.) has released results of its August 2013 auction of solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) for the Northeastern United States, finding that prices for most classes of SRECs have increased from its July 2013 auction. Prices for SRECs increased in Maryland and Washington D.C., as well as the key markets of Massachusetts and New Jersey. Prices for different classes of SRECs both increased and decreased in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Read more

TrendForce: Trend towards high-efficiency solar PV supported by growth of rooftop PV market

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 8:33 (Solarserver)

TrendForce's (Taipei City, Taiwan) EnergyTrend division has published a new analysis which notes a trend towards high-efficiency solar photovoltaic (PV) products, driven by steady growth in rooftop PV markets in Europe, North America and Japan. The company estimates that diversified residential PV installations are likely to represent more than 50% of the global market in 2015. It also finds that users in this market pay more attention to power rating as they are seeking to replace conventional power with PV. Read more

Inner Mongolia solar power increases by 169%

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 4:59 (PV-Tech)

Solar power generation in Inner Mongolia increased by 169% in the first half of 2013 compared to the same period last year, according to the Inner Mongolia Power Group (IMPG). Read more

Staring Down Sequestration, US Army Ramps Up Renewables Recruiting Drive

Tuesday, 8.20.2013 - 10:00 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.S. Armed Forces, for a variety of reasons, has been at the leading edge of change when it comes to renewable energy deployment in government, spurred by statutory federal government renewable energy and energy efficiency targets. Faced with enacting sharp and deep cuts as a result of sequestration, U.S. military leaders are ramping up recruiting efforts nonetheless, aiming to strike up partnerships with private-sector renewable energy project developers. Read more