Solar gets greener with timber solar mounts

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 19:28 (Solarpowerportal)

A welsh timber firm are the first to commercially produce wooden solar panel mounts. Read more

Vermont Solar Advocates Fuming Over Net Metering Limitation

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 17:14 (Renewable Energy World)

As advocacy groups in states like Arizona loudly protest proposed limitations to net metering programs, a cooperative utility in Vermont quietly set a new net metering limit that has solar advocates there fuming. Washington Electric Co-op announced last week that it would limit the size of future solar installations to 5 kilowatts. A system that si Read more

First Solar and Sharp thwart global dominance of Chinese PV suppliers

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 16:41 (PV-Tech)

Chinese PV manufacturers are now the leading module suppliers in seven of the world’s 10 top PV regions, shipment figures for the past year reveal. Read more

M+W to expand solar PV EPC capabilities with acquisition of Gehrlicher Solar America

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 15:29 (Solarserver)

M+W Group GmbH's (Stuttgart, Germany) U.S. subsidiary has acquired 100% ownership of Gehrlicher Solar America Corp. (GSAC, Springfield, New Jersey, U.S.). Read more

Solar Manufacturers May Boost Capacity as Demand Surges in Asia

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 15:22 (Renewable Energy World)

Three major solar manufacturers are producing panels at full speed and contemplating plans to expand capacity to meet surging demand in Asia. Read more

Toshiba to reduce electric rates in U.S. Virgin Islands with 4 MW solar PV plant

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 15:04 (Solarserver)

Toshiba Corp. (Tokyo) has begun building a 4 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which will supply 8% of the island's peak demand at rates lower than the local utility currently pays for electricity. Read more

North American Development Bank invests in 20MW solar plant in California

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 14:09 (PV-Tech)

The North American Development bank has loaned T Solar US$67.7 million, through land developers Sol Orchard for a 20MW solar plant. Read more

Komax pulls out of solar industry

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 13:04 (PV-Tech)

Komax Group has announced it is pulling out of the solar industry by selling its module assembly equipment arm, Komax Solar. Read more

Solarcentury consults Oxfordshire residents over 13.4MW solar farm

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 12:56 (Solarpowerportal)

Solarcentury’s recent community consultation has revealed decent public support for its proposed solar farm in Oxfordshire. Read more

Hemlock sues GET over breach of polysilicon supply deal

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 12:47 (PV-Tech)

Solar polysilicon manufacturer Hemlock Semiconductor has filed a US$700,000,000 lawsuit against Green Energy Technology (GET) over an alleged breach of a long-term supply agreement. Read more

NPD Solarbuzz: First Solar and Sharp delay Chinese global PV market domination

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 12:44 (Solarserver)

Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers are now the leading module suppliers to seven of the top ten geographic regions, based on shipment rankings for the trailing twelve month (ttm) period ending 30 June 2013, according to the latest “NPD Solarbuzz Module Tracker Quarterly report”. Only First Solar (with leading market-share in the U.S. and India) and Sharp (with leading share in Japan) are preventing Chinese suppliers from dominating in all global regions, NPD Solarbuzz (Santa Clara, California, U.S.) reports. Read more

Softbank considers 40MW mainland Japan PV plant

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 12:41 (PV-Tech)

Japanese telecommunications provider Softbank, which recently purchased US mobile company Sprint for US$20 billion, is considering the construction of a 40MW solar power plant in central Japan. Read more

5MW solar farm bid approved for former coal pit

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 12:34 (Solarpowerportal)

Plans for a 5MW solar park on the former Gedling Colliery site in Nottingham have been approved by the local council. Read more

M+W Americas snaps up Gehrlicher’s US subsidiary

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 12:10 (PV-Tech)

M+W Americas has bought the US subsidiary of struggling German firm Gehrlicher Solar. Read more

California Solar Energy Apartments: Virtual Net Metering Allows Energy Savings One Tenant at a Time

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 12:00 (Renewable Energy World)

In California, residents at any, affordable or luxury, apartments can enjoy the benefit of solar powered electricity at their own apartment complex, without owning PV panels. This benefit is made possible by Virtual Net Metering (VNM). Although VNM is not a new thing, it has the potential to be the next big thing to expand solar on multi-tenant properties. Read more

Toshiba begins work on Virgin Islands solar plant

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 11:20 (PV-Tech)

Toshiba International has begun construction on a 4MW solar project on the island of St Croix with the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA). Read more

JinkoSolar inks 23MW module deal for California solar farm

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 10:14 (PV-Tech)

A deal to provide 23MW of PV modules has been agreed between PV manufacturer JinkoSolar and the US firms Swinerton Builders and Clenera, for use in the construction of a solar farm in Fresno, northern California. Read more

Indian Regulatory Commission rejects state utility proposal for retroactive PPA price cut for solar PV plants

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 9:26 (Solarserver)

The Electricity Regulatory Commission in the Indian State of Gujarat (GERC) has rejected a proposal by state utility Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL) to retroactively reduce the price paid to solar photovoltaic (PV) developers in the state. GUVNL signed 88 25-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 946 MW of PV projects, and the state currently hosts over 50% of India's total installed PV capacity. In July 2013, the utility filed a petition arguing that developers' actual capital investments were much lower than the projection that formed the basis of the PPA prices. Read more

JinkoSolar to supply modules for 23 MW solar PV plant in California's Central Valley

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 9:25 (Solarserver)

JinkoSolar Holding Company Ltd. (Shanghai) has announced that it will supply 23 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to Swinerton Builders (San Francisco, California, U.S.) and Clēnera (Tempe, Arizona, U.S.) for a ground mounted PV plant in Fresno county, California. JinkoSolar will complete deliveries of its 300 watt 72-cell PV modules during the fourth quarter of 2013. When complete the Westlands Solar Farm will supply electricity to Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E, San Francisco, California, U.S.). Read more

SunPower brings zero-down home solar PV loans to Australia

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 8:57 (Solarserver)

SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California, U.S.) has partnered with an Australian credit union to introduce a new loan program including a zero-down option for the nation's residential solar photovoltaic (PV) market. Community First Credit Union (Sydney, Australia) will make the SunPower Solar Loan available to borrowers who meet its credit criteria. Loans are available up to USD 35,000 for terms up to 10 years, and do not require collateral. Read more

Regulatory Commission rejects state utility proposal for retroactive PPA price cut for solar PV plants

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 8:49 (Solarserver)

The Electricity Regulatory Commission in the Indian State of Gujarat (GERC) has rejected a proposal by state utility Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL) to retroactively reduce the price paid to solar photovoltaic (PV) developers in the state. GUVNL signed 88 25-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 946 MW of PV projects, and the state currently hosts over 50% of India's total installed PV capacity. In July 2013, the utility filed a petition arguing that developers' actual capital investments were much lower than the projection that formed the basis of the PPA prices. Read more

Solar Trade Association publishes '10 Commitments' for large PV plants

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 8:40 (Solarserver)

The Solar Trade Association (STA, Milton Keynes, UK) has published a list of best practices for the construction and management of large ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) plants, which it says includes listening to the concerns of local communities, being sensitive to the landscape and protecting the ecological value of the land. The organization is asking its members to comply with the '10 Commitments', which include a commitment not to displace food production. The document has been positively received by UK Energy Minister Greg Barker, as well as leading environmental groups. Read more

Solar thermal systems eligible for new Italian energy efficiency incentive

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 8:32 (Solarserver)

On August 1st, 2013, the government of Italy introduced a new energy efficiency incentive which will increase the tax-deductible share of improvements including solar thermal systems to 65% over 10 years. The Italian Solar Thermal Association (Assolterm, Padua, Italy) states that it does not know if the new incentive under Law #90 of 2013 will be combined with the feed-in tariff for renewable heating, which began on January 1st, 2013. Additionally, the government has extended a 50% tax deduction for building renovations to December 31st, 2013. Read more

Quest for low cost solar jeopardising Indian market: Mercom

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 6:00 (PV-Tech)

Anti-dumping cases, local content requirements and cost-dominated tendering processes are limiting India’s solar energy growth, according to the latest quarterly report by Mercom Capital Group. Read more

Water + Sunshine = Biofuel as Lab in California Chases Dream

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 16:14 (Renewable Energy World)

It sounds like magic, far-out fiction, a California dream. Yet earnest scientists are hard at work on a new alchemy: brewing fuel for cars — synthetic gasoline — from little more than water and sunshine. Read more

Draft European Biomass Policy Repeats Biofuel Mistakes, Green Groups Say

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 9:10 (Renewable Energy World)

In a leaked draft proposal for a European biomass policy, seen by REW, the European Commission has laid out sustainability criteria for the Union’s future biomass use. Read more

Will the Draft European Biomass Policy Repeat Biofuel Mistakes?

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 9:10 (Renewable Energy World)

In a leaked draft proposal for a European biomass policy, seen by REW, the European Commission has laid out sustainability criteria for the Union’s future biomass use. Read more

Rethinking Our Energy System; Leveraging Distributed Generation

Thursday, 8.22.2013 - 12:00 (Renewable Energy World)

At this moment, the U.S. can reinvent how we produce, store, transport, and consume electricity. With an abundance of domestic energy, our country is on its way to becoming “energy independent” by the end of the decade. But powering our homes and businesses with natural gas or other fossil fuels does not mean a reliable, clean, and affordable flow of electricity will follow. Read more