David King out at Suntech

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 19:15 (PV-Tech)

Further boardroom disputes at struggling Suntech Power Holdings would seem to have resulted in another major exit, this time acting head of the company, David King. Read more

Singulus to deliver up to 16 vacuum coating machines to M*Cells

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 15:24 (Solarserver)

Singulus Technologies (Kahl am Main, Germany) has signed a framework agreement with M*Cells (China) for the delivery of up to 16 vacuum coating machines for the production of crystalline silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) cells using passive emitter rear contact (PERC) technology. Read more

Solar Energy Shines in California’s 2013 Legislative Session

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 21:26 (Renewable Energy World)

The California legislative session ends this week with lawmakers passing four bills that expand and strengthen the state’s growing solar energy market. Together these pieces of legislation give residents, schools and businesses across the state more ways to participate in, invest in and benefit from our growing solar economy. All four bills now await the Governor’s signature to become law. Read more

Grid-tied JinkoSolar PV projects reach 100 MW

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 20:43 (Solarserver)

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China) on September 12th, 2013, announced that its 20 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Shaya (Xinjiang Province, China) and a 10 MW PV project in Gonghe (Qinghai Province) have successfully passed the acceptance inspection conducted by the national grid. The company has so far successfully connected more than 100 MW of solar PV projectsto the grid. Read more

Yingli remains the world's largest solar PV module maker

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 17:30 (Solarserver)

Supported by increasing shipments in to the domestic Chinese market, Yingli Green Energy (Baoding, China) increased its share of the global market for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to 8.1% in the first half of 2013, according to a new analysis by IHS Inc. (Englewood, Colorado, U.S.). Read more

IHS: Global solar installations topped 8.5GW in Q2 2013

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 16:15 (PV-Tech)

Global solar installations increased 20% to reach 8.5GW in the second quarter of 2013, according to market research firm, IHS. Shipments in the first quarter were 7.1GW. Read more

IHS: China chimes as US solar companies lag market growth leaders

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 16:15 (PV-Tech)

Market research firm, IHS has produced its latest top 10 rankings list of PV module manufacturers for the first-half of 2013, which show Chinese firms continue to gain market share, while major US-based firms are not keeping pace. Read more

Coal-plant Explosion in San Antonio Follows Demand for More Solar

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 16:05 (Renewable Energy World)

A minor explosion at a San Antonio power plant this week either bolstered the utility's case for rate hikes to keep up with infrastructure maintenance demands or those of some critics who say the aged J.T. Deely coal plant — scheduled for decommissioning ahead of schedule in 2018 — should be shut down as soon as possible. Read more

Solar Angel’s hybrid solar PV thermal module poised for UK debut

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 16:01 (Solarpowerportal)

Ponteland-based manufacturer, Natural Technology Development (NTD), has secured a new round of funding to help design, develop and manufacture its hybrid Solar PV-T panel. Read more

Solar Panels: In the Line of Fire

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 15:56 (Renewable Energy World)

As more rooftop solar arrays are installed on residential and commercial buildings, firefighters are faced with new challenges when a blaze erupts. But with the proper training and preparation, these new hazards can be safely mitigated. A massive fire erupted in early September at the Dietz & Watson distribution center in South Jersey, a 300,000 sq Read more

Listen Up: The Ins and Outs of Solar Racking

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 15:23 (Renewable Energy World)

Solar modules — and to a lesser degree solar inverters —are what people usually think about when considering a rooftop solar power system. But for many installers, it's what's under the panels that they worry about the most...especially after it rains. Solar racking or mounting systems are essentially the "glue" that holds the modules to the roof for 25+ years. And this "glue" has to be pretty strong to withstand the substantial wind loads that may systems experience, as well as periodic heat waves and freezing conditions. So it's no surprise that for many installers, racking and mounting systems are where they spend the majority of their engineering, procurement and Read more

LDK Solar seeks financial advice over offshore debt obligations

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 15:12 (PV-Tech)

LDK Solar, the ailing PV manufacturer, has employed global investment banking firm, Jefferies LLC, for strategic advice regarding its debt repayments. Read more

Enerplan calls for new emergency measures to save the French solar PV sector

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 14:59 (Solarserver)

The Union of Solar Energy Professionals (Enerplan, La Ciotat, France) has called upon the French government account for self-consumption of electricity from solar photovoltaics (PV) in its feed-in tariff policy and launch 1 GW of PV solicitations for the next three years, as emergency measures to revive the nation's PV industry. Read more

US operations at aleo solar to close

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

German-based PV module manufacturer and project developer, aleo solar, is withdrawing from the US market due to its operations continuing to be unprofitable, according to a short company statement. Read more

Huntec to install 42MW in Ecuador for Solarig

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 14:05 (PV-Tech)

Spanish renewable energy developer, Hunter Technology (Huntec), has been chosen to install two PV projects in Ecaudor for operator Solarig. Read more

How to Initiate Solar Permitting Reform in Four Easy Steps

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 13:28 (Renewable Energy World)

Solar permitting is but one small, easily overlooked piece of the solar installation process. However, because we have upwards of 25,000 local jurisdictions in the country, there are staggering possibilities for variations of local permitting procedures.  This means that permitting costs and filing requirements often vary widely from one jurisdicti Read more

Jinko completes 30MW of grid-connected PV in China

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 13:23 (PV-Tech)

Module manufacturer Jinko Solar has completed 30MW of grid-connected PV projects in China’s Qinghai and Xinjiang provinces. Read more

Updates from the Solar Access to Public Capital Working Group

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 11:31 (Renewable Energy World)

Back in November 2012, the NREL finance team convened its first assembly of the Solar Access to Public Capital (SAPC) working group. The purpose was to bring together leaders from the solar, financial, legal, regulatory, and analysis professions to conceive of ways to accelerate the solar industry's access to capital markets through securitized instruments. The group's efforts are currently threefold: (1) the standardization of power purchase and lease contracts used by solar developers, installers, and integrators at the commercial and residential level; (2) the collection of performance and credit data to facilitate investor and ratings agency evaluation of solar assets; Read more

Solar advocates claim ‘banner day’ for California

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 11:15 (PV-Tech)

California’s solar energy industry yesterday welcomed the passage of legislation that will radically overhaul rate design. Read more

Hudson Clean Energy creates USD 150 million solar PV investment program

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 8:22 (Solarserver)

Hudson Clean Energy (Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.) has launched a new infrastructure investment program to support solar photovoltaic (PV) projects around the world, with closed commitments of up to USD 150 million. The Hudson Solar Infrastructure Program (HSIP) will fund projects both in the construction phase and over the longer term. HSIP expands Hudson's global clean energy market product offerings, which began in 2007. Read more

French Bioenergy Plans Advance

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 9:53 (Renewable Energy World)

A consortium between French industrial boiler supplier Leroux & Lotz Technologies and technology firm Areva has been chosen to develop a new biomass-fired power plant in Commentry, France. Read more

UK Tests Next-Generation Offshore Wind Turbines

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 11:48 (Renewable Energy World)

UK energy Minister Greg Barker officially opened a new extension to the 172 MW Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm this week. The new site is located next to the existing wind farm off the coast of Clacton-on-Sea in Essex. Read more

NREL launches Energy Systems Integration Facility

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 8:43 (Solarserver)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a research facility to address generation, transmission, distribution and end-use challenges related to the wide-scale deployment of renewable energy, electric vehicles and energy storage systems. The facility will also look at issues relevant to micro-grids and next generation building technologies. The Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) is located at the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL, Golden, Colorado, U.S.), and will include a new liquid-cooled supercomputer. NREL also announced a collaboration with the U.S. Army on a solar photovoltaic (PV), battery and generator hybrid power system, which it Read more

SustainX builds world's first grid-scale isotherm compressed air energy storage system

Friday, 9.13.2013 - 8:34 (Solarserver)

SustainX Inc. (Seabrook, New Hampshire, U.S.) has completed construction of a 1.5 MW isotherm compressed air energy storage system (ICAES) at its headquarters in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The ICAES system uses electricity from the grid to drive a motor and compress and store air at a near-constant temperature, including trapping the heat produced during compression in water. The process is reversed to produce electricity when needed. Read more