SMA concludes redundancy programme

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 18:24 (PV-Tech)

Inverter manufacturer, SMA Solar, has announced the conclusion of a process to reduce its headcount with an additional 400 voluntary job losses. Read more

Will Germany Reject Smart Meters?

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 17:43 (Renewable Energy World)

While we in the energy sector are used to thinking of Germany as a global leader in the adoption of new energy technologies, recent analysis points to an area where this may not be the case — and it's mainly due to privacy issues. Read more

NYSERDA provides USD 5 million funding to continue PV incentives on Long Island

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 16:30 (Solarserver)

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will provide USD 5 million to the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) to advance Governor Cuomo’s New York Sun Initiative. NY-Sun is a collaborative effort among public and private entities who are working toward the common goal of achieving greater use of solar power in New York State. Available from September 23rd, 2013, the funding aims to restart the residential Solar Pioneer program, allowing solar photovoltaic (PV) incentives to continue on Long Island and sustaining the solar industry of the region. Read more

Proinso delivers 415 kW of PV products to three projects in Latin America

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 16:26 (Solarserver)

PROINSO SL (Fustiñana, Spain), has supplied 415 kW of solar photovoltaic (PV) products to Honduras, Guatemala and Ecuador. The company developed three PV projects in San Pedro de Sula, Honduras (216kWp), Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, Guatemala (168.75kWp), and Guayaquil, Ecuador (30kWp). Read more

SMA to eliminate 680 full-time positions without involuntary layoffs

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 15:28 (Solarserver)

SMA Solar Technology AG (Niestetal, Germany) has revealed additional details of the workforce reduction that it announced in July 2013. The company will now eliminate the equivalent of 680 full-time positions, on a gradual basis by December 31st, 2014. Read more

Malta and China sign MOU, will explore PV manufacturing

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 8:35 (Solarserver)

The governments of Malta and China have signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) which includes the potential to bring solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing to the nation, through a relationship between state-owned China Power Investment Corp.'s (CPIC, Beijing) and state-owned utility Enmalta (Marsa, Malta). CPIC will make a direct cash investment in Enmalta, which the utility says will substantially decrease its debt burden, and CPIC will gain a minority stake in the company. Enmalta says that in addition to manufacturing PV, the two companies are exploring the installation of PV modules in Malta and abroad. Read more

Apple ad for thin-films job raises speculation around solar-powered devices

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

Apple has removed a job advertisement it listed last week for a thin-films engineer for its mobile devices division, raising heated speculation that the company could be planning to develop solar-powered iPhones or iPads. Read more

Apple ad for thin films job raises speculation around solar-powered devices

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 21:15 (PV-Tech)

Apple has removed a job advertisement it listed last week for thin films engineer for its mobile devices division, raising heated speculation that the company could be planning to develop solar-powered iPhones or iPads. Read more

STA looks to foster partnerships with conservation groups

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 19:28 (Solarpowerportal)

A round table discussion hosted by the Solar Trade Association at the National Trust’s offices in Victoria concluded with a commitment to forming a work group partnering the STA with various conservation groups. Read more

California Legislature Steps Up Big for Solar

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 17:12 (Renewable Energy World)

On average, the sun shines in Sacramento, California, 265 days a year.  Well, it looks like even more clear skies and sunny days ahead as the state wrapped up its legislative session on a high note. Four significant solar-related bills were approved by the State Senate and State Assembly — and all four are expected to be signed into law by Governor Read more

Martifer Solar commissions Latin America's largest solar PV plant

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 16:48 (Solarserver)

Martifer Solar SA (Oliviera de Frades, Portugal) has commissioned the 30 MW Aura Solar 1 solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Baja California, Mexico. This is the largest PV plant to be connected to the grid in Latin America to date. Read more

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory scores highest open-circuit voltage for quantum dot solar PV cells

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 16:34 (Solarserver)

Researchers of the Electronics Science and Technology Division of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL, Washington, DC) have demonstrated the highest recorded open-circuit voltages for quantum dot (QD) solar photovoltaic (PV) cells to date. The NRL scientists and engineers achieved an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 692 millivolts (mV) using colloidal lead sulfide (PbS) nanocrystal quantum dot (QD) substances and the QD bandgap of a 1.4 electron volt (eV) in QD a solar cell under a concentration of one sun. Read more

California City of Livermore and Chevron Energy Solutions launch sustainability program including solar PV systems, LED streetlights

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 16:21 (Solarserver)

The City of Livermore (Calif.) has launched an innovative program to save energy and taxpayers’ money, and to boost the local economy. The program will be implemented without any up-front outlay of capital funding by the city. Supported by Chevron Energy Solutions, an installer of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems, Livermore has launched a sustainability program expected to reduce its energy costs and to save taxpayers 10 million USD over the next 25 years, and creating new local jobs. Read more

Solar PV modules from SE Asia becoming more popular in Europe

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 14:53 (Solarserver)

PvXchange GmbH (Cologne, Germany) reports that prices for Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) modules from well-known brands have increased to around EUR 0.60 (USD 0.80) per watt, which is benefiting the sale of modules from other parts of Asia. Read more

KosiFrankensolar builds 500kW rooftop plant in Turkey

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 14:01 (PV-Tech)

A 500kW rooftop photovoltaic power plant has been built by Turkish-German company KosiFrankensolar on the roof of beverage producer Sural in Antalya, Turkey. Read more

JinkoSolar plans share issue to fund capacity expansions

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

JinkoSolar plans to issue 3.5 million American Depositary Shares (ADS) that the company said in an SEC filing could net it significant new capital to fund capacity expansion and other activities. Read more

Czech Senate approves renewable energy subsidy cuts and 10% ‘solar tax’

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 12:47 (PV-Tech)

The Czech Senate has approved controversial laws to end subsidies for renewable energy and to extend a tax levied on solar power plants, following a vote on Friday. Read more

Will truSolar Change Renewable Energy Finance?

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 12:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Quick, what’s the biggest cause of brain damage for solar developers when structuring a PPA? Financing. Along with a shortage of tax equity in the post-1603 environment, arranging debt financing can be even more onerous — most lenders still view the solar asset class as exotic with a high risk profile due to a lack of industry standardization. Read more

Chile sees increase in solar PV projects under construction in August 2013

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 9:27 (Solarserver)

Construction began on around 50 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Chile in August 2013, according to the monthly report of nation's Center for Renewable Energy (CER). This is likely due to the beginning of construction on the first phase of SunEdison Inc.'s (St. Peters, Missouri, U.S.) 100 MW Amanecer PV plant in late August. While this is the largest increase in capacity under construction in several months, the 127 MW of projects under construction is dwarfed by the 4.90 GW of approved projects which have not yet begun construction. CER also reported that a 2.2 MW PV plant was commissioned during the month, to bring the nation to a mere 5.7 MW of operational PV. Read more

Hunter Technology to build 42 MW of solar PV plants in Ecuador

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 9:14 (Solarserver)

Hunter Technology SL (Huntec, Albacete, Spain) has announced that it will build two solar photovoltaic (PV) plants, a 30 MW and a 12 MW, in Ecuador for Solarig Holding SL (Golmayo, Spain). Hunter expects to begin construction in October 2013 and commission the two plants, which will be located at Montecristi in Ecuador's Manabí Province, in March 2014. Hunter notes that this contract follows upon its work on a 38 MW PV plant in Mexico, which is in the final phase of construction. Read more

Czech Parliament kills nation's feed-in tariff, extends solar tax

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 9:03 (Solarserver)

The upper house of the Czech Parliament has approved a bill to eliminate the nation's feed-in tariff and institute a retroactive 26% tax on solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. The bill has already passed the nation's lower house of parliament, and will now go to Czech President Miloš Zeman for approval. Under the new law, the nation's system of feed-in tariffs will end on December 31st, 2013. The Czech Photovoltaic Industry Association (CZEPHO) has said that it is considering legal action to repeal the law. Read more

The Future of Energy Infrastructure

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 17:39 (Renewable Energy World)

Transmission lines hold much of the same challenge and promise of the interstate highway system a century ago. The transmission network – the high voltage, long distance power lines that carry electricity from power facilities and into communities – is currently a patchwork system, lacking centralized organization or planning. Assuming that America Read more

Pattern Chile plans 306MW PV project in northern Chile

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 13:51 (PV-Tech)

Latin American energy developer, Pattern Chile Development Holdings, is planning a 306MW PV power plant in the Antofagasta region of northern Chile. Read more

DECC defends ‘extremely valuable’ Green Deal

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 13:20 (Solarpowerportal)

Green Deal assessments are helping to make homes more efficient despite limited take-up, according to new research published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Read more

Clean Energy Groups and an Indie Rock Band Team up for Nonprofit Homeboy Industries

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 11:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Solar nonprofit and indie rock band join forces to fight crime in Los Angeles: sounds like a movie plot. But this month, clean energy groups Everybody Solar and GRID Alternatives and the band Trapdoor Social have teamed up to help Homeboy Industries, a nonprofit which stops recidivism among former gang members, to go solar. The band is donating all Read more

China imposes anti-subsidy duties on U.S. polysilicon

Tuesday, 9.17.2013 - 8:57 (Solarserver)

China's State Council has imposed preliminary countervailing duties (CVD) on imports of polysilicon from the United States. Beginning in September 20th, 2013, importers will be required to post deposits on U.S. polysilicon imports. The duties exclude silicon from Renewable Energy Corporation ASA's (Sandvika, Norway) two polysilicon subsidiaries, as well as SunEdison Inc.'s (St. Peters, Missouri, U.S.) polysilicon subsidiary. However, polysilicon from Hemlock Semiconductor (Hemlock, Michigan, U.S.), AE Polysilicon Corp. and all others will be subject to a 6.5% duty rate. Read more