More Small Wind for Scottish Infrastructure Players

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 22:50 (Renewable Energy World)

Scottish railway company ScotRail has completed a second small wind turbine installation, this time at its Bathgate depot in West Lothian. Read more

NPD Solarbuzz: Idled solar cell capacity in India belies bigger issues

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 17:15 (PV-Tech)

Market research firm, NPD Solarbuzz reports that a significant amount of crystalline-silicon solar cell production in India lays idle, despite almost US$0.5 billion of investment in solar cell equipment between 2006 and 2012. Read more

Swedish researchers develop polymer to improve dye-sensitized solar cells

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 8:34 (Solarserver)

Researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm, Sweden) have developed a new quasi-liquid, polymer-based electrolyte that increases the voltage and current of dye-sensitized solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, while also making for longer-lasting cells than other chemistries. The team's findings highlight the advantages of increasing the movement of oxidized electrolytes, which reduces recombination losses. This research was first published in August 2013 in journal Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. Read more

Global Solar Inverter Shipments Fall

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 23:15 (Renewable Energy World)

The second quarter of this year saw worldwide shipments of solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters decline by 5 percent year-on-year, according to new analysis from IHS Research. Read more

SolarWorld challenges scope of U.S. trade ruling on solar PV products

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 20:57 (Solarserver)

SolarWorld AG's (Bonn, Germany) U.S. subsidiary has filed multiple appeals to U.S. trade rulings which it says weaken trade remedies. This includes challenging the scope of the investigation, which was limited to PV cells whether or not they are assembled into modules. Read more

Australian solar cooling standard published

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 16:56 (Solarserver)

Standards Australia (Sydney) has published the world’s first solar cooling standard. “Solar heating and cooling systems – Calculation of energy consumption” provides a means of predicting the performance of desiccant based solar cooling systems and fan coil solar heating systems. Further system types can be added to the standard as new technologies are tested, the International Energy Agency’s Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) reports. Read more

Bluefield Solar Income Fund acquires GBP 17 million PV plant in Norfolk, UK

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 16:40 (Solarserver)

An agricultural site housing a large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) park located near Hardingham, Norfolk, and constructed and developed by Solarcentury (London, UK) has been acquired by Bluefield Solar Income Fund Limited (London, UK) for GBP 17 million (approx. USD 27 million). For an initial period, Solarcentury will be responsible for the PV parks operations, and in a separate agreement will oversee the ongoing operation and maintenance. Read more

NREL, MIT: Chinese Solar PV Manufacturing Advantages Not Set in Stone

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 15:35 (Renewable Energy World)

Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing, specifically crystalline solar PV, have dominated the industry's total global production for the past several years. But a new report co-produced by NREL and MIT suggests the real reasons for regional price differences are not indigenous -- meaning China's current competitive advantages can be matched. Read more

Hawaiian solar thermal market falls despite mandate

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 15:22 (Solarserver)

The number of new homes equipped with solar water heating has increased from 40% to 75% in Hawaii following the implementation of a law mandating the technology, according to Solar Thermal World. However, due to a decline in the number of retrofitted systems the state's solar water heating market has fallen over the last two years, with 5,141 units sold in 2010 and only 4,278 in 2012. Read more

Solar manufacturing costs ‘driven by scale rather than cheap labour or subsidies’

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 15:00 (PV-Tech)

Production scale rather than low labour costs has driven China’s boom in manufacturing PV modules, according to a joint report released today by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Read more

NREL, MIT see opportunities for U.S. solar PV manufacturing

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 14:37 (Solarserver)

A new study by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL, Golden, Colorado, U.S.) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) finds that production scale is a key advantage for Chinese companies in solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing. Read more

Silicor secures new funding to fuel growth

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 14:33 (PV-Tech)

Solar silicon provider Silicor has announced that it has secured new investment as it looks to expands its manufacturing operations. Read more

Solarworld starts work on 537kW carport project in California

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 13:21 (PV-Tech)

SolarWorld Americas has begun work on solar carports at four public parks in Thousand Oaks, California. Read more

A New Way for Students to Get Into Solar Energy

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 12:17 (Renewable Energy World)

The growth of the solar industry cannot continue without cultivating current students and rising college graduates. Residential solar capacity has increased dramatically in the past few years and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) forecasts that 75 percent of the U.S. solar market will attain grid-parity by 2015. This means that more h Read more

SunEdison secures US$67.3 million for Californian PV projects

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 11:40 (PV-Tech)

A consortium of investors will provide manufacturer and project developer SunEdison with US$67.3 million to fund solar plants in central and southern California. Read more

Bluefield Solar Income Fund purchases 14.8MW Solarcentury project

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 11:15 (PV-Tech)

Bluefield Solar Income Fund (BSIF) has announced the acquisition of a solar farm project in Norfolk from developer Solarcentury. Read more

Foresight lists £200 million solar fund

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 9:16 (Solarpowerportal)

Foresight Solar Fund, a new investment fund, has announced a £200 million share offering aimed at investing in large-scale solar schemes. Read more

India to set up the National Institute for Solar Energy

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 9:00 (Solarserver)

India's Union Government has approved the establishment of a new central center for solar energy research and development and related activities. The National Institute for Solar Energy (NISE) will be established through the conversion of the existing Solar Energy Center in Gurgaon, with a goal to develop it as a “world class institute”. A first step will be the formulation of a Review-cum-Strategy Formulation Committee with representatives from industry, the scientific community and financial institutions to create a roadmap for the institute. Government states that this will involve looking at various models both domestically and internationally. Read more

Blue Earth to build 165 MW of Solar PV projects in the U.S. for Talesun, New Generation Power

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 8:47 (Solarserver)

Blue Earth Inc. (Henderson, Nevada, U.S.) has entered into an agreement with New Generation Power LLC (Chicago) to build 147 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects over the next 20 months. Additionally, Zhongli Talesun Solar's (Suzhou, China) U.S. subsidiary has agreed to contract Blue Earth to build 18 MW of PV projects. These commitments are part of a partnership agreement signed between the three companies. Blue Earth expects to receive USD 336 million in revenue in exchange for its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services on the projects, all of which it expects to complete by the end of 2014. Read more

New Wind Supply Chain Projects Announced for Booming Brazil

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 22:59 (Renewable Energy World)

Two new Brazilian wind turbine supply chain deals have been announced, further enhancing the country’s reputation as a major growth market and its local manufacturing content incentives. Read more

Second US Offshore Wind Lease Goes to Dominion

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 19:08 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has held its second auction of renewable energy in U.S. federal waters, targeting offshore wind energy in about 112,000 acres off the Virginia coast. The winner: Dominion Virginia Power (Virginia Electric and Power Company), which came out on top after six rounds of bids and $1.6 million. Read more

Asia Report: What's Driving, And Hampering, India's Wind Market Momentum

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 12:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Three weeks ago India's Union Cabinet of Ministers officially approved the revived generation-based incentive (GBI) scheme that was pulled off the table 17 months ago, with some minor changes including low-interest financing, an offshore wind authority, and an increase in the total subsidy a wind plant can claim (INR 10 million/US $160,000, up from INR 6.2 million/$100,000). Read more

Wind Power Supply Chain in Trouble as Turbine Market Contracts

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 11:05 (Renewable Energy World)

Global demand for wind turbines is expected to drop by as much as 5 percent this year for the first time since 2004, new analysis has found. Read more

French Hydropower Delays May Cost Hundreds of Millions of Euros

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 9:05 (Renewable Energy World)

Delays in opening French hydropower contracts to competition will cost local governments hundreds of millions of euros in royalties, the state auditor said. Read more

UPDATE: CPV Pioneer SolFocus Up for Sale

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 20:36 (Renewable Energy World)

Industry media is reporting that SolFocus has officially closed its doors. SolFocus representatives could not immediately be reached for comment. Renewable Energy World will continue to update this story as new information unfolds. Read more

Sustainable Energy Technologies changes its name to Eguana Technologies

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 16:31 (Solarserver)

Sustainable Energy Technologies Ltd (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) announced that it will operate globally under the new name Eguana Technologies Inc. effective immediately. The change in name creates an unmistakable image that is linked to high efficiency energy storage and resilience under tough operating conditions - the shared characteristics of an Iguana and the Company's patented “Bi-Direx” energy storage inverter, the company explains. Read more

Duke Energy completes 3 MW PV plant in Massachusetts, starts destroying coal power plants

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 16:25 (Solarserver)

Duke Energy Renewables (Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.), Integrys Solar, Canadian Solar Inc., and Community Energy Solar on September 4th, 2013, announced the completion of a 3-megawatt (MW) AC solar photovoltaic (PV) power project in Berkley, Mass. The Berkley East Solar Power Project is co-owned by Canadian Solar and INDU Solar Holdings – a joint venture between subsidiaries of Duke Energy and of Integrys Energy Services. Read more

Chile sets revised 20% by 2025 renewable energy target

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 13:42 (PV-Tech)

The Chilean senate has voted this week on revised targets for renewable energy production, making a unanimous decision in favour of aiming for producing 20% of the nation’s energy from renewable sources by 2025. Read more

Wirsol and Greenpower Capital’s Japan JV acquires 22MW ‘mega’ PV project

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 12:06 (PV-Tech)

German developer Wirsol Solar and US investor Greenpower Capital have acquired a 22MW PV project being developed by Chikyu Factory Service in Japan. Read more

Juwi starts work on Romania PV plants

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 11:06 (PV-Tech)

Renewable energy developer Juwi has signed contracts with investors Hisun PV to build two power plants in Romania. Read more

Chilean Senate approves bill calling for 20% renewable energy, with changes

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 9:11 (Solarserver)

The upper house of Chile's parliament has approved a bill to require that utilities source 20% of their power from “unconventional” renewable energy, with changes that including a move of the target date to from 2020 to 2025, and the introduction of a price cap in the bidding system. These changes were introduced in the lower house of parliament in June 2013, after negotiations with Chilean Minister of Energy Jorge Bunster. The bill is now ready to be submitted for enactment into law. Read more

California proposes energy storage target of 1.325 GW by 2020 for private utilities

Thursday, 9.5.2013 - 8:42 (Solarserver)

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has issued a proposal calling for the state's private utilities to procure 1.325 GW of storage by 2020, for a variety of functions including supporting the integration of an increasing amount of renewable energy on the state's grid. The document sets out specific, year-by-year energy storage procurement targets for the state's three large private utilities, with the first solicitation scheduled to occur no later than December 1st, 2014. The proposed decision by Commissioner Carla Peterman is scheduled to go before the full CPUC on October 3rd, 2013 for ratification. Read more