SPI 2014: Sungrow releasing three new UL listed inverters with high efficiency

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 17:51 (PV-Tech)

Major PV inverter manufacturer, Sungrow Power Supply is to debut three new, UL listed inverters for the North American market at Solar Power International being held in Las Vagas from October 21. Read more

Voltec Solar modules used at British Red Cross facilities

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 16:23 (PV-Tech)

UK charity, British Red Cross has expanded two UK solar installations.The charity has installed solar on three properties previously, and decided to extend two solar installations in London. Read more

China Finally Acknowledges Unfair Pricing, To Sharply Lower Renewable Tariffs by 2020

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 15:25 (Renewable Energy World)

Lofty targets contained in a new report show that China intends to push ahead with ambitious plans to build up its renewable energy sector. But perhaps the most interesting thing about this new report is word that Beijing finally intends to sharply reduce the inflated state-set fees now paid for solar and wind-produced power, in one of the sharpest Read more

SPI Solar to fast track 20MW PV power plant in Inner Mongolia

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 16:39 (PV-Tech)

Xinyu Xinwei New Energy Co, the Chinese subsidiary of US-listed project developer, SPI Solar has signed an EPC deal with Inner Mongolia Jingzhaolai Energy to build a 20MW PV power plant before the end of 2014. Read more

Higher efficiency technologies to dominate PV industry by 2018 – NPD Solarbuzz

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 16:08 (PV-Tech)

Despite the lack of current capital expenditure (capex) across the PV industry value chain, market research firm NPD Solarbuzz expects a major shift to higher efficiency cells and modules to finally dominate the sector by the end of 2018. Read more

UK’s solar trade body splits from umbrella renewables group

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 16:07 (PV-Tech)

The UK’s Solar Trade Association (STA) is to split from the Renewable Energy Association (REA) as it eyes growth. Read more

The Solar Trade Association to end affiliation with the Renewable Energy Association

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 15:05 (Solarpowerportal)

The Solar Trade Association (STA) has announced that it will end its formal affiliation with the Renewable Energy Association (REA) as of 1 January 2015. Read more

NPD Solarbuzz: Efficiency enhancements to define solar PV technology roadmap for the next five years

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 14:27 (Solarserver)

Solar photovoltaic (PV) modules using solar-grade wafers, as offered by 16 of the top 20 PV module suppliers to the industry, will account for 89 percent of solar capacity forecast to be installed in 2014 according to the new NPD Solarbuzz (Santa Clara, California, US) “PV Technology Roadmap” report. Thin-film PV panel manufacturers, led by First Solar and Solar Frontier, will supply nearly 8 percent of end-market demand in 2014, with premium crystalline silicon (c-Si) suppliers, such as SunPower and Panasonic, comprising the remaining 3 percent share. Read more

Largest PV plant in the German “Bundesliga” installed with SolarEdge DC optimized inverters

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 14:03 (Solarserver)

SolarEdge Technologies (Hod Hasharon, Israel) a provider of solar photovoltaic (PV) power optimizers, PV inverters, and module-level monitoring services, on October 13th, 2014 announced that the German TSG 1899 Hoffenheim football club selected the SolarEdge DC optimized inverter system for the largest PV plant within the German Soccer league. The SolarEdge inverter and power optimizer system was selected for the 1 MW carport PV system installed next to the Wirsol-Rhein-Neckar-Arena in Sinsheim, due to its high return on investment and long-term asset protection, SolarEdge emphasizes. Read more

Sunpreme to provide 6.35MW of solar panels in Cape Cod

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 12:49 (PV-Tech)

Sunpreme, a US-based solar PV design and manufacturing company, will provide 6.35MW of solar panels for American Capital Energy’s projects in Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, MA, most of which will be on landfill sites. Read more

Suntech to unveil new UK solar farm finance offer at Solar Energy UK

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 12:36 (PV-Tech)

Chinese PV manufacturer Suntech will debut its latest financial offering at Solar Energy UK (SEUK) following a partnership with German-based youmex group. Read more

Listen Up: Let's Talk Solar Chips and How They Can Reduce Costs, Improve Efficiency

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 12:14 (Renewable Energy World)

Solar modules started out as fairly simple moisture-proof sandwiches of glass, silicon cells, glue and backsheets — with a junction box that contains a few diodes to bypass defective or shaded cells. No fancy electronics in the early days. Then power electronics circuitry crept into early inverters — to the point now where all inverters contain hundreds of electronics chips to provide various optimization, communications and safety functions. Now that many installations use microinverters or optimizers, every single solar panel has its own collection of electronics chips. Read more

Order focus: Exosun supplies 66 single-axis trackers to 12MW plant in central France

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 12:13 (PV-Tech)

PV power plant tracking specialist, Exosun is supplying 66 horizontal single-axis solar trackers to La Compagnie du Vent, GDF SUEZ Group for a 12MW plant in central France. Read more

Canadian Solar to supply modules to EDF RE project in California

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 11:58 (PV-Tech)

Canadian Solar will supply its photovoltaic (PV) modules to Catalina Solar 2, a 24.3MWp power plant being developed by EDF Renewable Energy (EDF RE) in the Mojave Desert in California. Read more

South Africa’s largest thin-film PV power plant complete

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 11:53 (PV-Tech)

De Aar 3, an 85MW solar project said to be the largest solar farm in South Africa using thin-film modules, has been completed. Read more

Building integration of polymeric solar thermal collectors demonstrated for 34 terraced houses in Norway

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 11:33 (Solarserver)

In the joint European project “SCOOP” (Solar COllectors Made Of Polymers), a consortium, led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE (Freiburg, Germany), has developed polymeric solar thermal collectors that combine functionality, cost efficiency and aesthetics. The solar demonstration system of the project partner Aventa Solar (Oslo, Norway) meets over 60 percent of the hot water and space heating demand for the 34 terraced houses, which are built to passive house standards. The new heating system was presented to the public in October 2014. Read more

REC Solar extends PV module deal with SolarCity up to 220 megawatts

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 11:27 (Solarserver)

REC Solar ASA (Sandvika, Norway), has made an amendment to its OEM supply agreement with SolarCity (San Mateo, California, US) originally announced in June 2014. Under the terms of the expanded deal, SolarCity is expected to purchase 220 megawatts (MW) of REC's Peak Energy solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at a fixed price. The delivery of the solar panels will run from the end of Q3 2014 until Q4 2015, REC announced. Read more

SunPower bags 41MW deal under French solar tender scheme

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 11:23 (PV-Tech)

SunPower will supply 41MW of modules to four new solar power plants in France. Read more

Solar PV trackers: Exosun innovates and launches SMARTracking; announces up to 5% more energy yield

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 11:19 (Solarserver)

Exosun SAS (Martillac, France), a provider of solar photovoltaic (PV) tracking technologies for utility-scale ground-mounted PV plants, now offers its “Exotrack HZ” horizontal single-axis tracker with an intelligent patented backtracking process, called “SMARTracking”. Exosun’s innovative approach distinguishes itself from its competitors, the company emphasizes. When designing “SMARTracking”, Exosun’s engineering teams took into account variations in the terrain and the real on-site implementation of the trackers. Read more

Off-grid solar installation fund announced in Australia

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 10:46 (PV-Tech)

The government of the Northern Territory of Australia has teamed up with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to fund AU$55 million in off-grid solar installations. Read more

Trina Solar sells 10.6 MW PV plant in UK to funds managed by Foresight Group

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 7:11 (Solarserver)

Trina Solar Limited (Changzhou, China) on October 10th, 2014 announced that it signed an agreement on September 30th, 2014 to sell the Company's 10.6 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant located in Trehawke, UK to funds managed by Foresight Group LLP (Sevenoaks, UK). The revenue from the sale of the Trehawke power plant is expected to be recognized in Q3 2014. This is the first of two Trina Solar UK PV projects that connected to the grid in Q1 2014. The utility-scale Trehawke PV plant utilizes 41,404 Trina Solar TSM-255-PC05A modules. The PV plant generates 10,300 MWh of solar power every year, Trina Solar notes. Read more

LDK Solar subsidiary to supply PV modules totaling 60.5 MW with a solar project in Xinjiang, China

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 6:54 (Solarserver)

LDK Solar CO., Ltd. in provisional liquidation (George Town, Cayman Island, and Xinyu City, China) and its joint provisional liquidators on October 10th, 2014 announced that its Chinese subsidiary, LDK Solar Hi-Tech (Nanchang) Co., Ltd. has signed a new solar photovoltaic (PV) module supply agreement with Shanghai SNERDI Engineering Consulting & Management Co., Ltd., a leading EPC company in China owned by State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC). Under the terms of the agreement, LDK Solar Nanchang will provide modules totaling 60.5 megawatts (MW) to SNPTC with shipments commenced recently in connection with a solar PV project in Xinjiang, China. Read more

SPI Solar subsidiary signs EPC agreement for a 20 MW PV project in Inner Mongolia

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 6:41 (Solarserver)

Solar photovoltaic (PV) project developer SPI Solar (Roseville, Calif., U.S.) on October 10th, 2014 announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Xinyu Xinwei New Energy Co., has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement for a 20 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Wulaichabu City, Inner Mongolia. The contract, with Inner Mongolia Jingzhaolai Energy Co., Ltd., marks SPI Solar’s first agreement for a PV project in the Inner Mongolia region. Read more

Earth to Cellulosic Ethanol: Glad You’re Here, Buddy, What Took so Long? Part I

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 18:42 (Renewable Energy World)

There’s a gigantic disconnect between two sections in the country as to whether the United States should be celebrating the success or the failure of cellulosic biofuels — biofuels made from crop residues, energy crops, and other feedstocks including municipal solid waste, and which feature a 60 percent or greater full-lifecycle reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional gasoline. Read more

Renewables to Drive Power Generation Growth in Africa, IEA Says

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 18:44 (Renewable Energy World)

Renewable energy will satisfy much of Africa’s expanding power needs by 2040 as the continent unlocks vast hydropower resources, the International Energy Agency said. Read more

Norway Approves First Direct Electricity Link to Germany

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 16:36 (Renewable Energy World)

Norway approved the construction of the first direct electricity cable to Germany and granted a license for a link to the U.K. to aid power trading between the nations. Read more

City Poised to Adopt First-in-the-Nation Partnership with Energy Utilities

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 16:06 (Renewable Energy World)

Ever wonder what happened to the notion last August that the city of Minneapolis (MN) would take over its energy utilities? While it may seem like the issue vanished, last Monday the Minneapolis City Council held a hearing on another way forward to a better energy future. On the table is a novel partnership between the city and Xcel Energy and Cent Read more

New analysis shows willingness to pay for renewables: Customers accept EUR 10 per month or 3.18 euro cents per kWh

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 14:12 (Solarserver)

Consumers are prepared to pay a high price for the deployment of renewable energies, an analysis carried out by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy finds. In a meta-analysis, researchers Swantje Sundt and Katrin Rehdanz evaluated studies that have been released in many and various countries since 1996 on consumers’ willingness to pay for renewable energies. The outcome is that a worldwide comparison (based on studies from Europe, the Americas and Asia) shows that consumers are willing to pay either EUR 10.46 per household a month or 3.18 euro cents per kilowatt-hour for a higher proportion of renewable energies in their energy mix, albeit with significant differences Read more

3rd Energy Storage Australia 2014 to focus on battery energy storage systems

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 13:58 (Solarserver)

The Australian Clean Energy Council (CEC) is a supporting partner of Energy Storage Australia 2014, which is scheduled for 23rd–24th October, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. According to CEC modeling, the Australian energy storage market has the potential to reach 3,000 MW by 2030 – a growth trajectory similar to that of rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV). Growth in the energy storage market has largely been driven by rising energy prices, increasing consumer awareness, increasing renewable capacity, and falling technology costs. Read more

IEA charts course to 2040 African renewables upsurge

Monday, 10.13.2014 - 13:19 (PV-Tech)

Renewable energy generation in sub-Saharan Africa could increase more than twofold to make up 44% of the region’s generation capacity by 2040, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has forecast. Read more