Video: Future-proofing inverters for self-consumption and storage

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 12:31 (PV-Tech)

The role of the inverter is changing. More than just converting the electricity generated by a PV plant from DC to AC, today’s inverter is expected to be an intelligent piece of kit that can define a solar power system’s role in the electricity network. Read more

IEA PVPS “Trends in Photovoltaic Applications” report: About 40 GW of solar PV capacity installed in 2013

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 8:48 (Solarserver)

The International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power System Programme (IEA PVPS, Paris, France) published its 19th “Trends in Photovoltaic Applications” report on October 13th, 2014. This report provides official and accurate data about the solar photovoltaic (PV) market, industry, support policies, research activities and the integration of PV into the power sector in the 24 countries reporting to the IEA PVPS Programme, plus a reliable estimate of the other most important PV markets. In a market where the main market driver remains the Feed-in Tariffs, Asia has taken the lead of PV development. Read more

EDF Renewable Energy purchases 24.3 MWp of Canadian Solar modules for the Catalina Solar 2 project

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 7:02 (Solarserver)

Canadian Solar Inc. (Guelph, Ontario) on October 13th, 2014 announced that it has closed a sales agreement with EDF Renewable Energy (EDF RE, Paris, France; San Diego, Calif., US) to supply solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to the 24.3 megawatt peak (MWp) Catalina Solar 2 project during the first quarter of 2015. For this order, Canadian Solar will deliver to EDF RE a total of 83,000 pieces of custom specific CS6X-P solar modules in a 7 x 12 cell matrix with dual UL and IEC 1000V certification. Read more

Amber Rudd’s speech at Solar Energy UK

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 17:26 (Solarpowerportal)

The full transcript of the minister for energy and climate change, Amber Rudd’s speech to Solar Energy UK attendees. Read more

SEUK: Skytron to demonstrate CfD-friendly reporting platform

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 16:58 (Solarpowerportal)

German PV monitoring firm skytron energy will demonstrate a contracts for difference (CfD) ready reporting platform at Solar Energy UK. Read more

Trina Solar breaks peak power record with 335.2W module

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 16:33 (PV-Tech)

Module manufacturer Trina Solar has broken the world record for P-type monocrystalline silicon PV modules with a figure of 335.2W. Read more

Enphase: UK main European market for commercial rooftop solar

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 16:30 (Solarpowerportal)

Enphase Energy’s European marketing director, Maxime Boiron says the company has identified the UK as a “main market” for commercial rooftop opportunities. Read more

Grab the Low-hanging Fruit: Use Solar Forecasting Before Storage to Stabilize the Grid

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 15:27 (Renewable Energy World)

Okay, so we all know that the output of solar photovoltaic systems vary with the available resource by the season, month, day, and hour. This so-called variability of solar, like wind, creates challenges for grid operators who are accustomed to turning up and down power plants to balance the grid. Read more

First UK solar farm bond oversubscribed

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 14:59 (Solarpowerportal)

The first UK solar bond has been successful, and is oversubscribed with £600,000 excess. Read more

SEUK: Schneider Electric to promote 60GW by 2030 vision

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 13:55 (Solarpowerportal)

The UK could reach 60GW of solar generation by 2030 and Schneider Electric has said it is to share expertise at Solar Energy UK (SEUK) on how to reach this 60GW vision. Read more

SEUK: SunEdison targeting UK residential market

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 13:43 (Solarpowerportal)

At Solar Energy UK (SEUK), major global PVEP SunEdison said that the UK had become a key market for the company, but rather than citing its PV power plant project business success, the interest was the residential and commercial rooftop markets via installers. Read more

SolarWorld’s new PV system targets France’s maximum feed-in tariff

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 12:43 (PV-Tech)

SolarWorld has developed a new roof-integrated PV system that allows France’s customers to capitalise on the country’s capped €27.37 cents/kWh tariff. Read more

Utility-scale PV in France: SunPower supplies modules totaling 41 MW for four La Compagnie du Vent solar power plants

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 12:26 (Solarserver)

SunPower Corp. (San Jose. Calif., U.S) on October 13th, 2014 announced that it is supplying 41 megawatt of its solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to La Compagnie du Vent, a subsidiary of French utility GDF Suez. SunPower’s modules will be used for the construction of four solar power plants in France under the country's national tender program administered by the French Energy Regulatory Commission. Read more

SunEnergy1 begins installation of 92,000 JinkoSolar PV panels at Capital Partners Project in North Carolina

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 12:21 (Solarserver)

SunEnergy1 (Charlotte, N.C., US) has begun installing JinkoSolar photovoltaic (PV) panels at the Duke Energy Renewables-owned Capital Partners Solar Project in eastern North Carolina. The PV project was announced on June 24th, 2014 as a unique partnership among three customers - George Washington University, American University and the George Washington University Hospital - that will bring solar power from rural North Carolina to the urban settings of the Washington, D.C., institutions. Customer First Renewables, a renewable energy integrator, facilitated the partnership. Read more

SEUK: SunEdison targeting UK residential market

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 12:19 (PV-Tech)

At Solar Energy UK (SEUK), major global PV energy provider SunEdison said that the UK had become a key market for the company, but rather than citing its PV power plant project business success, the interest was the residential and commercial rooftop markets via installers. Read more

Solar and nuclear costs converging, says EU report

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 12:10 (PV-Tech)

Solar and nuclear power have more or less the same levelised cost, according to a report by the European Commission. Read more

Fronius announces new solar PV inverter line with Tigo Energy inside

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 12:04 (Solarserver)

On October 13th, 2014 Fronius USA, (Brighton, Michigan) and Tigo Energy (Los Gatos, California, U.S.) announced a strategic partnership to integrate technology from Tigo Energy's smart module platform into the Fronius residential and small commercial family of solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters. This leverages the strengths of Fronius and Tigo Energy into the most reliable and bankable solution for module-level-power-electronics in the solar industry, the partners emphasize. Read more

EPIA: European Commission study shines light on the true cost of conventional and solar energy

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 11:37 (Solarserver)

The European Commission study on "Energy subsidies and costs in the EU", released on October 13th, 2014, demonstrates that the direct total cost of conventional energy technologies, such as coal and nuclear, is much higher than the direct cost for solar energy, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) announces. Read more

Panasonic offers “Virtual Solar” PV platform for UK homeowners

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 11:33 (Solarserver)

Panasonic Corp.'s (Osaka, Japan) Eco Solutions subsidiary on October 14th, 2014 announced a partnership with popular solar platform Generaytor to launch an interactive service for UK homeowners. The “Virtual Solar” simulation brings solar to life by providing homeowners with a clear estimate of how much of their day-to-day needs can be powered by a solar photovoltaic (PV) system, the financial earnings they can expect from Panasonic solar modules, and the investment required to go solar. Read more

Solaria signs PPAs with state-owned UTE for two solar projects in Uruguay

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 11:28 (PV-Tech)

Solaria signed PPAs for two state-organised solar projects in Uruguay with a potential capacity of 20MWp. Read more

British Renewable Energy Association, Solar Trade Association to go separate ways in 2015

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 11:03 (Solarserver)

The Renewable Energy Association (REA, London, UK) and Solar Trade Association (STA, Milton Keynes, UK) will end their formal affiliation on January 1st, 2015, the organisations announced on October 13th, 2014. The two associations became affiliated in March 2011, when the STA merged with the REA’s Solar Power Group and relaunched with representation of both the solar heating and solar power industries. Next year the two associations will become independent once again, allowing them both to focus on their core strengths, reads the joint press release. Read more

US duties prompt Chinese PV shipment surge - Solarbuzz

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 10:19 (PV-Tech)

The US has seen a surge of Chinese and Taiwanese PV imports as companies seek to secure low-cost product ahead of the imposition of trade duties. Read more

Jinko Solar involved in 40MW plus of US projects

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 9:54 (PV-Tech)

US anti-dumping duties aside, China-based JinkoSolar said it was involved in two PV projects supplying modules totalling over 40MW. Read more

Solar PV to power more than 30 remote communities in Australia’s Northern Territory

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 7:15 (Solarserver)

Remote communities in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) will reap the benefits of solar power thanks to a USD 55 million project funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the NT Government, and managed by Power and Water Corporation (PWC). ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht joined Minister for Industry, Ian Macfarlane, and Northern Territory Chief Minister, Adam Giles, to announce the project in Darwin on October 12th, 2014. Read more

BayWa r.e. verkauft Photovoltaik-Kraftwerk mit 18,5 MW in England an CEE

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 6:50 (Solarserver)

BayWa r.e. (München) hat den Solarpark Supernova in England an die Hamburger Beteiligungsgesellschaft CEE verkauft. Die Betriebsführung für die Photovoltaik-Freiflächenanlage mit einer Leistung von 18,5 Megawatt (MW) bleibt bei BayWa r.e. BayWa r.e. hat insgesamt bereits fünf Solarparks in Großbritannien errichtet. Für den Solarpark Supernova in Bicester, nahe Oxford, hatte BayWa r.e. sämtliche Schritte von der Projektierung über die schlüsselfertige Errichtung bis zum Netzanschluss im November 2013 übernommen. Read more

India Should Move Solar to Fixed Tariffs, Yes Bank Says

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 6:29 (Renewable Energy World)

India should move its solar industry to a fixed-pricing model like the one used in Germany, said one of the nation’s biggest clean-energy lenders, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to expand renewable targets. Read more

New Report Sheds Light on the Old "Food Vs. Fuel" Bioenergy Debate

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 6:09 (Renewable Energy World)

It was an abundant year for corn growers in the U.S. This year’s corn crop is going to be substantially higher than any year on record. According to the monthly World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report that is released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, total production is now projected at 14.475 billion bushels, 550 million bushels over the 2013 record. Yields, also a record, are projected at 172.4 bushels per acre. In fact corn yields have been growing substantially over time. Read more

SEUK: Government explores options to boost UK’s underperforming rooftop market

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 13:34 (PV-Tech)

The UK government will launch a consultation over the transfer of feed-in tariff (FiT) payments from one building to another before the end of the year, according to Amber Rudd, the minister for energy and climate change. Read more

Amber Rudd: DECC to consider transferable FiT accreditation for commercial rooftops

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 13:13 (Solarpowerportal)

The government will launch a consultation over the transfer of feed-in tariff (FiT) payments from one building to another before the end of the year, according to Amber Rudd, the minister for energy and climate change. Read more

EPIA joins energy firms in call for 30% EU renewables target

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 12:04 (PV-Tech)

The EU should adopt a 30% renewable energy target for 2030, according the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) and a group of energy firms and industry groups. Read more

Hanergy Chairman releases "China's New Energy Revolution" in English at Frankfurt Book Fair

Tuesday, 10.14.2014 - 10:54 (Solarserver)

Hanergy Holding Group (Beijing, China) Chairman Li Hejun on October 13th, 2014 launched the English-language edition of his first book, China's New Energy Revolution, at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Publisher McGraw-Hill Education has highlighted the book as the newest in a series of works introducing the Chinese point-of-view on topics including society, business, and education to foreign audiences. Read more