Kyocera’s latest Japan JV makes work for ‘idle’ land

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 11:23 (PV-Tech)

Kyocera has launched another joint venture (JV) company to develop a number of PV projects in Japan, this time with Japanese lending institution, Mitsubishi UFJ Lease and Finance and a construction firm, Takenaka. Read more

Solar Equipment Supplier GT Advanced Technologies Files for Chapter 11

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 20:09 (Renewable Energy World)

New Hampshire-based GT Advanced Technologies filed for Chapter 11 restructuring, the company said in a statement today. Read more

Canadian Solar expanding Japanese PV pipeline despite grid connection woes

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 18:56 (PV-Tech)

The temporary suspension of grid connections in certain regions of Japan, have done little to dampen Canadian Solar’s existing and future PV pipeline. Read more

China's Solar Industry Continues Rebound

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 17:16 (Renewable Energy World)

Just months after tapping financial markets for nearly $250 million, solar panel maker Trina (NYSE: TSL) has just announced another plan to raise a similar amount as it tries to take advantage of improving sentiment towards its sector. Such fund-raising would have been unthinkable as recently as a year ago, when recovery of the solar panel sector w Read more

NPD Solarbuzz: Global PV demand to hit quarterly high, pushing cumulative deployment to 200 GW

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 15:57 (Solarserver)

Global solar photovoltaic (PV) installations added during Q4, 2014 are forecast to exceed 19.5 gigawatts (GW), pushing global cumulative PV deployment towards the 200 GW mark. The amount of solar PV deployed in Q4 is forecast to be equivalent to the energy supplied by five large-scale nuclear power plants and will surpass the total annual solar PV deployed in 2010. According to findings in the latest NPD “Solarbuzz Quarterly” report, this record will be driven in large part by China, and will ensure that the PV industry approaches the previously forecast 50 GW annual installation level in 2014. Read more

China to drive global PV towards 200GW mark by end of 2014 - Solarbuzz

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 14:58 (PV-Tech)

Cumulative global PV deployment will come close to hitting 200GW in the final three months of 2014 as installations in the quarter surpass 19.5GW, according to figures from NPD Solarbuzz. Read more

NPD Solarbuzz: Global PV demand hits quarterly high, pushing cumulative deployment to 200 GW

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 14:23 (Solarserver)

Global solar photovoltaic (PV) installations added during Q4, 2014 are forecast to exceed 19.5 gigawatts (GW), pushing global cumulative PV deployment towards the 200 GW mark. The amount of solar PV deployed in Q4 is forecast to be equivalent to the energy supplied by five large-scale nuclear power plants and will surpass the total annual solar PV deployed in 2010. According to findings in the latest NPD “Solarbuzz Quarterly” report, this record will be driven in large part by China, and will ensure that the PV industry approaches the previously forecast 50 GW annual installation level in 2014. Read more

Ascent Solar’s PV modules selected by Vanguard Space Technologies for additional programs to develop solar arrays for space, UAV missions

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 14:09 (Solarserver)

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (Thornton, Colorado, U.S.) a manufacturer of flexible thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, was selected by Vanguard Space Technologies to provide modules for two additional Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) programs that require lightweight, flexible, and durable PV solutions. Vanguard will utilize proprietary space environment protection technology along with automated manufacturing approaches, combined with Ascent’s flexible PV, to create a very thin, high power-to-weight ratio, large space solar arrays for space, as well as for novel integration into the wings of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Read more

Pro-solar candidate Silva out of Brazil national election

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 13:10 (PV-Tech)

Renowned environmentalist and solar advocate, Marina Silva, is now out of the race to become Brazil’s next president, having gained just 21.32% of the vote in the first round of the race. Read more

‘Breathing solar battery’ developed at Ohio State University

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 12:50 (PV-Tech)

Scientists at Ohio State University claim to have developed a hybrid device which combines a solar cell with a rechargeable battery, as part of a US Department of Energy (DoE) funded research programme. Read more

Equinox Energy Capital acquires 57MW of UK solar capacity

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 12:20 (Solarpowerportal)

Equinox Energy Capital has acquired the project rights to four solar farms in the UK totalling 57MW of capacity. Read more

CBD Energy subsidiary Westinghouse Solar secures USD 100 million for residential PV loans in the U.S.

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 12:09 (Solarserver)

CBD Energy Limited (Sydney, New York) on October 2nd, 2014 announced that its subsidiary, Westinghouse Solar, Inc. has secured up to USD 100 million of financing for its U.S. residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems customers. Under the financing arrangement, Westinghouse Solar customers can apply for a solar loan with competitive interest rates. Read more

SunPower PV modules awarded certification for sustainable manufacturing

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 11:57 (Solarserver)

SunPower Corp. (San Jose, Calif., US) on October 2nd, 2014 announced that its E-Series solar PV panel and X-Series solar PV panel have been awarded the “Cradle to Cradle Certified” silver distinction by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. The high efficiency SunPower E-Series and X-Series solar panels, manufactured at the company's factory in Mexicali, Mexico, are the first and only solar products to be awarded this certification, which is based on the sustainable manufacturing processes implemented at this facility, SunPower emphasizes. Read more

OneRoof nets US$16.7 million to finance residential PV plans

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 11:54 (PV-Tech)

US rooftop solar installer OneRoof Energy has entered into agreements with Black Coral and affiliates of China’s Hanwha Group to provide an additional US$16.7 million in financing. Read more

Phoenix Solar teams up with Millenium Energy on Jordan PV projects

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 11:47 (PV-Tech)

Large-scale solar plant developer and EPC services provider, Phoenix Solar, has renewed a cooperation agreement with turnkey international solar company, Millennium Energy Industries (MEI), to focus on PV projects in Jordan’s burgeoning market. Read more

Vivint Solar CEO hints at future expansion plans

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 10:38 (PV-Tech)

The CEO of Vivint Solar, the US residential installer that raised US$330 million in its IPO last week, has hinted at the company’s potential path to expansion. Read more

Ohio State University develops the world’s first “solar battery”, a PV cell that stores its own power

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 9:53 (Solarserver)

The Ohio State University presents a patent-pending device: the world’s first solar battery. In the October 3rd, 2014 issue of the journal Nature Communications, the researchers report that they’ve succeeded in combining a battery and a solar photovoltaic (PV) cell into one hybrid device. Key to the innovation is a mesh solar PV panel, which allows air to enter the battery, and a special process for transferring electrons between the solar panel and the battery electrode. Inside the device, light and oxygen enable different parts of the chemical reactions that charge the battery. Read more

Phoenix Solar and Millennium Energy Industries to cooperate on solar PV projects in Jordan

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 9:42 (Solarserver)

Phoenix Solar LLC, the Oman based subsidiary of the international photovoltaic (PV) system integrator Phoenix Solar AG (Sulzemoos, Germany), and Millennium Energy Industries (MEI, Muscat, Oman), have signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement for the Jordanian solar market. MEI operates internationally and is best known for its large scale solar heating solutions track record, and now with this alliance MEI will leverage its local presence and technical expertise to rapidly develop the solar photovoltaic (PV) solutions market along with Phoenix, the partners announced. Read more

Gestamp Solar to build 10 MW PV plant for Kuwait Oil Company

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 7:15 (Solarserver)

Gestamp Solar (Madrid, Spain) on October 2nd, 2014 announced that the company signed a USD 28 million contract with Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), a subsidiary of the government company Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, and the world's fourth-largest oil exporter. The object of the contract is the engineering, the construction and the operation and maintenance of a utility scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Kuwait called Umm Gudair Field. The PV project with over 32.000 modules and 12 transformation centers has a peak power of 10 MW. The annual solar power production is estimated to be 17.600 MWh. Read more

Canadian Solar completes the sale of three PV plants totaling 30 MW to TransCanada

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 7:09 (Solarserver)

Canadian Solar Inc. (Guelph, Ontario) on October 2nd, 2014 announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Canadian Solar Solutions Inc., has closed the sale of three solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants, William Rutley, Liskeard 3 and Liskeard 4, totaling 30 MW AC and valued at over USD 161.2 million to TransCanada Corporation. The William Rutley solar PV plant totals 10 megawatt AC and is located in the town of Ingleside. The Liskeard 3 & Liskeard 4 totaling 20 megawatts are located in the town of Temiskaming Shores. Read more

SPI Solar completes acquisition of Sinsin Renewable Investment, adds 26.57 MW of PV projects in Greece to its portfolio

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 6:59 (Solarserver)

Solar photovoltaic (PV) project developer SPI Solar (Roseville, Calif., U.S.) on October 2nd, 2014 announced that it has closed the acquisition of Sinsin Renewable Investment Limited, a limited liability company registered in Malta, as announced on September 9th, 2014. As a result, SPI immediately adds solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Greece with an annual nameplate capacity of 26.57 megawatts (MW) to its global portfolio. Read more

Hydropower Financing Gets a Boost from the US Department of Energy

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 15:02 (Renewable Energy World)

At 3.79 million square miles, the United States is the fourth largest country in the world by total area. Scattered throughout that vast landscape are some 80,000 non-powered dams that, if harnessed, could hold as much as 12.1GW (or 12,100MW) of renewable energy capacity. The U.S. Department of Energy recognizes this, and recently announced its intention to provide billions of dollars in loans to hydroelectric power technology developers to convert all that standing water into power. Read more

Look Who's Talking: The Experts Attending Renewable Energy World Conference, North America

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 20:52 (Renewable Energy World)

Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo is one of the leading conferences for the renewable energy industry. The conference features insightful discussions and presentations during technical sessions related to technology, markets, business strategies and policy covering the wind, solar, biomass, hydro and geothermal energy sectors. There has never been a better time to be a part of the exciting, ever-growing world of renewable energy and these speakers show why. Don't miss this opportunity to network with experts about the technologies and trends on the forefront of the renewable industry's future. Read more

Are UK Renewable Energy Contracts Hurting Consumers?

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 16:46 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.K. government didn’t get the best deal for consumers when it awarded 16.6 billion pounds ($26.8 billion) worth of clean-energy contracts, according to a parliamentary committee. Read more

EU Seeks Faster Renewable Energy Integration Amid Crisis in Ukraine

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 16:34 (Renewable Energy World)

The European Union is seeking to speed up the creation of a common energy market to help its shift to a low-carbon economy and boost security of energy supplies amid a natural-gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine. Read more

3 Reasons Why Renewable Energy Is The Prudent Choice for Your Business

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 15:40 (Renewable Energy World)

Renewable Energy is still something that many UK businesses dismiss as an issue that only really concerns domestic customers, but could this be a worrying misconception? Love Energy Savings’ Charles Whitworth takes a look at three key reasons why utilising renewable energy methods at your place of work could be a no-brainer for all involved! Here a Read more

Abengoa Yield's Solana CSP plant in Arizona wins an Energy Storage North America Innovation Award

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 14:02 (Solarserver)

Abengoa Yield (Leeds, UK) has announced that Solana, its Arizona-based concentrating solar power (CSP) plant received the Energy Storage North America (ESNA) Innovation Award in the Utility-Scale category. Winners were announced on October 1st, 2014, at the ESNA Innovation Awards ceremony in San Jose, California. Solana is the largest solar parabolic trough plant in the world. Located near Gila Bend, Arizona, it has a total installed capacity of 280 megawatts. With a six-hour molten-salt thermal energy storage capacity, it supplies clean energy to Arizona Public Service (APS), Arizona's largest utility, meeting peaks of demand before dawn and after dusk. Read more

Scrapping tax relief could ‘cripple’ community energy projects

Monday, 10.6.2014 - 9:38 (Solarpowerportal)

Community Energy England (CCE) has warned that plans by the Treasury to scrap tax relief for community-owned energy projects could have a devastating impact. Read more