Thin film PV production: Swedish cleantech company Midsummer named as one of the fastest growing technology companies by Deloitte

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 15:49 (Solarserver)

Midsummer (Järfälla, Sweden), a supplier of production lines for flexible CIGS thin film solar cells, ended up on 7th place when the Deloitte Technology Sweden Fast 50 list was announced on November 11th, 2014. Deloitte annually elects the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Sweden. Midsummer already won the Deloitte Fast 50 competition in 2012 and was also named the fastest growing cleantech company in EMEA the same year, the company emphasizes. Read more

Canadian Solar adding solar cell capacity after record third quarter results

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 11:17 (PV-Tech)

Major PVEP Canadian Solar reported record quarterly results for the third quarter of 2014, while guiding higher shipments and revenue for the fourth quarter. Read more

Organic photovoltaics researcher and Nobel Prize laureate Alan Jey Heeger joins SolarFUTURE.today initiative

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 10:44 (Solarserver)

The SolarFUTURE.today campaign received more wind in its wings with Chemist and Physicist Alan J Heeger joining the Honorary Award Committee of the Young Solar Visionary Competition, which will be run through the SolarFuture.today Foundation. Heeger's research in the area of conductive polymers has supported the development of organic photovoltaics. His work in this field was recognized with a Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2000, which he shares with fellow Researchers Alan G. MacDiarmid and Hideki Shirakawa. Read more

How to Promote Solar — And Help Repeal Fossil Fuel Subsidies: Parody

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 16:23 (Renewable Energy World)

Everyone loves a good laugh, especially when it’s directed at PR spin-meisters like the fossil fuel industries, which continue to greenwash their way to getting $5.1 billion per year from tax payers to find new fossil fuel reserves. They may tell us that they’re investing in alternative energies, but it’s a teeny slice of their budget. So, anything Read more

Residential Solar Energy Storage Market Could Approach 1 GW by 2018

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 15:52 (Renewable Energy World)

The global market for grid-connected residential photovoltaic (PV) solar installations coupled with energy storage is predicted to grow tenfold to reach more than 900 megawatts (MW) in 2018, up from just 90 MW in 2014, according to analysis from IHS. Read more

Canadian Solar reports record results for the third quarter 2014

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 15:41 (Solarserver)

Canadian Solar Inc. (Guelph, Ontario) on November 12th, 2014 reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30th, 2014. Net revenue was USD 914.4 million, up 46.6% from the second quarter of 2014 and up 86.3% from the third quarter of 2013. Total solar module shipments were 770 MW, compared to 646 MW in the second quarter of 2014 and 478 MW in the third quarter of 2013. This included 173 MW used in the company's total solutions business, compared to 70 MW in the second quarter of 2014 and 60 MW in the third quarter of 2013, the company reports. Read more

Calling All US Solar Warriors: We Need to Stand Up for the Industry

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 15:02 (Renewable Energy World)

We’ve all heard the solar statistics. Like how our industry has grown from $800 million in 2006 to $15 billion today. Or the fact that we’re now installing 20 gigawatts globally in two years, which had taken 40 years to complete before. Three consecutive years of growth, more than 150,000 Americans directly employed, nine out of ten Americans support solar, solar’s responsible for more than half of the new electric generation capacity installed in Q1 and Q2 of this year, etc. etc. It’s easy to get lost in all the milestones we’ve reached and the positive impact we’re having on our local economies, our aging grid, our energy independence—and let’s not forget Read more

Solar and wind to help renewables to world energy top slot by 2035 - IEA

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

Strong growth in solar and wind will make renewable energy generation the world’s leading source of power by 2035, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Read more

IHS: Global market for residential PV-plus-storage to total 900MW by 2018

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 13:46 (PV-Tech)

The market for residential solar paired with energy storage will grow tenfold by 2018, despite the relative failure of deployment to “live up to hype,” according to a new report from analysis firm IHS. Read more

The world’s largest solar project with compact fresnel technology connected to grid

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 12:56 (PV-Tech)

India’s Reliance Power has successfully connected the world’s largest concentrated solar project (CSP) with compact linear fresnel reflector (CLFR) technology to the grid in India’s Jaisalmer District of Rajasthan, according to the company. Read more

Allianz adds 55MW German solar parks to portfolio

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 12:08 (PV-Tech)

Allianz Capital Partners’ Renewable Energy Fund has acquired two ground mount solar parks in Germany. Read more

IHS Technology: Residential solar energy storage market to grow tenfold from 2014 to 2018

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 11:35 (Solarserver)

The global market for grid-connected residential photovoltaic (PV) installations coupled with energy storage is predicted to grow tenfold to reach more than 900 megawatts (MW) in 2018, up from just 90 MW in 2014, according to new analysis from IHS Technology (London, UK). This expanding opportunity for PV companies and battery manufacturers largely will be driven by the increasing attractiveness of PV for self-consumption, as well as by subsidies and increasing interest from home owners in becoming more independent of the electricity grid, IHS reports. Read more

Fotowatio breaks ground on 70MW solar project in southeast Australia

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 11:04 (PV-Tech)

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures has begun construction of its 70MWp Moree Solar Farm in New South Wales, on track to be one of the largest solar farms in Australia. Read more

Are CfDs the correct support mechanism for solar?

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 9:48 (Solarpowerportal)

The introduction of auction-based contracts for difference (CfDs) in the UK has caused huge amounts of uncertainty in the solar industry. With Japan considering introducing its own version of CfDs and the EU stating a preference for the support mechanism, Andy Colthorpe asks if CfDs could be the solar support mechanism of the future. Read more

Residential U.S. PV installer Vivint Solar names Kent R. Williams as Vice President of Asset Management

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 9:43 (Solarserver)

Vivint Solar (Provo, Utah, US), the second largest U.S. residential solar provider, on November 11th, 2014 named Kent R. Williams as Vice President of Asset Management. Williams will work closely with current and future residential solar financing providers to provide best in class asset management services, the company reports in a press release. Read more

Allianz Global Investors acquires 55 MW solar parks in Germany

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 9:36 (Solarserver)

The Allianz Renewable Energy Fund, S.A. SICAV-SIF (“AREF“), with Roderick MacDonald leading the transaction, acquired the two photovoltaic ground mounted parks Green Tower II and III. The PV plants are located on a former military airbase in Jocksdorf (Brandenburg, Germany) and have a total capacity of roughly 55 MW. For diversification purposes, the Infrastructure Equity investment team of Allianz Global Investors had previously acquired solar parks in Italy and Great Britain. Read more

PSEG Solar commissions 3.6 MW Essex Solar Energy Center near Burlington, Vermont

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 9:12 (Solarserver)

PSEG Solar Source (Newark, NJ, US) on November 11th, 2014 announced completion of the PSEG Essex Solar Energy Center. The solar photovoltaic (PV) facility is located roughly four miles northeast of Burlington, Vermont, and has a capacity of 3.6 MWDC. The solar farm was developed and constructed by juwi solar Inc. (JSI). It has a 25-year power purchase agreement with Vermont Electric Power Producers Inc. (VEPP), as part of the Vermont Sustainably Priced Energy Enterprise Development (SPEED) program. Read more

SunEdison sets sights on Philippines with 300MW PV partnership

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 16:21 (PV-Tech)

US PV energy provider SunEdison has finalised a partnership with Aboitiz Renewables that could see the pair build up to 300MW of PV in the Philippines. Read more

Carbon Breakthrough: US, China Make Milestone Agreement to Fight Climate Change

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 16:03 (Renewable Energy World)

President Barack Obama pledged deeper U.S. cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions and China will for the first time set a target for capping carbon emissions under an agreement between the world’s two biggest economies. Read more

Fossil Fuels Reap $550 Billion in Subsidies, Hindering Renewables Investment

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 14:28 (Renewable Energy World)

Fossil fuels are reaping $550 billion a year in subsidies and holding back investment in cleaner forms of energy, the International Energy Agency said. Read more

Labor walks out of talks on 40% RET slash in Australia

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 11:48 (PV-Tech)

Labor refused to scrap Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET), and has now left negotiations to have the policy slashed. Read more

Order Focus: Yingli Green supplies panels to Bolivian hybrid PV plant

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 11:26 (PV-Tech)

Bolivia’s first megawatt-scale PV plant has been supplied with Yingli Green solar panels, the Chinese manufacturer has announced. Read more

China set for 20% clean energy target as part of US climate pact

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 10:52 (PV-Tech)

China could adopt a 20% clean energy target as part of a suite of measures on climate change announced in tandem with the US. Read more

RES Americas announces largest energy storage projects in North America

Wednesday, 11.12.2014 - 9:17 (Solarserver)

Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas, Broomfield, Colorado, US), developer and constructor of wind, solar, transmission, and energy storage projects in North America, on November 11th, 2014 announce two grid-scale energy storage projects outside of Chicago that, once completed in 2015, will be the largest, fully commercial energy storage projects in North America. RES Americas will develop and construct the two 19.8 megawatt (MW) energy storage systems, each having the ability to store 7.8 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy. Read more